CREAMY, coffee-soaked, sometimes boozy and always moreish, Tiramisu has taken over UK supermarket shelves.
Brits can’t get enough of the Italian dessert which literally translates as ‘pick-me-up’.
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It has starred in a Love Island episode and Starbucks has just launched three new tiramisu-inspired drinks in its stores.
But when you want an easy pudding to finish off a meal at home – which supermarket tiramisu is best?
I got stuck in to find out. Here’s the results…
Lidl’s Milbona Tiramasu
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Looks-wise, this is a doppelganger for the Sainsbury’s tiramisu, with little domes of cream and cocoa on top.
Here, though, the cream layer is heavier and more dairy-tasting than mascarpone. There’s a strong coffee smell and nicely-soaked sponge.
It’s good value but this is the only tiramisu that isn’t veggie-friendly.
It’s got beef gelatine in it, which seems a bit unnecessary when the others don’t, and will put some buyers off.
White Rabbit Classic Tiramisu
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This comes in a dinky little plastic tub, giving off posh picnic vibes.
It’s gluten-free, so perfect for coeliacs or anyone on a restricted diet, and has no booze either.
Lacking the classic Marsala wine might upset the tiramisu-purists, but non-drinkers might prefer the taste, which still has a big coffee hit.
The sponge is light and the mascarpone is creamy and smooth, with a decent cocoa top.
And it’s expensive compared to all the others on sale: the pot is not really big enough to share so you’d have to spend almost £8 on dessert for four.
Asda Bakery Tiramisu
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There’s no messing about with this strong coffee kick on Asda‘s offering.
The sponge layer is not particularly thick, but it is oozing with chocolatey coffee flavour.
The cream layer is another light mascarpone, dusted with cocoa powder and segmented into grids, it looks very professional (you couldn’t pass this dish off as your own) and it is indeed made in Italy.
Coming in at a generous 500g, the packaging says this tiramisu serves six but we split it between four and didn’t feel overstuffed.
Tesco Finest Coffee & Amaretto Tiramisu
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Thanks to the amaretto, there’s big, bold almond flavour in this good-looking dessert.
It’s punchy, but light thanks to the super smooth and airy mascarpone cream.
The top, creamy part is melt-in-the-mouth and it definitely dominates.
There’s only a thin layer of sponge, so if you love that coffee-soaked base, you might feel short-changed.
There’s a good twist of Marsala wine in this dessert, but it doesn’t taste particularly boozy, it’s more of a creamy, almondy treat than classic tiramisu.
It’s from Tesco’s Finest range and has quite the price tag at £4.50 but it is tasty and rich, so it does feel fancy.
I’d whip this out for a special occasion or having friends round for dinner.
The dark choc shavings mean you could just about blag this as homemade if you were able to get it out of its container intact.
Aldi’s Specially Selected Chocolate and Hazelnut Tiramisu
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Tirami-who? This is more like a Nutella mousse with coffee vibes.
The top layer is chocolate mousse rather than the traditional cream, with crunchy hazelnuts sprinkled throughout, and chocolate chips layered on top.
There’s a light coffee taste from the soaked sponge biscuits at the bottom, but it’s not dominant.
It’s more Ferrero Rocher than Italian macchiato.
This was a delicious, light-tasting summer dessert and probably the most kid-friendly of all the tiramisus.
The individual pots make it a super-convenient, no-washing-up dessert for after a barbecue although for a family or crowd, it’d be pricier than most.
Sainsbury’s Classic Tirimasu
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A deep tub, piped peaks of cream, dusted with cocoa, and great value at just £3 for dessert for all the family – this is the real deal.
The mascarpone is light and sweet, it melts on the tongue, not too boozy but a nice hint of Marsala wine.
The sponge is properly soaked in coffee: oozing with flavour, strong and tasty.
If you want a tiramisu that sticks close to tradition, this one delivers everything you’d want.
Sit in the sun, close your eyes, lift your spoon and you could really believe you’re in Tuscany eating an Italian Nonna’s best dessert. Delicious.
How to save on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
