The White Russian — which contains vodka, Kahlua, and heavy cream — is a strong, creamy, and decadent cocktail full of delicious coffee flavor. But, as it turns out, there’s a simple way to make the cocktail even more decadent and delicious and it involves transforming it into the drink version of a classic dessert, tiramisu.
Tiramisu and White Russians already have a lot in common — they both contain the taste of coffee and they’re both creamy. Some versions of tiramisu even contain alcohol like Marsala wine, rum, or coffee liqueur (like Kahlua). Thus, it makes sense that the two treats would be combined to make the ultimate dessert cocktail.
Making a tiramisu White Russian requires just two extra ingredients: whipped cream and cinnamon. Make the White Russian as normal: Add 2 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce of Kahlua (or, if you’re in an ambitious mood, you can make your own homemade coffee liqueur), and 1 ounce of heavy cream to a glass and give it a stir. To turn it into the tiramisu version, add a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. The whipped cream adds more creaminess to the drink, further accentuating its tiramisu vibe, while the cinnamon adds an essential flavor of tiramisu to the drink. All in all, the tiramisu version of the White Russian is sweet, delicious, and the perfect after-dinner drink to satisfy your sweet tooth.
How to garnish or customize the tiramisu White Russian
Tandis Esfandiari/TikTok
After you’ve sprinkled plenty of cinnamon on top of the whipped cream, the tiramisu White Russian still isn’t complete until you’ve added a garnish. The most fitting garnish for this dessert-drink? Ladyfingers, of course. Ladyfingers are an integral part of tiramisu — they’re soaked in coffee before the dessert is assembled, ensuring that the coffee flavor is completely seeped into the dessert and prevalent in each bite. With this in mind, it only makes sense to use a ladyfinger as a garnish so that the tiramisu part of the tiramisu White Russian is complete. Plus, just like with the traditional dessert, the ladyfinger can soak up all of the delicious elements of the White Russian, making it even tastier when you finally bite into your garnish.
Another garnish option is a cinnamon stick to accentuate the cinnamon flavor. Swirl it around the drink to infuse that cinnamony goodness into the drink as a whole and ensure that there is plenty of cinnamon flavor in each sip.
Additionally, feel free to customize the tiramisu White Russian. If you’re not a fan of vodka, you can swap it out for rum (a liquor often used in tiramisu) — the drink will be more tiramisu than White Russian but delicious nonetheless. Further, maybe you want it to have a stronger coffee flavor, closer to the tiramisu (which uses straight coffee, not just coffee liqueur) — in this case, add a shot of cooled espresso for an extra kick of caffeine (and flavor).
