The Best Copycat Costco Tiramisu Cheesecake Recipe

Costco shoppers and frequent-flyers know that there are always treasures to be found at the store, even those that extend beyond bulk-sized deals and discounts. The mega-store also has an impressive bakery section, laden with goodies like Costco or Kirkland brand cookies, the ever-popular seasonal pumpkin pie, and as a more recent development, tiramisu cheesecake. The two-in-one dessert hit shelves in February 2025, immediately piquing the interest of Costco shoppers, including recipe developer Patterson Watkins.

Of course, if your Costco tiramisu cheesecake experience has been anything like Watkins', then it's perhaps been a disappointing one ... only because it's been sold out. "I know the appeal — that coffee creamy cheesecake layer, the cocoa-laced crushed cookie crust, and (swoon) that mascarpone whipped cream topping," Watkins describes. Fortunately, for all those out there who are also experiencing the "sold out woes," as Watkins puts it, she assures us that her copycat Costco tiramisu cheesecake recipe is as good as the real deal. 

We can't deny that this tiramisu cheesecake will require some time and patience in the kitchen, including an overnight refrigeration period before you can dig in. Between that cocoa-infused crust, espresso-infused cheesecake layer, and rich mascarpone topping, however, there's no denying the sheer delicious decadence of this all-out dessert — one that will be well worth all the effort, even if your local Costco does eventually restock its shelves.

For the cheesecake crust, you'll need either crushed butter cookies or graham crackers, unsweetened cocoa powder, and melted unsalted butter. Then, for the cheesecake itself, you'll need softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, brewed and cooled espresso, vanilla extract, and eggs. Finally, for the creamy topping, you'll need softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and some store-bought whipped topping.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Wrap the bottom and sides of a springform pan with aluminum foil.

Lightly spritz the pan with pan release spray.

Place the crushed cookies, cocoa powder, and melted butter in a medium bowl, stir to combine.

Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom and sides of the springform pan.

Place the pan in the oven and parbake for 15 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and set aside to cool on a wire rack at room temperature.

To make the cheesecake filling, place the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until smooth and fluffy.

Add the sugar, espresso, and vanilla to the bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the eggs to the bowl at a time, and mix on low until blended before adding another.

Place the cooled crust into a large roasting pan.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan, spreading out in an even layer.

Fill the roasting pan with hot water, filling just enough to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes (until the cheesecake is firm around the edges and a little jiggly in the center).

Turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake inside to gradually cool for 1 hour.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and remove the springform pan from the roasting pan and set aside to cool at room temperature on a wire rack.

Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, cover the springform pan with plastic, and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

Once the cheesecake has chilled, make the topping by placing the softened mascarpone cheese in the large bowl. Whisk until fluffy and smooth.

Add the powdered sugar to the bowl and whisk to combine with the mascarpone.

Working in batches, add the whipped topping to the bowl and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold until combined.

Dollop ⅔ of the topping onto the cheesecake (still in the pan) and spread out evenly. Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes or until the topping has firmed slightly and set.

Place the remaining topping into a piping bag fitted with a large fluted tip.

Once the topping has set, carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and place on a serving platter.

Decoratively pipe the reserved topping around the edges of the cheesecake.

Dust the cheesecake with some reserved cocoa powder before slicing and serving.

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Cheesecake is notoriously not the easiest dessert to make — in fact, there are quite a few mistakes everyone makes with cheesecake, and Watkins herself describes the custardy dessert as "finicky." Luckily, as long as you follow the recipe closely and keep these tips and best practices from Watkins in mind, you should end up with perfect tiramisu cheesecake every time.

For starters, don't even think about skipping that water bath. Watkins stresses that the hot water you pour into the roasting pan, AKA the water bath, is absolutely essential, as it "creates a moist environ to promote even custard cooking." And, once you create that perfect environment in the oven, just one crack of the oven door will cause loss of both heat and moisture. So, nerve-wracking as it may be, trust the process and keep the oven door shut for the entire 1 hour 30 minute bake time.

The good news is that, even if you do end up with some cracks on top of your cheesecake, it'll still taste delicious, and the mascarpone topping will cover any flaws. Speaking of the mascarpone topping, Watkins highly recommends whipping it up in a cool environment (be it a cool day or in a kitchen with the AC on), otherwise it may give you problems when it comes to setting properly.

Mascarpone cheese may not be a typical ingredient in cheesecake, but it certainly is in tiramisu, hence why it's included in this recipe. "Mascarpone is what makes this cheesecake so special," Watkins explains. "Yes, you could use cream cheese for the topping, but it wouldn't have that fan-favorite Costco finesse or that classic-tasting tiramisu element." She adds that mascarpone has a higher fat content than cream cheese, meaning that it leans less on the tangy side of things and more on the sweeter side. And, when it comes to tiramisu cheesecake, the sweeter the better.

Of course, the mascarpone doesn't stand alone in the cheesecake topping. Watkins also adds store-bought whipped topping (like Cool Whip) to the mix, along with powdered sugar for sweetness. "The reason I used whipped topping (instead of homemade) was for the added stability," she explains, adding that she also used it for simplicity's sake, since this recipe is already involved as-is. That said, you can absolutely use homemade, sweetened whipped cream instead of store-bought whipped topping, though Watkins notes that this may make your cheesecake topping a little richer overall (not that this is a bad thing by any means).

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