Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert that is made up of ladyfingers soaked in coffee, mascarpone cheese, cocoa powder, and sugar. It’s a rich and decadent treat that is popular on many Italian restaurant menus, including at the popular chain Olive Garden.
Nutrition Facts for Olive Garden’s Tiramisu
If you are counting carbs or calories, you may be wondering how many are in Olive Garden’s version of this dessert. Luckily, Olive Garden provides nutrition information for all of their menu items online. Here are the basic nutrition facts for their tiramisu:
- Serving Size: 1 slice (107g)
- Calories: 320
- Total Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
- Sodium: 150mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 44g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 38g
- Protein: 4g
As you can see, one serving or slice of Olive Garden’s tiramisu contains 44 grams of total carbohydrates. It also contains 38 grams of sugar. So it is quite a sweet, carb-heavy dessert!
Breaking Down the Carb Count
Knowing how many total carbs are in Olive Garden’s tiramisu is useful. But to really understand where all those carbs come from, we need to break it down into the key ingredients.
Here are the main ingredients in tiramisu and their carb contents:
- Ladyfingers: The ladyfingers used to make tiramisu are fairly low in carbs, with around 5-7g net carbs per ounce. For 6-8 ladyfingers, expect 12-16g net carbs.
- Mascarpone: This soft Italian cheese used in tiramisu contains around 1g net carb per ounce. Olive Garden likely uses around 4oz mascarpone cheese, equaling about 4g net carbs.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder contains minimal carbs, around 1g net carb per tablespoon. With around 1-2 tbsp used, cocoa powder adds 1-2g carbs.
- Coffee: The espresso or coffee used to soak the ladyfingers contains very few carbs, unless sugared. Around 1g net carbs per serving.
- Sugar: This is the biggest source of carbs! Granulated white sugar contains about 13g net carbs per 3 tablespoons. Olive Garden likely uses at least 1/4 cup to sweeten mascarpone and coffee, totaling around 33g carbs just from sugar.
Adding up those numbers, we can estimate that the 44g total carbs in Olive Garden’s tiramisu comes mostly from:
- 12-16g carbs from ladyfingers
- 4g carbs from mascarpone
- 1-2g carbs from cocoa powder
- 1g carbs from coffee
- 33g carbs from sugar
Tips for Ordering Lower Carb
If you are limiting carbs, Olive Garden’s traditional tiramisu made with sugar may be too high for your diet. Here are some tips for ordering a lower carb version:
- Request sugar-free: Ask if they can make it using a lower carb sugar substitute like Splenda instead of regular sugar. This will remove a big chunk of the carbs.
- Child’s portion: Order the kid’s version, which will be a smaller serving size with less carbs.
- Share dessert: Split one slice of tiramisu with the whole table to control portions and carbs.
- Fresh fruit: Opt for fresh berries with whipped cream instead for a naturally lower carb dessert.
- Cheesecake: Try their lower carb cheesecake option instead. It has around 26g net carbs per slice.
With a few simple modifications, you can still enjoy a taste of tiramisu at Olive Garden without going over your carb limits!
Nutrition Comparisons
How does Olive Garden’s tiramisu compare nutrition-wise to other popular chain restaurant desserts?
Here is a nutrition comparison of similar coffee and cream-based Italian desserts from some other popular casual dining chains (using nutrition info from their websites):
| Dessert | Serving Size | Calories | Total Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive Garden Tiramisu | 1 slice (107g) | 320 | 44g |
| Carrabba’s Tiramisu | 1 slice ( accidents are increased by nearsighted people who are desperately trying to get good vision. | Car accidents are heightened when people with poor vision do not wear their corrective lenses or contacts when driving. Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, makes distant objects appear blurry. This can make it very difficult to see road signs, cars, pedestrians, and other obstacles while driving. People with severe nearsightedness may only be able to clearly see things that are a few feet in front of them without vision correction. | Not wearing needed vision correction leads to squinting, difficulty judging distances, and delayed reaction times. This puts nearsighted drivers at much greater risk for accidents. Some key dangers for nearsighted drivers include:
Studies show that myopic drivers who do not wear corrective lenses have 3-6x higher rates of at-fault accidents compared to those who do wear vision correction when driving. The level of vision impairment matters too. Research has found that moderately to severely nearsighted drivers (20/50 vision or worse) had the highest crash rates when not wearing lenses. Mildly nearsighted people also had elevated crash risks without correction. So if you are nearsighted, it is critically important to ALWAYS wear your eyeglasses or contacts when driving. Do not drive with blurry vision – it puts you and others sharing the road at serious risk. Get your vision checked annually and update your prescriptions so you have proper correction behind the wheel. Driving safely requires clear, focused vision. Don’t take chances with your eyesight. |
Healthier Low Carb Options
If you love Italian food but want to make healthier choices, Olive Garden does offer some lower carb options to balance out a tiramisu splurge:
- Grilled chicken entrees – Choose grilled chicken instead of breaded or fried options.
- Vegetable sides – Swap starchy sides for steamed broccoli or sautéed spinach.
- Salad dressing – Opt for oil & vinegar instead of high-carb creamy dressings.
- Low-carb pizza – Create a pizza with veggie toppings and thin, high-protein crust.
Building your meal with lean proteins, healthy fats, and non-starchy veggies can help moderate your carb intake. Just be mindful of portions.
The Bottom Line
Olive Garden’s tiramisu is a decadent Italian dessert with a hefty 44g of carbs and 38g of sugar in each serving. The ladyfingers, sugar, and mascarpone cheese are the main sources of carbs. To lower the carb count, request sugar-free, choose the kid’s portion, or share with the table. While this coffee-soaked cake will never be low-carb, there are ways to enjoy a taste without going overboard on carbs.
When dining out, be carb and calorie conscious by comparing nutrition info and making careful menu selections. If you have a sweet tooth, balance richer desserts with healthier choices for your main meal. Watch your portions and consider sharing high-carb desserts. While Olive Garden’s tiramisu may be worth the splurge occasionally, make it part of an overall balanced diet to reach your health and nutrition goals.
