Vegan Tiramisu

If you’re looking for the BEST recipe for vegan tiramisu, look no further! ☕

This tiramisu is rich, creamy, full of dark coffee flavors, and just a tad addictive (…ok, very addictive).

It’s the perfect ending to any Italian meal. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free! ‘Nuff said, let’s start making it! 

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What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a classic, creamy, coffee-flavored Italian dessert. In Italian, tiramisu literally translates to “pick me up” or “cheer me up”. A very appropriate name!

While there are many variations, tiramisu is typically made of spongey ladyfingers soaked in coffee and sometimes liquor, then layered with a whipped combination of eggs, sugar, whipped cream, and mascarpone cheese. Finally, it’s dusted with cacao powder. 

Is Tiramisu Vegan?

No, tiramisu is traditionally not vegan. As mentioned above, it’s usually made with egg yolks, heavy cream, and mascarpone cheese. 

Luckily, with all the vegan substitutes out there today, making this recipe vegan is a lot simpler than you can imagine. 

To make this vegan tiramisu, we replaced…

• Heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream. Coconut cream is incredible in vegan baking! It’s light in flavor, thick in texture, and provides a nice amount of fat, which adds richness and creaminess to many recipes! It really is an incredible substitute for heavy cream. 
• Whole milk with almond milk, which can also be substituted with your plant-based milk of choice.
• Egg yolks with applesauce. Applesauce adds moisture to recipes, and helps give a bit of color to the cream.

Is this Vegan Tiramisu Gluten-Free?

Yes! You can use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour to make the cake layers of this tiramisu.

Is Vegan Tiramisu Easy to Make?

Yes, vegan tiramisu is fairly easy to make, but we recommend following the recipe closely, as we’re making the ladyfingers from scratch!

To make it even easier, you can use store-bought ladyfingers that fit your dietary needs.

What is Vegan Tiramisu Made Of?

All you need for this recipe is 13 ingredients, which include salt and other very standard kitchen cabinet ingredients! Not too bad, ay? 

To make the cake layer, you need:

• Gluten-free flour (you can use regular flour if you’re not gluten-free)
• Almond flour
• Monk fruit (you can use coconut sugar or something similar if you’re not sugar-free)
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Almond milk (or homemade with Almond Cow). If you decide to get the Almond Cow, you can get a small discount of $15 OFF with the discount code “NATALYA” at checkout!
• Apple sauce, unsweetened
• Coconut oil
• Vanilla extract
• Strong coffee (preferably espresso)

To make the cream layer, you will need: 

• Cashews
• Full-fat coconut cream
• Almond milk (or homemade with Almond Cow).
• Monk fruit (you can use coconut sugar or something similar if you’re not sugar-free)
• Strong coffee (optional)
• Vanilla extract

How to Make Vegan Tiramisu

Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line two 8-inch square cake tins with parchment paper.

In a bowl, add gluten-free flour, almond flour, monk fruit, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, add the almond milk, apple sauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and mix. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until combined.

Pour equal amounts of the batter into both cake tins, and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

When ready, remove the cakes from the oven, and allow them to cool completely.

While they are cooling, prepare the cream layer. In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the cashews, coconut cream, monk fruit, coffee, and vanilla, and blend until smooth and creamy.

It’s then time to assemble the tiramisu!

Cut both sponge cakes into 9 squares each, and brush them with coffee. Place them into your serving dish of choice (we used an 8-inch square dish).

Spread half of the cream over the cake pieces. Place another layer of sponge cake pieces (brushed with coffee), and top with the rest of the cream.

Cover the serving dish and transfer to the refrigerator overnight (or at least 4 hours) to set. Once the tiramisu has set, dust with cacao powder, and cut into squares to serve.

Tips for the Best Vegan Tiramisu

• Tiramisu is best made ahead of time. We recommend making the tiramisu one day before you intend to serve it! Not only does it need to chill in the fridge for the cream to set, but it will help the flavors really soak in.

• Use strong coffee! We personally recommend espresso. You can also use decaf coffee for a caffeine-free version if you prefer.

• Don’t soak your cake/ladyfingers in your coffee! Try not to leave them in the liquid too long—a quick dip will do the trick. Overly soggy cake will result in a very wet texture, which will also make it difficult to serve, as it will be a bit messy.

• Don’t skip the step of cooling the cakes completely before removing them from the cake tins. Gluten-free cakes tend to break apart easily while warm. 

• To make this recipe even easier, feel free to use store-bought ladyfingers that fit your dietary needs. 

• If you’re not personally gluten-free, you can use regular flour to replace the gluten-free flour in the cake. 

• If you’d like a boozy tiramisu, feel free to swap a couple tablespoons of the almond milk in the cream filling for your choice of alcohol. Our personal favorites are Marsala wine, brandy, amaretto, or rum (or a combination of these!). 🥃

• Add the cacao powder just before you’re ready to serve. Doing it ahead of time results in losing that beautiful brown powdery look on top.

FAQ

How to Store Vegan Tiramisu

You can store any leftovers of this Vegan Tiramisu in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Providing you are strong enough to not devour it all on day one! 

Does Tiramisu Need to Have Alcohol?

No! In fact, this recipe does not contain any alcohol.

However, you can definitely use some if you’d like to make it boozy. Check out our tips for the best vegan tiramisu above for instructions on how to make it boozy!

Can You Freeze Vegan Tiramisu?

Yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months!

If you decide to freeze it, prepare and assemble the tiramisu as normal, then make sure to wrap/cover it well before transferring it to the freezer. 

When you’re ready to serve it, take it out of the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator overnight to fully defrost. 

Dust it with more cocoa powder just before serving, and enjoy! 

Can You Make Tiramisu Ahead?

Yes. In fact, it’s actually best made ahead of time!

We recommend making the tiramisu one day before you intend to serve it, because it helps the cream set, and the flavors really soak in.

How Long Does this Vegan Tiramisu Last?

This vegan tiramisu lasts up to 4 days, covered, in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3 months when well-wrapped/covered and stored in the freezer. 

If you’re craving more coffee recipes, then try these:

Dalgona Coffee

Mocha Truffles

Baked Vegan Chocolate Donuts (There’s no coffee in them, but they go well with a cup of joe!) ☕

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photos with @healthiir on Instagram!