Easy Homemade Vegan Tiramisu- No Cashews, No Tofu!
Quite literally the best vegan tiramisu you will ever make, this homemade tiramisu is easy, layered with espresso soaked homemade ladyfingers, ridiculously cream vegan mascarpone cream filling reminiscent of the traditional, and topped with a dusting of cocoa powder. Based on my great grandfather’s home recipe from Sicily, you’ll never try another tiramisu recipe again, vegan or not!
Why you’ll love this easy vegan tiramisu:
Honestly, this tiramisu leaves everyone who tries it speechless. Based off of my great grandfather’s recipe from Sicily, it has every flavor of the classic, along with those gorgeous layers of espresso soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone filling. Yet it’s undetectably dairy free, eggless, and vegan.
And with the fluffy and creamy dairy free mascarpone cream made with my simple 2 ingredient homemade vegan mascarpone paired the soft yet delightfully soaked espresso homemade ladyfingers, this is the perfect dessert to test on your vegan skeptic friends and family 😉
In fact, it’s so perfect, I decided to go a little crazy…and make a banana pudding tiramisu, pistachio tiramisu, and even a pumpkin tiramisu off of this recipe.
Not to mention, tiramisu cake and tiramisu cheesecake!
How we’re veganizing an Italian classic:
Traditionally, tiramisu is not the world’s easiest dessert, as it requires creating a custard from eggs, and layering the classic Italian dessert just right.
But with a few tricks, I can promise this is truly the easiest vegan tiramisu recipe ever.
Now, I wanted to be a bit different than the vegan and gluten free takes on tiramisu around the internet. Many use cashews or even tofu to make the layer of mascarpone. Others also slice a layer cake into vegan ladyfingers.
But, using my great grandfather’s recipe as a base, we actually don’t have to stray too far from the traditional methods- homemade vegan ladyfingers use aquafaba (chickpea brine) instead of egg whites, and the vegan mascarpone is made literally with the same method as traditional dairy mascarpone (except with pea milk or soy milk!).
Making Tiramisu from scratch: Key Tips:
While this vegan tiramisu is easy, you will need to make it in layers. It’s not the quickest dessert, but it is straight forward and a wonderful treat for a dinner party or Christmas dinner.
First we’ll start by making the vegan ladyfingers (with a gluten free option). Then we’ll make the custard-like dairy free mascarpone, and then finally we’ll assemble the tiramisu!
Homemade Vegan Ladyfingers (with Gluten Free Option)
Now when I first tried to make this recipe, I had developed this recipe using my vegan vanilla cupcake batter, and spread the onto a baking sheet to bake. It was a honestly more like cake sticks, and everyone else on the internet decided to do the same.
I wanted something a bit closer to the real deal.
This new version of a vegan ladyfinger is truly it. The lady fingers are light and fluffy, yet structured enough that when they soak up the espresso, the ladyfingers still maintain their shape and don’t become too sponge-like.
This batter will yield about 28 4″ lady fingers, which is just the right amount of homemade ladyfingers to use for your vegan tiramisu. You can pipe the batter onto the baking sheets, no mold needed.
Once the vegan ladyfingers are baked, we’ll move onto making the dairy free mascarpone.
Vegan Dairy Free Mascarpone
Traditionally, the custard-like mascarpone also includes zabaglione (a custard of eggs, wine, and sugar). However, seeing as this vegan tiramisu is egg free and dairy free, we had to get a bit creative.
Mascarpone cheese tastes most similar to a ricotta, except it’s creamier. So I combined I actually combined my own homemade vegan mascarpone with vegan heavy cream, vanilla extract and/or paste, and powdered sugar. The result is a super fluffy and light mascarpone cream.
This can be made nut free and soy free by using pea milk in the mascarpone cheese. That’s my preferred method. However, if you’re not soy free nor nut free, you can use soy milk or almond milk here.
How to assemble tiramisu
Now we get to the fun part: assembling the vegan tiramisu!
You’ll need a 7×12″ baking pan or an 8×8″ or 9×9″ baking pan. Make sure that you’ve prepared the espresso. If you want rum in the espresso, you can add 1/4 cup golden rum.
Refrigerate the vegan tiramisu for at least 3-4 hours (so that it sets and can easily slice!). You can also refrigerate it overnight as well, which would be even better (normally what I do).Then when ready to serve, you can pipe coconut whipped cream on top and dust with cocoa powder.
Slice and serve!
Britt’s Expert Tips:
- Keep this tiramisu alcohol free or add in golden rum or amaretto: whichever you prefer! The alcohol version will taste closest to the traditional tiramisu. Kahlua would also be nice. However, I prefer mine without alcohol.
- Make ahead of time! I recommend making this vegan tiramisu the day before so as not to rush yourself if you’re preparing it for a special occasion.
- If the mascarpone cream splits: This means that there was too much water in your mascarpone when you squeezed it. It CAN be saved by adding a touch more powdered sugar or cornstarch, and letting the mixture chill in the fridge for an hour or two. Then re-whipping it.
You are just going to absolutely love this vegan tiramisu recipe! It’s perfect for all eaters, vegan or not! If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others may find it!
As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
Happy vegan tiramisu making!
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
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Easy Homemade Vegan Tiramisu- No Cashews, No Tofu!
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 18
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Quite literally the best vegan tiramisu you will ever make, this easy dairy free tiramisu is layered with espresso soaked homemade ladyfingers, creamy and rich vegan mascarpone filling, and topped with a dusting of cocoa powder. Tastes just like the classic Italian “pick-me-up” layered dessert!
Ingredients
Vegan Gluten Free Ladyfingers:
- 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour or sifted gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (if doing gluten-free, add in 1 tsp arrowroot powder)
- 2 tbsp (20 g) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) aquafaba*
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) dairy free yogurt or unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter or avocado oil, room temperature
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
Vegan Mascarpone Cream:*
- 2 batches vegan mascarpone, chilled + 2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch*
- 1 1/2 cup (360 mL) vegan heavy cream, chilled
- 1/2 cup (60 g) vegan powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Decoration:
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup brewed espresso
- Optional: coconut whipped cream for decoration (I also recommend Forager Project coconut whipped cream- it’s super easy to pipe!)
Equipment:
- 6×9″ or 8×8″ baking pan
- Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Espresso machine
- Stand mixer or Hand mixer
Instructions
- Please read through all instructions before beginning. I recommend making this tiramisu over 3 days, but it can be done over 2 days. You’ll need to prep the mascarpone cheese (not the finished mascarpone cream) and ladyfingers Day 1, followed by making the mascarpone cream and assemble Day 2, and serve Day 3.
- Make the mascarpone cheese: For the mascarpone with the addition of the cornstarch, add the 2 tsp of cornstarch when you blend the mascarpone in Step 4 in the mascarpone recipe. Make sure you chill the mascarpone cheese before using in your mascarpone cream. This is why I recommend making it the day before.
- Make the ladyfingers next. : Preheat the oven to 390F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Measure out the ingredients for the ladyfingers first.
- Prepare the ladyfingers batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk together the aquafaba and cream of tartar on high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Then add in 1 tablespoon at a time of the sugar, continuing to mix on medium speed, until you finish the entire 3/4 cup (150g). Then turn the speed up to high and continuing whisking for 5-7 minutes, until you reach stiff peaks (aquafaba takes longer to reach stiff peaks than egg whites). Add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, melted vegan butter, and dairy free yogurt. Mix just until incorporated (the mixture won’t be stiff peaks anymore- that’s okay!). Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Place a sieve over the bowl, and add about 1/2 of the flour mixture to the sieve. Sift in the mixture, and gently fold again, being careful not to over mix. Once JUST incorporated, add in the remaining half of the flour mixture to the sieve and sift again. Fold JUST until the flour is incorporated (it will be super thick- don’t worry! It will still be pipe-able). Fill a piping bag with round nozzle, and pipe 3-4″ long lady fingers onto your baking sheet, separating them by about 1″. You should yield about 28 4″ lady fingers, or 36 3″ lady fingers. Dust with 1/4 cup powdered sugar before baking.
- Bake the ladyfingers: Place the baking sheet into the oven to bake for 12 minutes. They’ll be lightly golden. For crispier cookies, bake for another 2 minutes. Ten remove from the oven and set aside. Set the ladyfingers aside to cool completely. They’re even better if used the following day.
- Mascarpone cream prep: Chill a large bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to making the mascarpone cream.
- Prepare the mascarpone cream: In the large chilled bowl, cream the vegan heavy cream until you reach stiff peaks, about 4-5 minutes. Then add in the powdered sugar, additional cornstarch, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste, and cream again until creamy and combined. Finally, spoon in the chilled mascarpone cheese, and cream again until fluffy and combined. Set aside covered and in the fridge for when you’re ready to assemble.
- Assembly: brew the espresso and make sure you have a 6×9″ or 8×8″ baking pan. Remove the mascarpone from the fridge. Dip one ladyfinger into the espresso, and be careful not to soak it too much. Just make sure it’s entirely covered in the espresso. Remove the ladyfinger from the espresso and place in the dish. Repeat with the half of the ladyfingers until the first layer is complete. You’ll have half for the second layer. Spoon half of the mascarpone on top of the first layer of lady fingers. Repeat for the second layer, dipping the ladyfingers into the espresso, topping with mascarpone.
- Place the dish into the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Serve: when ready to serve, remove the tiramisu from the fridge. Pipe coconut whipped cream on top if desired, then dust with cacao or cocoa powder. Slice and serve! Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Aquafaba: This is the liquid in your chickpea can or jar. It acts just like an egg white and is an amazing egg substitute in baking!
Vegan yogurt: You can use any dairy free yogurt brand here. I used Forager Project cashewmilk yogurt, but you can use a nut-free one if you’d like. The original version I created used vegan cream cheese but I found there were too many inconsistencies across brands and this was the safer option to provide more consistent results.
For a soy free mascarpone cream:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup (112 g) vegan cream cheese, unsweetened
- 2 tbsp dairy free yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To make it: In a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and continue cream together until smooth. Then add in the dairy free yogurt, and cream together until fluffy. Use a tablespoon of dairy free milk as needed to help with the texture. Place the mascarpone in the fridge until ready to use.
Original tiramisu recipe: Because of so many requests for the vegan cream cheese option for the mascarpone, I decided to add it as an option in the notes! Please find the original recipe here:
- Lady fingers:
- 2 cups cake flour or sifted gluten free 1:1 baking flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup dairy free milk with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp dairy free yogurt or vegan sour cream, room tempearture
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- Vegan Mascarpone:
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 ounces vegan butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Hi! I’m in the middle of making this recipe (and so excited about it!) and realize that the Mascarpone ingredient list says:
1 cup (8 ounces) vegan butter, room temperature
2 batches vegan mascarpone, cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
1 cup (140 g) vegan powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Is that a typo? The vegan butter is listed twice there . . . Am I supposed to just put in a cup and a half total? Or was it supposed to be one or the other of those measurements? I hope I don’t sound rude questioning your genius 🙂 It being listed in two different spots is just confusing me, and I’m to this point in the recipe so desperately trying to double check 😉
Hi Robyn!! Yes, that’s my bad, I’m so sorry for the confusion! It should just be one butter mesueremnts – 113 g/1/2 cup. I just edited it! The recipe was just recently updated and I thought I marked that up (trying to save the old version for those who want it because I always have a few that like the original way best!). I’m so sorry for that, and not rude at all, completely my bad!
Mystery solved! Brilliant-thank you!
…So turns out I have one more question. I’m now creaming all that together and it’s so runny, ie:not creamy 😬 I’m worried I didn’t make the mascarpone well or something 🤷🏽♀️ (4 cups soy milk, quarter cup of lemon, third cup of coco cream…?). I just can’t figure out why now that I’m mixing that with the butter and powdered sugar it’s till so liquidy. Any ideas?
It’s okay, it’ll be softer and more liquid like, BUT should firm up in the fridge! But if it was super gloopy and liquid-y, it sounds like your mascarpone wasn’t cool enough? Did you also use room temp butter? It should still thicken and firm up more in the fridge, like mascarpone!
Hi! I was wondering if I could use a can of salted chickpea water for the aquafaba, since I am not able to find any unsalted chickpea cans at the stores near me. Also it seems like both the original and new recipes for the mascarpone contain cream cheese. Should I stick to the new recipe if I have both VioLife cream cheese and vegan yogurt?
Hi Kayla! Can you find lightly salted chickpeas? Sometimes, the can is way too salty- other times, depending on the brand it’s okay! I’m just nervous it might be very salty! And yes, for sticking with the new recipe!
The recipe was easy though my mascarpone turned more into an icing style rather than the fluffy style you have
Not sure what happened but I used Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese forager yogurt and earth balance sticks and it was like a runny icing
Hi Talia! Oh I’m wondering about the TJ’s vegan cream cheese- I haven’t tried that one, so I don’t know the consistency! With vegan products, unfortunately it’s very brand-reliant, as there are so many variations in consistency. I’m so sorry about that!
Just made this for Easter. Just omg. I am not a baker, I just don’t like it, probably cause I always fail. Gotta tell you I impressed myself this was awesome !!!!!!!! Everyone else loved it too !!!
I changed the mascarpone recipe a little, but followed everything else. I use more cream cheese and less butter, plus I add a dash of vinegar for tanginess. Sounds weird, but it’s good. This my family’s favorite dessert! Even my non vegan uncle and grandparents love it. Seriously addictive.
This is so wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for giving these insights too 🙂 Enjoy!!
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was really lovely although everyone agreed far too sweet! If I made it again, I would start with just one cup of icing sugar in the mascarpone rather than three, thanks
I have never made Tiramisu before, so this was going to be a whole new experience for me.
My Son is vegan so I thought this looked wonderful,and I would I’ve it try.
I am fascinated with each element of this recipe and how it all comes together.
This is the most wonderful tasting tiramisu I have ever tasted !!!
Please if you are vegan you must make this easy delishes recipe.
This is so wonderful!! So happy you loved it 🙂 Such a wonderful comment, thank you so much!! Enjoy, and happy holidays!
well, no cashew, no tofu, and then the main ingredient is Tofutti cream cheese made with Tofu…
You can use a different cream cheese if you’d prefer!
YUM! For the Mascarpone recipe (not in the notes section) includes cream cheese. Should this be yogurt? I’m not seeing where yogurt is used. Thanks!
Hi Dani! So sorry for the confusion! So I’ve found many people are struggling with the use of the yogurt option (because DF yogurts can vary SO much in consistency, I’m guessing this is the reason why!) so I switched it to vegan cream cheese! If you want to try the yogurt still (my favorite option!)- you can use 1/2 cup! I hope this helps!
Hello, I am just very curious to know the reason for adding so much sugar (3 cups of powdered sugar) to the mascarpone replacement, mascarpone (the non-vegan version) doesn’t contain sugar and if it does, is very little, is slightly sweet but not buttercream frosting sweet. Is this just a take on the original tiramisu recipe? I cannot wait to try it regardless, what would you recommend if wanting to omit the super sweet flavor in the mascarpone? THANK YOU!!!
Hi there! Yes, so this is a spin on it because vegan “mascarpone” is REALLY hard to achieve (there’s no vegan substitute currently on the market!). It definitely is a touch sweeter than tiramisu, but it’s still really delicious (and doesn’t taste vegan at all- that’s what I was going for!). I hope this helps!
what brand of butter did you use? And was it salted or unsalted?
I use Miyoko’s vegan butter! I prefer salted, but you can use unsalted, and add in 1/8 tsp sea salt!!
Hi can I use just brewed coffee i don’t have espresso on hand will it alter the flavor in any way? Also if adding Kahlua do I use 1/2 cup coffee to 1/2 cup Kahlua will this make it too sweet?
Thanks Liz
Hi Liz! You can definitely swap in coffee instead of espresso- for the Kahlua, unfortunately it isn’t vegan, so I wouldn’t be able to speak to that! (I’m vegan!) From other recipes I’ve seen, it looks like about 1/4 cup of Kahlua is enough- BUT again, I cannot speak to it as I’m vegan and have not tried it!
Hi!
I tried to make this and the marscapone started curdling when I added the yogurt 🤧 Any idea what I did wrong??
I’m so sorry to hear this! I’m thinking it was the type of yogurt- I haven’t had it happen with the yogurts I’ve used, but I know that there is a wide variance in textures from different df yogurt brands. Which brand did you use?
I had the same problem but I fixed it by gently heating it over a double boiler while whipping it until you’ve whipped the lumps out. Once it’s smooth, let it cool back to room temperature, stirring regularly, and rewhip it once it’s cool. Afterwards I put it in my fridge for 30 minutes. It was again ready to be used and my tiramisu turned out great.
This is such a helpful tip!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi! I am allergic to aquafaba (all legumes and beans) and wondered if you’ve ever tried a substitute for that? If so, what works? Thank you!!
Hi Anne! Unforutnatley, there isn’t a substitute for aquafaba in this recipe. In theory you could potentially swap in soy milk, but it won’t whip up like a meringue, which creates our volume and gives us so many ladyfingers!
Can this be made in advance and frozen?
Thaw time?
Thanks
Hi Amanda! This tiramisu is really best enjoyed fresh- however, you can make it in advance if you really need to and freeze it! You can thaw it over 4-5 hours, placing it first in the fridge for up to 2 hours then allowing it to sit at room temperature (this will prevent any major condensation!). I hope that helps!
Hi,
First thank you so much for that recipe! I will make it for my mom’s birthday, she is lactose and gluten intolerant and tiramisu is one of her favourites!
Would it be better to do only the ladyfingers in advance and freeze them? And then thaw them and making the mascarpone and assembly the day before you want to eat it?
Hi Chloé! The ladyfingers will still be good for up to 2 days after baking them, and left at room temperature 🙂 Otherwise, you can freeze them!