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
So amazing. My husband made this for my birthday and it’s officially my favorite dessert of all time. It’s so light and decadent.
Served at a wedding!
This is an absolutely delicious recipe. I am not vegan, but I have been baking and cooking for my vegan daughter for 12 years. This was served at a wedding as an option for the dairy-free, gluten free, and vegan guests. Many had seconds; they were thrilled to have a safe dessert that tasted so good. The groom’s mother said it tasted better than the tiramisu wedding cake with regular flour.
I used Silk Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk, Trader Joe’s whipping cream, and King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Due to the number of servings, I ended up using a vegan cake, sliced into two layers, but the ladyfingers in my test batch had a lovely flavor and the mascarpone was off the charts. These two perfect elements sealed the deal for me. This complete recipe is so good you can serve it to non-vegans. We ate the leftover ladyfingers on their own dipped in coffee.
Don’t be afraid of the process, it’s so worth it. This vegan mascarpone cheese is better than any vegan dairy product I have ever purchased in the store. It’s that good!
I also tested the mascarpone recipe using vegan cream cheese. I used Violife, and while that was a simple process, the taste does not compare. Not even close.
This is a vegan heirloom recipe!
Thank you, Britt!
Hello, I’m a bit confused as to the 2 listing’s for cornstarch and when they should be incorporated into the recipe to make the mascarpone prep with the sugar and vanilla. Please clarify
Hi Adolfo! Sorry about that! 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. In step 7, you’ll add in the additional tablespoon listed. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Hi ,
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Is it ok to make the tiramisu several days ahead, so it’s ready in the fridge 3 days before the celebration??
Hi Viviana! The tiramisu is best when made fresh. If you have to make it ahead of time, I recommend freezing 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!). Thanks for making the recipe!!
Can I use egg instead of aquafaba if I’m only worried about it being dairy-free? If so, how many?
So I haven’t made tiramisu with eggs in YEARS, so I can’t speak to the results! I don’t know how it would turn out and would recommend a different recipe already tested with eggs if that’s what you need. I’m so sorry! The aquafaba is just the liquid from the chickpea can though, it’s super easy!
Just made the mascarpone cream and it’s completely liquid 🙁 Was the 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used Silk whipping cream) correct? Any ideas for how to save it? I was hoping it would set up a little bit in the fridge but it’s not.
Oh no! So a couple of things could have happened here- you didn’t fully squeeze out enough water when making the mascarpone or potentially you made the mascarpone cream while the mascarpone was too warm. The Silk is great- that’s what I would use. Is the tiramisu already assembled?
Thanks for replying! I ended up making more of the mascarpone and added it to some of the cream and it ended up working out. Probably not as light and fluffy as it could’ve been but everyone loved it 🙂
Perfection! Thank you, Britt. Tastes identical to traditional tiramisu. ❤️
So grateful for your recipes. I’m still shocked I actually made vegan mascarpone. Had to pinch myself. 😳
This recipe is much better than others as it has much less sugar.
And your videos are very helpful.
This recipe definitely a keeper!
I’m going back for another spoonful or two, or three..😋
You’ve made my day. 🙏
This is beyond 🙂 Truly thank you!! So SO happy you loved it so much! Isn’t the mascarpone so cool?! Makes me smile every time!! Thank you so much, and enjoy!!
On the gluten-free lady fingers part of the recipe I can’t see where to add the 2tbsp of arrowroot/corn starch… is it with the flour mix?
Oh so sorry for the confusion! You’ll whisk that into the gluten-free flour!
Amazing, thank you! ☺️
I may be going blind but I don’t see the cornstarch being added into the lady fingers anywhere? For this reason I didn’t put it in. they still turned out nice though. 😅
These are just awesome 🙂 WOW!! Thank you so much for the review!! ENJOY!!
I have never written a review for a recipe but felt that I need to be grateful by expressing my appreciation for you and this recipe. I am a horrible baker and your instructions along with your video has helped me made this recipe successfully 3 times!! Regardless of this being a vegan recipe, non-plant based eaters have shared with me this is their favorite tiramisu. Thank you again for sharing this with the world. I highly recommend everyone to make this recipe. PS, I did use a cashew based-mascarpone. Everything else, I measured to the T!!
This is FANTASTIC oh my goodness!! Absolutely gorgeous!! Thank you so much for this review wow 🙂 So so grateful you love it so much!! And thank you for sharing my recipes with everyone 🙂 ENJOY!!
I made this for thanksgiving and everyone loved it, even the vegan skeptics in my family. My homemade lady fingers didn’t work out so I used vegan nilla wafers instead. It’s a process to make but so worth it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Aw so sorry to hear about the lady fingers!! What went wrong with those? But so glad the vegan Nilla wafers worked!! Thank you so much for the review 🙂 ENJOY!
This tiramisu was so divine that I cannot go without thanking you. My friends loved it so much that I was requested to make it a second time in the same week! You absolutely cannot tell that it’s vegan, and none of the ingredients were hard to find… and the sweetness is just perfect! I will definitely be making this many more times.
After having also had so much success with some of your other desserts (your vanilla cake is now a go-to in my arsenal), your website is now always my first stop when I’m looking for recipes 🙂
h my gosh this is the best!! Thank you so much for this review!! Means the world to me 🙂 ENJOY!
Hi, Britt! I made the mascarpone cheese and decided to also make your tiramisu recipe! I see that 2 tsp should’ve been added before finishing the mascarpone. I unfortunately didn’t read your tiramisu recipe until after I finished the mascarpone recipe. It’s already been chilled overnight, should I blend the cheese again with the cornstarch or will that mess up the mascarpone? Thank you!
Hi Aylah! I think it should still work!! How did it turn out 🙂
5 STAR dessert!!
All the recipes I have made from you are killer. You have great details on how to and the lead up section is always helpful. I love my tiramisu!! Delicious.
This is awesome wow 🙂 THANK YOU SO MUCH for the wonderful review!! Enjoy!!
I made your tiramisu last year using the new recipe where you make your own mascarpone by curdling soy milk and it was so good! This year I’m gonna try the cream cheese version, question- do I need double the mascarpone cheese amount? Or just what’s listed- 8oz cream cheese, 4oz butter, 2cups powdered sugar? Sorry I’m going to use your new ladyfinger recipe with the old cream cheese mascarpone recipe and wasn’t sure. Thanks!
Oh yay!! I can’t wait to hear what you think! So just use what’s listed for the cream cheese version 🙂
Absolute heaven, hands down favorite dessert.
This has me smiling ear to ear 🙂 So so happy you love it as much as I do!! ENJOY! And thank you for the review!!
hey. so, for the mascropone cream, I unfortunately do not have access to vegan heavy cream. how do I go about it . my immediate thought was coconut cream but it might taste too coxo-nutty. any help?
Hi Valar! You can use coconut cream but it will definitely have a coconut flavor. Another option is cashew cream if you can have nuts!