In this easy Vegan Tiramisu recipe, espresso-soaked ladyfingers are topped with a rich and creamy vegan mascarpone filling. Perfect for the holidays or just when you’re in the mood to celebrate, this creamy and indulgent dessert is sure to become your next favorite.
For me, holidays are all about experimenting in the kitchen, and I love whipping up vegan desserts that I can treat myself to and share with my family! I get so excited when I can wow them with a vegan dessert that tastes great!
When I’m hosting a party, or cooking for a group of friends. it’s usually my vegan pecan pie or vegan pumpkin cheesecake that ends up as the dessert, but this time I felt like trying something different. This modified Italian pick-me-up dessert seemed like a true winner!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Tiramisu Recipe
- Delicious: The tiramisu comes together with some simple ingredients. You’ll get the creaminess from the tofu, the kick from the espresso, and the deliciousness of cacao in every bite!
- Easy to make: You’ll just need 30 minutes to put this decadent dessert together. It really doesn’t get better than this.
- Perfect for holidays: It’s perfect for the holidays or special occasions when you really want to impress, but don’t want to put in too much effort.
- Easily adaptable: With easy ingredient swaps and lots of variations to try, this recipe is actually pretty adaptable too.
Ingredients
- Tofu: I used firm tofu here. Most recipes call for silken tofu, but I find it can be quite watery.
- Vegan cream cheese: Use your favorite store-bought brand here for the best flavor and creaminess. While I love my homemade dairy-free cream cheese, I prefer using prepared cream cheese in this recipe for the consistency.
- Milk: Use any dairy-free milk of your choice. Almond milk, soy milk and cashew milk are all excellent choices.
- Sugar: Sweetens the creamy vegan layer perfectly.
- Cacao powder: The best quality you can get! We will be using it to dust over the finished up tiramisu.
- Vanilla: For that delicate sweet aroma, use pure extract.
- Espresso: For that classic coffee flavor. If you don't have an espresso machine you can buy instant espresso and mix it with some hot water.
- Rum: Totally optional but it adds a great flavor! If you want keep it alcohol-free you can also use rum extract instead, or just leave it out altogether. Just add a little bit at a time to reach desired flavor.
- Ladyfingers: My homemade vegan ladyfingers made from scratch work great, especially because I find these to be a difficult ingredients to find in stores. To keep the recipe time way shorter however, use store-bought vegan ladyfingers.
- Lemon juice: Just a little bit, for that slight tang that mascarpone has.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Gluten-free: To make vegan gluten-free tiramisu, use a gluten-free flour to make the ladyfingers or buy vegan gluten-free wafer cookies.
- Sugar-free: Use a sugar-free alternative like monk fruit sweetener to make this tiramisu sugar-free.
- Topping time: Experiment with different toppings to add some more flavor and texture to your tiramisu. Chocolate shavings and fresh berries are some good options you can’t go wrong with.
How to Make Vegan Tiramisu
Making dairy-free tiramisu is super easy. Just get all your ingredients ready, and you’re ready to get started.
Step 1: Dip dip: Combine warm water and the instant espresso in a bowl, and start dipping your ladyfingers in the mixture.
Step 2: Layer up: Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in a pan in a single layer.
Step 3: Mix and add the creamy layer. Combine the tofu, cream cheese, sugar, milk, vanilla and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor and blend until you get a smooth mixture. Spread half of it over the top of the ladyfingers.
Step 4: Add a sprinkle. Dust a bit of cacao over the top of this layer.
Step 5: Add another set of layers. Follow up with another layer of ladyfingers, more cream, and finally a heavy layer of cacao.
Step 6: Finish up and chill: Pop the pan in the refrigerator and let it chill overnight before you serve.
⭐️ Hint: Remember that vegan tiramisu can be a bit soft, and letting it chill for at least a few hours is an absolute must though overnight is even better. You can pop in the freezer for around 30 minutes if you want to make things quicker.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Your leftover tofu tiramisu will stay fresh for 3-4 days, when refrigerated. I would recommend covering it up with some cling wrap to keep it fresh.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the tiramisu if you want it to last longer though the texture of the tofu may change slightly. Assemble it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to a month. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before you serve it.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy dairy-free tiramisu has become a favorite for me on nights when I’m in the mood to indulge in something Italian.
On days when I make my vegan fettuccine alfredo or my vegan lasagna and I want to finish up with a light and creamy dessert, this tiramisu is what I turn to. It’s also the perfect sweet treat to enjoy on a cold winter night, after a comforting meal of minestrone soup.
If I’m making this as a part of a holiday celebration, I like to team it up with some of my vegan Christmas tree cupcakes or vegan reindeer cookies.
Expert Tips
- Prep it up: Prep all the ingredients ahead of time when making this dessert. Get all your ingredients, pans, and spoons ready to make things smooth and effortless.
- Move quickly: When assembling, you’ll need to move quickly to ensure the ladyfingers don’t start breaking. Get everything ready and have a system ready. Pick, dip, and layer.
- Make ahead of time: This is actually one of those recipes that I would recommend making a day ahead of time, especially if you’re making it for a get-together. This allows the ladyfingers to soak up all the liquid and the mascarpone layer to hold its shape too.
Video
Recipe FAQs
A lot of vegan tiramisu recipes call for the use of a combination of coconut cream and soaked cashews to make the mascarpone layer. You could try that too, if you want to but I'd suggest finding a recipe made that way so that you ensure it works out perfectly.
Find the right balance between soaking the ladyfingers just right. If you soak them for too long, they’ll start to fall apart even before you layer them.
More Delicious Vegan Desserts
Vegan Tiramisu Recipe
Equipment
- blender
- pan
- mini sifter
Ingredients
Cream Filling
- 21 oz firm tofu drained from all the water about 1 ½ blocks of tofu
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese 8 oz
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- ⅓ cup dairy-free milk
- 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
Other Ingredients
- 20 vegan ladyfingers link to my ladyfingers recipe
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoon rum optional
- cacao powder or cocoa powder
Instructions
- Open the packages of tofu and drain all of the water. Use a paper towel or kitchen towel to press out all of the water from the tofu. Then add it to a food processor.
- Add the rest of the cream ingredients to a blender and blend until super creamy and smooth. Set the filling aside.
- In a separate bowl, add the warm water, then whisk in the espresso powder and rum.
- Dip each ladyfinger into the coffee & rum mixture for a few seconds on each side. Then lay each ladyfinger in a baking dish. I used a 9 x 9 inch pan.
- Once the whole bottom layer is covered in ladyfingers, pour half of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers and spread in an even layer. Dust a generous layer of cocoa powder on top of the cream filling.
- Now layer another layer of ladyfingers on top of the cream, top with the remainder of the cream filling, and another generous layer of cocoa powder.
- Refrigerate the tiramisu overnight to allow all of the flavors to absorb and the ladyfingers to soften.
Notes
- Prep it up: Prep all the ingredients ahead of time when making this dessert. Get all your ingredients, pans, and spoons ready to make things smooth and effortless.
- Move quickly: When assembling, you’ll need to move quickly to ensure the ladyfingers don’t start breaking. Get everything ready and have a system ready. Pick, dip, and layer.
- Make ahead of time: This is actually one of those recipes that I would recommend making a day ahead of time, especially if you’re making it for a get-together. This allows the ladyfingers to soak up all the liquid and the mascarpone layer to hold its shape too.
Ari
What would you use instead of powdered sugar? I don’t have any nor do I have arrowroot or cornstarch to make my own. If I did some other granulated sweetener such as monkfruit, would you recommend reducing the plant milk? Or if I did a liquid sweetener, such as maple syrup, would I also reduce the milk? Thanks
Sandra
Is the tofu soft or firm?
Gaby Dimova
soft is best because you are trying to have a creamy consistency 🙂
Rema
Do you use regular soft tofu or silken? Thanks!