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Vegan Tiramisu

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This post for Vegan Tiramisu is sponsored by Breville who I love for their amazing espresso machines. I now get to enjoy fancy coffee shop quality espresso drinks from the comfort of my home. Every morning is the best morning!
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven.
That’s what you’re looking at right there in that photo. Vegan Tiramisu where have you been all my life!?
Good thing I was meeting my friends shortly after preparing this dessert because vegan tiramisu and I can’t be in the same room alone together without a close encounter.
This classic Italian dessert is traditionally made with ladyfinger cookies (not vegan), layered with a custard made of mascarpone cheese (not vegan), egg yolks (not vegan), and whipped cream (not vegan). So when I made this tiramisu and brought it to my vegan friends (one of whom is Italian), let’s just say that they were pleased. Very, very pleased. Like, unbelievably, give me more, murmured yums in between bites pleased. ~Brushes imaginary dust off of shoulders~ thankyouverymuch.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
Now, I’m not gonna lie, this isn’t the easiest of desserts that you can whip up in a rush. BUT it is something you can totally do in steps, and even start a couple of days ahead if you prefer. All of the layers could be made ahead of time, and then you can assemble, and pop it in the fridge to set overnight. So when it comes to the special event you are serving this at, everything is done, all that’s left to do is dig in and be prepared to taste espresso cake heaven.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
Let’s just take a moment to talk about my love of Breville . My old espresso machine died a while back, and as I’m someone who goes to bed thinking about how excited I am for coffee in the morning, this was very, very sad. My old espresso machine worked well for a very long time, and I originally stole it from an ex-boyfriend (oops) so it didn’t owe me any favours, but it was still a sad day.
So when Breville was eager to work with me in the espresso range of things, I was jumping up and down fist pumps in the air, dancing in the kitchen, excited about it! I’m so, so thrilled to be the proud owner of the incredibly fancy shcmancy Barista Express. ❤️❤️❤️
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
Oh, how I love the Barista Express, let me count the ways:
  1. The Barista Express has all you need in one handy dandy compact machine, including an espresso grinder, steamer, tamper, and hot water tap.
  2. You can adjust all of the settings to meet your own preferences, no matter how picky you are!
  3. THEN you just tap a button to grind, then tap another one to make espresso, making it so incredibly easy for the best espresso.
  4. I don’t know how the team at Breville does it, but this machine always makes a gorgeous crema. (Which is the foamy bit on the top of the espresso). It’s perfect every time!

Yeah, the love is deep, and the love is real.

Now let’s get to making this espresso infused Vegan Tiramisu! Omnomnom.

Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechickenTo make the ladyfingers: make two batches of The Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes, (that’s enough to make 24 cupcakes) and instead of making cupcakes, divide the batter into two lightly greased 9″ square baking pans. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean in the center.

Let the cakes cool completely then slice into fingers about 1″ wide. You should get about 18 to 20 fingers out of each pan.

Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
To make the espresso sauce: add the espresso and coffee liqueur to a measuring cup, and fill with water until you have 3/4 cup of liquid.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
To make the cream layer: first, soften the cashews by putting them in a medium pot and covering with water. Boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Add the cashews to a blender along with the non-dairy milk, agave, and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
Open the can of well-chilled premium coconut milk and scrape out just the hardened coconut cream leaving behind any coconut water. Add the cream to a mixing bowl and beat until it softens and becomes fluffy.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
Lightly fold in the cashew mixture. If not using right away, store in the fridge until ready to use.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
To assemble the tiramisu: In an 8″ x 12″ or 9″x 9″ dish line up the ladyfingers in a single layer. Spoon over half of the espresso sauce, then spread over the cream mixture.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, the remaining espresso sauce and remaining cream. (You might have several ladyfingers left over which makes perfect treats for eager snackers or for dipping into coffee.) Cover and put in the fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
To serve: put the cocoa powder in a fine sieve and sprinkle over the top of the tiramisu. Store any leftover tiramisu in the fridge.
Vegan Tiramisu! Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. Dairy free and egg free. #itdoesnttastelikechicken
4.77 from 26 votes
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Vegan Tiramisu
Prep Time
50 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven. 

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 18
Calories: 322 kcal
Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken
Ingredients
For the ladyfingers cake:
For the espresso sauce:
  • 4 shots of espresso (or very very strong coffee)
  • 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
  • water
For the cream layer:
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
  • 3 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1, 19oz can premium coconut milk or coconut cream , chilled in the fridge overnight
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
To make the ladyfingers:

  1. Make The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake, but instead of making round cakes, divide the batter into two lightly greased 9" square baking pans. Bake for 22 - 28 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean in the center. *Don't make the frosting as that isn't needed for the tiramisu.

  2. Let the cakes cool completely then slice into fingers about 1" wide. You should get about 18 to 20 fingers out of each pan.

To make the espresso sauce:

  1. Add the espresso and coffee liqueur to a measuring cup, and fill with water until you have 3/4 cup of liquid.

To make the cream layer:

  1. First, soften the cashews by putting them in a medium pot and covering with water. Boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.

  2. Add the cashews to a blender along with the non-dairy milk, agave, and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

  3. Open the can of well-chilled premium coconut milk and scrape out just the hardened coconut cream leaving behind any coconut water. Add the cream to a mixing bowl and beat until it softens and becomes fluffy. Lightly fold in the cashew mixture. If not using right away, store in the fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the tiramisu:

  1. In an 8″ x 12″ or 9″x 9″ dish tightly line up the ladyfingers in a single layer. Spoon over half of the espresso sauce then spread over the cream mixture. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, the remaining espresso sauce and remaining cream. (You might have several ladyfingers left over which makes perfect treats for eager snackers or for dipping into coffee.) Cover and put in the fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

To serve:

  1. Put the cocoa powder in a fine sieve and sprinkle over the top of the tiramisu. Store any leftover tiramisu in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

For the whipped coconut it's important to buy coconut cream or premium coconut milk. Not all coconut milks are alike. To tell if your coconut milk is rich enough, do the shake test, shake it and listen. If lots of liquid is sloshing around, that’s not a good brand for this recipe. If you hear no liquid or very little liquid then it’s probably higher in fat and would work well. One reliable brand is Thai Kitchen Premium Coconut Milk.

Bon Appetegan!

Sam.

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Comments

  1. Dear Sam,
    I live in Germany and here we don’t have ounces. When put into an ounces-to-gram converter it says that 1,19 ounces account to roughly 33 grams, that would be about two table spoons of coconut cream?! That can’t be right? Do they even sell coconut cream in so tiny a can in Canada?
    Please help, I’m confused and hungry.
    Cheers Luisa

    Reply

  2. Hi I am trying this recipe this weekend and I wondered if the 19 oz can is a misprint? or maybe they just don’t make them like that here in the states? I always use Coconut cream for whipped cream and it only comes in 13 oz cans here!

    Reply

  3. Oh my goodness, this recipe is amazing!! My boyfriend and I have nearly demolished it in only 4 days. He couldn’t even tell it was vegan!

    While it is several steps,you were right in that each one was pretty easy. (The cake recipe alone was so simple and delicious!)

    (For any non-coffee drinkers out there: I bought a bottle of cold brew coffee to use instead of going to a coffee shop for espresso shots. It worked great! And now I can give the rest away to someone who’ll actually drink it.)

    Thanks so much for this incredible recipe, Sam!!

    Reply

  6. Hello Sam! 🙂 I really want to make this recipe but my husband isn’t ok with the use of vegetable shortening. Would it be acceptable to use vegan butter in it’s place? Also, I wanted to say I recently rediscovered your blog and it’s so simply and lovely! Cheers.

    Reply

  7. This recipe sounds great and tons of great reviews but my son is allergic to nuts. We often substitute sunflower seeds for cashews in recipes and it works pretty well. Do you think this would work or do you have another suggestion for a substitute for the cashews?

    Reply

    • I’ve never tried sunflower seeds in this recipe, but it might work fine, although it might be a slightly funny colour. I know blanched almonds or macadamia nuts work so I can’t see why sunflower seeds wouldn’t. Hope that helps a little!

      Reply

  8. This is a brilliant recipe! I made it tonight for my non-vegan parents and we all loved it. It’s just like “the real thing”. The perfect tiramisu

    Reply

  9. Hey! This recipe looks amazing. We don’t like coffee, unfortunately. Could I somehow incorporate cocoa instead? Any ideas? Thanks!

    Reply

  10. Served it (as the only dessert) to a lot of omnivores & some vegetarians at a BBQ yesterday – a huge hit, also with the kids.
    Left out the liqueur and simply used a 3/4 cup of strong espresso in total (without adding any water).
    Easily yielded 20 portions, it really is quite filling.
    Easy to prepare despite a busy week at work (Wednesday: cake, Thursday: assembly, Friday: BBQ) & even coconut-hating hubby had to admit that it tasted great and had no distinct coconutty taste.
    Thank you once more!

    Reply

  11. Thanks so much for the recipe, Sam! I’m making it now as it looks and sounds so yummy. A couple of questions, though: do I just throw out the water left behind in the can of coconut milk or can I make use of it for something else? Also, I can’t imagine 18 servings coming out of a 9” x 9” pan, unless you’re serving a bunch of dieters! I could see 9 servings at the very most in such a small pan.

    Reply

    • Hi Ali! You can use the leftover water in a smoothie or add it to a soup if you like. I think you will find the Tiramisu very rich and you may be surprised by how many people it will serve but by all means, take a larger serving if you prefer! 🙂

      Reply

  12. Hi, a friend of mine just made this and loved it! I would like to make it but, as several others, have issues getting canned coconut cream or milk that’s thick enough. I have 2 options:
    1. concentrated cream that you add water to turn it back to regular cream.
    2. Coconut cream “cool whip” by SoDelicious.
    Do you think either of these will work? If so, how much? I can’t imagine that I would need 2 eight ounce containers of the coolwhip…it would also have sweetener in it so I don’t know how that would play out. I’d really appreciate your expert opinion!

    Reply

    • Hi Joan, you can always order coconut cream online so you know the recipe will work out just right. Otherwise, I would recommend the SoDelicious whip. I would reduce or eliminate the agave as I am sure it is already sweet. As for measurements, it’s difficult to know as I haven’t made it this way myself, I would add until the desired consistency is reached. Hope that helps.

      Reply

  13. Hi. My sister is allergic to everything with coconut in it. Is there anything I can substitute for this ingredient? Thanks

    Reply

    • For this recipe, it’s a little tricky as the coconut provides a fluffiness. If you can get your hands on a store-bought vegan whipped cream, that could work as a substitute. I am sure the cream would be sweeter than the coconut so you may want to reduce the agave to taste. Enjoy!

      Reply

  14. Hey there I’m dairy free/gluten/almond free and wanted to know if there is a substitution or if (necessary) for the coffee liqueur? Thanks!!

    Reply

  15. Tiramisu was the only dessert that I really missed after going vegan a year and a half ago. I made this for my family for Christmas day and honestly it was DELICIOUS! Even my family who are generally skeptical of vegan alternatives and are all baking enthusiasts themselves thought it was fab. I would definitely try adding more coffee to the sponge next time as it was a tiny bit dry and I like the sponge to be very soft and melty. Also for anyone whose coconut milk splits when they (admittedly) over whip it, just add it to the cashew mix anyway and I will still taste delicious!

    Reply

  16. This was AMAZING! I’ve never made Tiramisu before and it was far easier than I imagined it would be. I even made it gluten free (I used a mix of supermarket gluten free flour and home made buckwheat flour as I didn’t have quite enough of the flour) and it was fine. I only made half the quantity as I didn’t have 18 people to serve. I will certainly be recommending this recipe to anyone who needs tiramisu in their life! Thank you.

    Reply

  17. Hello,
    I made this for Christmas dessert. I was v. worried because I have only been a vegan for 3 years and haven’t really got the hang of desserts. Also I’ve never made anything from this site before. Also I’m in the UK and ingredients and measurements don’t always translate perfectly. Also I have a very fussy vegan husband.

    Let me tell you, it tasted amazing! We loved it. He couldn’t stop eating it (I caught him with his head in the fridge eating leftovers on the morning after Christmas day!). It was surprisingly easy to make too.

    I’m now going through your back catalogue of recipes. Thank you so much. This really made our Christmas!

    Reply

  18. Okay my Lady Fingers did NOT turn out like yours. They were super moist, dark, and falling apart, but they still tasted absolutely amazing. I used coconut oil instead of canola oil so maybe that’s why? Either way, this Tiramisu was so much fun to make and DELICIOUS

    Reply

  19. My non-vegan husband literally GOBBLED this up and couldn’t stop raving about it! It is amazingly delicious and not overly sweet (a common problem with vegan desserts) – a huge hit in our house, thank you!

    Reply

  20. Tricking non-vegans into eating vegan desserts never gets old! This tiramisu nailed it. Can’t beat the cashew cream. Thanks for the lovely recipe!

    Reply

  21. Hey Sam,

    This recipe looks amazing and I plan to make it for my mums birthday. I was just wondering if you can sub the flour in the cake part for a gluten free blend? My sister is intolerant. I’m vegan so am familiar with that side of things but don’t usually cook gluten free. Let me know if you’ve tried it or what your opinion is. Either way I’ll let you know how it turns out for other readers who are interested.

    Thanks a lot 🙂

    Reply

  22. Absolutely amazing taste! I can’t believe it! I’m going to make it for all my family and friends! God bless your work!

    Reply

  23. My friend Karen told me, you had to soak the cashews overnight for a better texture in the finished product. it’s makes the recipe more enjoyable in the mouth

    Reply

  24. l made this recipe and OMG I loved it! Kind of hard to believe its vegan. Will be definitely making this recipe for other potlucks. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  25. Hey! I’m currently in the process of making this for a vegan potluck. I have coconut cream in two cartons of 200ml; would you use them both? Thanks for any advice!

    Reply

    • Hi Lou, a 19oz can of coconut cream is about 560 ml, so it sounds like you might be a bit short, and want to open a 3rd can and measure to get the right amount. You mention it’s in a carton, if you are referring to the dried coconut cream like this, that won’t work. You need to make sure you have the fresh coconut cream in a can. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  26. I made this for a dinner for non-vegan neighbors and friends. Everyone loved it! However, I had made too much, and so we have been eating delicious leftovers for the past few days. The tiramisu is covered, but the bottom part where the coffee/liqueur dripped has turned an interesting color of dark green. The tiramisu has been in the refrigerator all along. It still tastes fantastic. I have no idea what happened. Any thoughts of chemical reactions?

    Reply

    • So happy you enjoyed it, Elke! Green! That’s bizarre. My guess is that you might have used a coffee that was on the lighter roasted side of things. Coffee beans are green before they are roasted, so if they are only lightly roasted they will retain some of their green colour. Perhaps some of the ingredients reacted over time and brought the green colour back…

      Reply

      • I wish I had a chemist at hand! 🙂 At any case, we ate it all because it tasted soooooooooo delicious.

        Reply

        • wow. this exact thing happened to our tiramisu.. but husband doubts that it’s because of roasting (we do however have light roast coffee in our home only..) 😀 also wishing for a chemist here 😀

          Reply

    • I had the same thing happen. Like you, we ate and enjoyed it despite the weird colour, but it was like the liqueur had interacted with the “ladyfingers” and had turned green.

      Reply

  27. Hi Sam!

    I write you the other day in “the ultimate vegan chocolate cake” post because I wanted to make a gluten free cake… well I made it with wheat flour and it was amazing as always, but instead I made this tiramisu recipe.
    I decided this was the gluten free desert I was going to make, as I didn’t know how the cake was going to be (experimenting with new flours) I thought “the cake is going to be wet with the coffee and everything, so nobody will know if it is not perfect” hehehe
    Well I have to say that I totally LOVE this recipe!!!! The taste was AMAZING!!! I am so happy because tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts EVER!!! Everybody loved it and I, as I read in one of the comments, ate the leftovers the morning after as breakfast too!!! YUMMMM

    Reply

  28. I made this Mother’s Day for my family (my sister just had a baby so it was her first mother’s day!) and they all loved it. I was, of course, expecting it to be good as you have never steered me wrong before but this was sinfully amazing! I may have had tiramisu for breakfast every day for a few days. I had to take some to share to my coworkers lest I gain weight by living off my leftovers (small family). To anyone thinking of making this, it’s definitely worth the time and effort!

    Reply

  29. Thanks for this Sam! I’m planning on making this on our upcoming long May 2-4 weekend! How important is the coffee liqueur? It’s not something I would normally buy. Can I just use extra strong coffee?

    Reply

  30. Awesome! Bumped up the coffe flavor (made a pot espresso on the stove and added it all for the right flavor). My hisband and friend really likes it. Thanks! P.S. There should be a link to show us how to use the leftover coconut water as not to waste it…

    Reply

    • So happy everyone loved it! It depends on the kind of coconut milk you buy, as the one I usually use has barely any coconut water leftover. But you can always toss any leftovers into a smoothie, juice, or curry. Hope that helps!:)

      Reply

  31. Can’t wait to try this one Sam! Finally a recipe for tiramisu that includes a vegan version of ladyfingers. This is one of my favorite desserts and I can’t wait to try your recipe for it! 🙂

    Reply

  32. Hi Sam! Definitely looking forward to trying this recipe. One question from a fellow Canadian: What brand(s) of coconut milk/cream do you recommend? I’ve had varying results in other recipes. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi jay! Just another Canadian her so I thought I’d reply. I’ve never had trouble with Thai Kitchen red can. Some of the stores around me also sell just coconut cream in a can, which works wonderfully and you get mostly cream with very little water in the bottom.

      Reply

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