Author: This post for my 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!
Let's do some quick math to break down just what Vegan Tiramisu is:
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 vegan 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.
Now, I'm not gonna lie, vegan tiramisu 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.
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. ❤️❤️❤️
Oh, how I love the Barista Express, let me count the ways:
- The Barista Express has all you need in one handy dandy compact machine, including an espresso grinder, steamer, tamper, and hot water tap.
- You can adjust all of the settings to meet your own preferences, no matter how picky you are!
- THEN you just tap a button to grind, then tap another one to make espresso, making it so incredibly easy for the best espresso.
- 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.
To 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.
To Make the Espresso Sauce:
Add the espresso and coffee liqueur to a measuring cup, and fill with water until you have ¾ cup of liquid.
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.
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 Vegan 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.
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 the Vegan Tiramisu:
put the cocoa powder in a fine sieve and sprinkle over the top of the tiramisu. Store any leftover tiramisu in the fridge.
Common Questions:
- Can you freeze tiramisu? Yes. Tiramisu can last in a freezer for approx. 3 months if you wrap the tiramisu well with both plastic wrap and foil. This will prevent freezer burn. To thaw, take out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator overnight.
- How long does tiramisu last? Homemade tiramisu can last for up to three days if in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Tiramisu
Sweet fluffy sponge cake + liqueur spiked espresso sauce + fluffy clouds of cashew coconut cream= pure blissful heaven.
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the ladyfingers cake:
- 1 recipe The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake, (enough for 24 cupcakes or a 2-layer 9" cake), see instructions
For the espresso sauce:
- ½ cup espresso, (or very strong coffee), cooled
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
- water
For the cream layer:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup plant-based milk, (such as oat, soy, or almond)
- 3 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can (14 oz/ 400ml) premium coconut milk or coconut cream, chilled overnight
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
To make the ladyfingers:
- Prepar The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake batter, but instead of making round cakes, divide it between two lightly greased 9" square baking pans.Bake for 22-28 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Do not make the frosting, as it’s not needed for this recipe.)
- Let the cakes cool completely, then slice into 1-inch-wide fingers. You should get about 18-20 fingers per pan.
To make the espresso sauce:
- In a measuring glass, combine the cooled espresso and coffee liqueur. Add water until you have ¾ cup total liquid.
To make the cream layer:
- Soften the cashews by boiling them in a pot of water for 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Blend the cashews, plant-based milk, agave, and vanilla extract until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Open the chilled coconut milk and scoop out the hardened coconut cream, leaving behind the liquid. Beat the coconut cream in a bowl until soft and fluffy, then gently fold in the cashew mixture. (Refrigerate if not using immediately.)
To assemble the tiramisu:
- In an 8″ x 12″ or 9″ x 9″ glass or ceramic dish (avoid aluminum), tightly line up the ladyfingers in a single layer.
- Spoon over half of the espresso sauce, then spread over half of the cream mixture.
- Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, the remaining espresso sauce, and the remaining cream. (You may have extra ladyfingers—perfect for snacking or dipping into coffee!)
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to set.
- Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder using a fine sieve. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
Coconut milk matters! For the whipped coconut cream, use premium coconut milk or coconut cream. To check, shake the can—if you hear a lot of liquid sloshing around, it’s too thin. A good option is Thai Kitchen Premium Coconut Milk.
Nutrition
Calories: 322kcal
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Crisse says
I also live in australia
Crisse says
Hi!!!!!!! Id loveeee to try this but im a sober vegan, so no alchi for me, what can i use inplace of coffee liquer?
Sam Turnbull says
Just more espresso would work well. Enjoy!
drora kemp says
I am not vegan and I don't think I'm lactose intolerant but I always hated dairy products - I mean, I will taste a teaspoon of butter in a cookie and will not swallow it. Can't get near pizza parlors or stores that sell croissants (the smell!). I had never tasted cheesecake until a vegan version came up (although I made a few of them for my husband and son) and have never had Tiramisu until now. Will make it for this weekend.
My question - have you ever heard of the Israeli or jewish version of non-dairy whipping cream? It does contain some hydrogenated fat, but if it's only used once in a long while it's not so terrible - or is it?
Thanks for the recipe - drora.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi drora! Nope, I've never heard ot that. I'm not an expert on nutrition, I just make delicious vegan food, so if it's vegan, I say go for it!
Beth says
My mom uses the kosher non dairy whip your talking about. She Is vegan and loves baking with it, she makes the most incredible strawberry “cream” pie using the creamer. I wish it was available nationwide. I’m making this tiramisu for her, it’s the one thing she hasn’t figure out how to make. Woohoo!
Hazel says
Love all your desserts Sam,Just wondering if you have a recipe for vegan rum balls?
Sam Turnbull says
Not yet! But I will add it to my idea list 🙂
Maria says
I tried it and it was great!
I was wondering how long does it last in the fridge before it goes bad?
Or for how long can I keep it in the fridge. (It’s only my boyfriend and I and we don’t eat sweets everyday).
Sam Turnbull says
I would say 3 - 4 days in the fridge. Glad you enjoyed!
Leanne says
I wish that I could give this a higher rating as my expectations were high. However, despite using the best coconut cream and attempting several "fixes" the cream portion never came together, It began to separate and I couldn't get it to be anything more than a clumpy mess of liquid. So disappointing! and an expensive fail!
The cake tasted nice though.
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry, your coconut didn't work, Leanne. Different brands of coconut cream yield very different results. I recommend buying several different brands and seeing which one works best. I like T & T brand here in Canada.
Leanne says
Sam,
While I did use a high fat, high quality organic coconut cream the first time I decided to give this recipe another try. As I am also in Canada, I took a look for the T&T brand that you referenced and was able to find it(and it is actually less expensive than other premium brands...bonus!). The second attempt at this recipe was spot on! I did change one other element. I soaked my cashews overnight instead of using the boiling method. This yielded much better results when processing the cashews. I am new to vegan recipes so it has been a lot of trial and error. I am not a vegan myself but have a client for an upcoming wedding where all food and dessert is to be vegan. I am hoping to come up with a half dozen "standards" that can be successfully be translated to vegan recipes. If you have any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Leanne.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed! I'm not sure what you mean by "standards" but you can see all of my vegan recipes here. Enjoy!
Leanne says
Sorry, standards just refers to the staple non vegan desserts that you usually see. Tiramisu, cheesecake, cupcakes, squares etc. I service wedding dessert bars so I am trying to provide vegan dessert options similar to my non vegan dessert menu. Thanks again for replying! I will be sure to check out your other recipes.
Parker Lindner says
Wonderful recipe. I'm not vegan but I am lactose intolerant. I used store bought lady fingers and the rest of the recipe. Made 10 servings and did the calculations: 219 calories per serving.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Parker 🙂
Jewel says
This Vegan Tiramisu is luscious! Minor note: the yellow cake did not remove from the pan w/ ease.. Made again.. TIP:: this time lined the pan w/ parchment paper and worked well! Thank you for this scrumptuous recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed! 🙂
Luisa says
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
Sam Turnbull says
19oz is 539 grams. Hope that helps!
Tiffany says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Tiffany, it's not a misprint. That's how all the coconut milk comes here in Canada. So you might need a little more than one can. Enjoy!
Cynthia says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! I'm so happy you love the recipe so much, Cynthia 🙂
Melissa says
Hi!
Just wondering if I can make this ahead and freeze it for a few days? Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
I believe it should freeze just fine. Enjoy!
Suzanne says
This was positively FANTASTIC. I did make a few changes, however the cashew cream ROCKS!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! SO happy you enjoyed it, Suzanne 🙂
Isabella says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Awww thank you so much!!! No vegetable shortening is used in this recipe, so you must have been looking at a different recipe 🙂
Isabella says
Ahh, I must have mistaken this for one of your cupcake recipes. Whoops! You're welcome and thanks for responding anyway.
Heidi says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Sarah says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! So happy you loved it, Sarah 🙂
Lara says
Hey! This recipe looks amazing. We don't like coffee, unfortunately. Could I somehow incorporate cocoa instead? Any ideas? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Tiramisu is traditionally a coffee-based dessert, so I think you would have better luck following a dessert recipe that is already coffee free rather than trying to adapt this one. There are lots of desserts here. Enjoy!
sophie says
Hi, maybe a decaffeinated instant coffee would work?
thanks for your recipe, I look forward to try it tomorrow for a birthday treat:)
Sam Turnbull says
Happy birthday!!
Yulca says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
So awesome!!! Thrilled you and everyone enjoyed it so much, Yulca 🙂
Ali says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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! 🙂
Joan says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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.