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 to make 24 cupcakes or a 2-layer 9" cake), see instructions
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
- ½ cup plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
- 3 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1, 14oz can premium coconut milk or coconut cream, , chilled in the fridge overnight
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
To make the ladyfingers:
- 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.
- 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 tiramisu:
- 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:
- Put the cocoa powder in a fine sieve and sprinkle over the top of the tiramisu. Store any leftover tiramisu in the fridge.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 322kcal
Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Insta and let the world see just how amazing plant-based creations can be!
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Dharma says
Helllp! Hosting an Italian dinner party & tiramisu would be the perfect dessert...but I’m deathly allergic to nuts, so cashews are a firm “no”...is there any other way to make this?
Sam Turnbull says
You could substitute blanched almonds if you can eat them, or try doubling the coconut instead. ENjoy!
Kiki says
Can I replace the cashews in the cream with firm or silken tofu? I have a silken tofu has has tiramisu on the packaging!
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tried it so I'm really not sure of the result.
Lani says
I have a few questions:
Can I replace the coconut cream with KiteHill Ricotta
What is the volume of an espresso shot? Can I replace it with King Arthurs Espresso powder? How much additional liquid would I need?
Elizabeth Stotlemeyer says
How did you get "marscapone" white in the picture? Mine is light brown :/
Sam Turnbull says
Did you perhaps accidentally add the cocoa powder to the cream layer? If not, then it could be due to your particular cashews. I find boiling them and rinsing them well helps remove the browness.
Efraim says
"divide the batter into two lightly greased 9" square baking pans"
Am I missing something? In the video, it looks like you have used one 9" square baking pan.
I thought about getting this but now I am not sure I need two or one.
Sam Turnbull says
The two cake pans are for making the vanilla cake into ladyfingers. You can see both the pans at 2:09 in the video. Then you assemble the tiramisu in one pan. Enjoy!
Swagata says
Anyone in search of a vegan tiramisu recipe- look no further! This turned out brilliant at one go. I couldn't be happier knowing I have a vegan alternative for one of my favorite desserts. My family and I could not really tell the difference between a vegan tiramisu and a non vegan one. I know that because I tried them together! However, I've yet to find a vegan cream cheese cheesecake that replicates as effectively the dairy one though. Any suggestions on recipes ?
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks so much, Swagata! I have a classic vegan cheesecake recipe in my cookbook. I also have pumpkin cheesecake, and red velvet cheesecake bites here on the blog. Enjoy!
Yuli says
Hiya, I might be late to the party but Sam's cheesecake recipe in her Fuss-free vegan is to die for, seriously!!
We had a whole cheesecake between the 2 of us in less than 24h. When I took the first bite I was like "noooo, it can't be [vegan]"! If you watched Hotel Transylvania, you will know about the "zing" moment, well that's what I had with Sam's cheesecake. Such a keeper!
Rasika says
OH. EM. GEE. This recipe is ah-maaazing!! I made this for the hubs’ birthday today and my entire (non-vegan) family gave it rave reviews. I’m a total newbie when it comes to baking and your recipe was so easy to follow. Flawless recipe. 10/10 for the looks and the taste! Bravo, Sam! I am now going to stalk all your recipes. 🙂 Thank you so much!!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha!! Amazing!! 🙂
Caroline says
Do you have to use the coconut milk?
Sam Turnbull says
It makes the whipped cream portion of the recipe, so you could alternatively purchase a vegan whipped cream.
Kerri says
Sorry to post again, I have a question. So I’m buying ingredients and and I have found sweetened condensed coconut milk, would that be a good replacement for the coconut milk? Its vegan, has 4.5 grams of fat and comes in cans of 11.6 ounces. Has anyone used it baking?
Sam Turnbull says
No that wouldn't be a good substitute. That is more like a syrup. Stick with regular canned coconut milk. Enjoy!
Lani says
Wow, finally a Vegan tiramisu that actually tastes like tiramisu! Used to be my absolute favourite dessert and I’m so happy to be able to have it again.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Lani!
Pau says
Made this for my boyfriend's birthday and it turned out AMAZING! I am a totally amateur baker so this is a big hit.
My blender is not really good so for not having to deal with semi-smooth cashews, I used silken tofu instead (worked out perfectly!). It didn't seem vegan at all and everyone was thrilled! We finished it the same day!
Thanks for this great recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, awesome! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Kerri says
Great recipe, I love how clear you wrote the directions. I plan on making this for Christmas. It’s my moms most favorite dessert and since she’s gone vegan, she never gets to have it. I will post again once I’ve made it. Thanks again for posting it!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Kerri! Enjoy!
Vanessa says
This looks amazing, I love tiramisu but its not very vegan friendly. Definetly going to have to try this! I wish they sold vegan tiramisu in stores, one day 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Homemade is always better anyways 🙂
Kerri says
This tiramisu is, hands-down, the most impressive dessert I've made - thank you so much for the excellent recipe! I've already made this 5 times since discovering the recipe in June. Easy, creamy, perfectly boozy and not too sweet - man, this is good!
Sam Turnbull says
Wow that's so amazing, Kerri!! Thrilled you love it so much 🙂
Kiril says
Thank you so much for this recipe! This was delicious and so light I'm afraid I ended up eating a lot more than my fair share (whoops). I'm not entirely vegan though I try to stick to a plant-based diet as much as possible and I have to say this was truly guilt-free not only in the sense of containing no animal products but also because of the significantly lower fat content compared to regular tiramisù. Definitely a keeper!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! So very happy you enjoyed it so much, Kiril! It really is too easy to eat 🙂
Anna says
I just made it last night! It's INCREDIBLE. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Anna! Thrilled you enjoy it so much 🙂
Linda says
Hi Sam, I'm planning on making this soon, it looks absolutely divine. I have two questions though: Do you taste the coconut in the cream layer? My family really doesn't like it when desserts have even just a slightly coconut-y taste to it. And also, I can't seem to find any coconut milk that "passes" your shake test (i live in Austria). Now i bought a can that has 60 % coconut (flesh) in it and hope that it'll work. They do sell coconut cream tho, but I don't know how much I should use of it when it says "a 14 oz can", because it is sold in packets, not in cans. Do you know if that coconut milk will work or if I should rather go for that coconut cream? Any help would be great appreciated!
Greetings from Austria <3
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Linda, some people say they can taste the coconut in this and other say they can't. The reviews are always delicious tho 🙂 This is the coconut milk I like to use for this recipe, so perhaps you can find one with similar fat content and it will work well. The coconut cream in packets will not work. Enjoy!
Alena says
Hey Linda! (:
I also live in Austria and I can recommend the denree Kokosmilch. Usually more than half of the can is pure cream!
I'm not a huge fan of the brand in general (countries of origin etc.) but some products and the Denns organic supermarkets are awesome! (They have veeeeryy nice discount offerings. ;D )
Have you tried the recipe? I'm very curious about your opinion! (: "Coconutish" deserts sometimes have a very odd taste to me..
And Sam! ((: I'm so very happy and grateful for what you do!! ♡ I enjoy your YouTube Videos a lot and now I've finally found my way here (and subscribed! ♡). Now I can bathe in even more deliciousness. ^-^
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Amazing! So happy you love my content, Alena 🙂
Leanne says
I am not a vegan, but I hosted a dinner party that included one vegan guest. My challenge was finding a dessert idea that suited the occasion but was respectfully vegan. OMG! This dessert is fabulous for anyone, including me! Absolutely delicious! After studying the recipe and comments, I opted to give it a go. I followed the recipe with 2 exceptions. Based on previous research, I soaked the raw cashews for 24 hours, rather than using the boiling method stated in this recipe. Getting the cashew butter totally smooth in the food processor was easy this way. Also, rather than coconut milk, I used coconut cream instead (canned Thai Coconut Cream). And because the available can size is not the 14 ounces called for, I used 2 cans of this cream. It whipped easily and when mixed with the flavored cashew butter, created the most luscious creamy dessert spread to put on the vanilla cake. Wow. My guests raved over the dessert and asked if they could take some home. I made this in a 8" x 12" dish, but I don't think I could get 18 servings out of this. Maybe it's because this turned out so light that guests asked for a large serving! This does take some time and planning, but this recipe is indeed a keeper. Thanks, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Leanne, and so happy your guests loved it too 🙂
Tessa says
It turned out amazing!!! Everyone, including a lot of non-vegan friends and family, really loved it. Perfect for my 21st birthday dinner! The only thing that didn't go great during the recipe was the coconut fluff. Even though I bought bio organic 18% fat coconut milk and stored it in the fridge overnight, the coconut wasn't hardened at all and even watery. So I raced to the store and bought coconut cream, which was too hard at first, but after leaving the sachets in hot water for a minute, I threw it together with the watery coconut milk and a little hot water and it turned out pretty well and solid/fluffy. So the only con I have is that the quality of the cashew cream pretty much depends on the brand of coconut milk that you use, and that's not that reliable. Other than that: if you want to wow everyone you know with a vegan tiramisu, THIS IS THE ONE! (I mean it. I'm always pretty sceptical when it comes to veganized desserts, but this is amazing). Love from the Netherlands! PS Love that you can switch the measurements to the metric system!! Saves a lot of conversion websites lol.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh wonderful! So happy you were able to fix the problem, Tessa, and I'm thrilled you loved it so much 😀
Tessa says
I specifically bought 18% fat bio organic coconut milk, since I live in The Netherlands and couldn't get the brand you recommended. I just opened it after a night of chilling, but it's still super watery and not at all hardened. I put the fattest part in a Tupperware tray and put it in the freezer, but I'm not sure how to fix this since I'm serving the dish tonight. Any tips? Or should I just let it be watery?
Sam Turnbull says
Hmm that's weird. Sometimes if there are added ingredients to the coconut milk it won't firm up as it should. I wouldn't recommend using the watery coconut milk as it might make the cake soggy. If possible, I would try a different brand next time. Sorry I can't be more help!