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:
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 fluid ounces 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.
Video
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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Gillian says
Amazing
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
🙂
LeAnne says
Excellent tiramisu! I would recommend putting all of the ingredients in the refrigerator prior to assembly. I also left out the water in the espresso/coffee liquor mixture annd added more liquor to reach the recommended measurement. I made it for my daughter who cannot have dairy and eggs, she absolutely loved it.
Melody says
Made this but used amaretto instead of coffee liquor and it was DEVINE!!! Making again for company!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yum sounds delicious!
Parker says
I’ve made this recipe many times and loved it. Curiously, though, the last two times I made it the coconut milk was so hard I couldn’t mash or whip it. At first I thought it was in the fridge too long or might be out of date but neither of these was the case. Any ideas?
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Some brands separate more than others but so long as you took the thick coconut cream portion, it should whip up fine.
Parker Lindner says
Not so. It simply was so hard I couldn’t even get it through a hand mixer or an immersion blender. Happened twice.
Alicia says
I am having the same problem right now! I am using organic coconut milk from Trader Joes.....
Parker says
When I used the Trader Joe’s organic coconut milk, it was actually too thin! Guess it just doesn’t work with that stuff
Alicia says
I swapped the coconut cream with the Trader Joes vegan heavy whipping cream. It worked perfectly.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Alicia! So glad it worked out for you! Vegan whipping cream is the perfect sub!!
Jackie says
I've been make this tiramisu multiple times each year since 2021. Birthdays, mother's day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. It is a family favorite and has become a tradition now. It's the most perfect vegan tiramisu!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! We're thrilled you love it!
M says
Everyone always raves about this recipe. My only gripe is remembering how much liquid is a shot - as a non-coffee drinker this isn't obvious and I have to look it up every time.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks for the feedback and I've made some updates to clarify!
M says
I really appreciate that! thank you!
Kate says
This is a super yummy recipe, that worked out great! I however (and this is not a critique, just preference) personally I feel it needs more coffee. I was very mindful in distributing the coffee evenly onto the sponge but found there were many areas that didn’t get enough. Just thought I’d put this out there for other strong coffee flavour lovers!
The bake on the vanilla cake was perfect, as usual (it is my go-to for whenever I want some perfect, easy to make, crowd-pleasing cake) and the cashew and coconut cream was soooo good! I liked that the cashews made it super velvety.
I finely grated a very dark chocolate over the top, instead of cocoa (because I had some laying around that needed using up) but I think I’ll do a bit of both next time, just to see how I like that!
Another great recipe!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
That's terrific, Kate! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Jewell says
I can't rate the recipe because I haven't made it. I have eaten Tiramisu before and I like it but I'm not a coffee or expresso person. Is there a way to make it without coffee and have it still taste like Tiramisu?
Karen Owens says
You can substitute Caffrix or Roma both are coffee substitutes
Sandy Mills says
Hi Sam,
I am in the process of making this recipe and currently I am having trouble buying decent coconut milk. I bought a can of coconut cream and I am wondering approximately how much of it I should use to equal the amount of cream from a can of Thai Kitchen coconut milk. It always seems like less than half of the can is cream. In the recipe you didn't say anything about using less if you were using a full can of cream. Thanks for your help. You are the best source of vegan recipes! Thank you so much for sharing so freely. I do have two of your books and frequent the blog often. Vegan cooking would be so much harder without you.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Hi Sandy! Sorry we couldn't respond quickly. Did it turn out?
Sandy says
Yes. I used the whole can of cream as it wasn't separated. It seemed runnier than the blob of cream you get out of a can of good coconut milk but the dessert turned out well. I had my family for dinner and it was well received by everyone and they were eager to take the leftovers home with them. I knew I wasn't giving you much time to reply but I thought I would take a chance. Thanks so much for getting back to me. Sandy.
Alana says
I made this dessert and shared it with friends. It was all gone within a day and I got requests immediately after to please make it again. So here I am making my second tiramisu in 3 days!
I didn't have liqueur so I just omitted it and instead of espresso I made very strong instant coffee.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
2nd tiramisu in 3 days, what a champ! We're so glad you and your friends enjoyed it!
M. Clark says
Hey! I’ve made this a few times and the cake with the coffee sauce turns a weird green colour. Do you know why this would happen?
Sam Turnbull says
This is weird, this has never happened to me. 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...
Bianca says
Best of the best!
Non-vegan friends have said this is the best tiramisu they've ever had. It's always a satisfying moment to let them know it's vegan. Muah-ha-ha!
Cream of coconut is the one that works the best for me. The can gets entirely solid, no liquid left.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yay! I love that 🙂
Bryanna Connor says
Hello! I’m wondering if it is possible to make this with espresso powder? And without the liqueur? I was thinking to use maple syrup in its place. It looks so good I’m so excited to try!
Thank you!!
Bianca says
You can use 3/4 cup of hot water + 3 tbsp of coffee granules. I have done that, works great too!
Chelsea says
Hi there! Is there any way to make this without nuts? I’ve made this countless times and want to make it for a dinner party but have a friend that’s allergic to tree nuts and sunflower seeds. Any suggestions?
Bianca says
Maybe extra firm tofu? Or just double the amount of coconut cream.
Teresa says
My boyfriend and I make this literally every weekend. We always keep the ingredients on hand. We eat a little every day with breakfast until we run out and make another. We make any visitors try it (as long as they aren't allergic to the ingredients) and they always are surprised at how good it is. My mom said it's the best vegan thing I've made. All that to say, we love this thing. We have made some modifications like we got two 9x9 deep square cake pans so we just leave one baked cake in its pan and then take out the other one and stack it on top. No chopping into ladyfingers, very quick and easy. We also use liquid coffee concentrate and we use a whole cup rather than using espresso and liqueur.
Clarissa says
Hi Teresa, what do you use for the liquid coffee concentrate? Thanks!
Teresa says
We use Chameleon cold brew coffee concentrate and we start with 1/2 cup and then add more as needed if the cakes don't seem soaked enough.
sara says
Hi Sam 🙂 Any chance you know how many cups is the cream layer content? 2? more? Thanks so much!
Sherina says
Purely because that cream is amazing! I couldn’t be bothered making cake so I used vegan biscuits (cookies). I used biscoff and a vegan “nice” biscuit. It turned out pretty nice
isabelle says
Okay so for starters, this was absolutely delicious – everyone in my household loved it. The weird thing (and the only reason I'm giving four stars, even though this was definitely my fault) was that it turned blue. I have no idea how but there must have been some weird reaction between the espresso/booze mixture and the coconut cream. I did use rum instead of coffee liquor, as the internet said was allowed, but everything else in the recipe was kept the same. I assembled it the night before and then when I took it out of the fridge after dinner the next day, where the cream touched cake, had turned bright blue. I thought it was mold at first LOL. Either way, it was really funny and all my non-vegan fam members thought it was delicious.