The rich and decadent flavors in this Vegan Tiramisu will have you going back for seconds. It’s an uncomplicated recipe that can be done days ahead of time or all at once. Simple ingredients only!
This Vegan Tiramisu is not your average cake. Elegant and delicious, it’s the perfect dessert to serve after a vegan Italian feast (such as Vegan Baked Ziti) or for a special occasion. Layer after layer of espresso-soaked cake, vegan mascarpone, and cocoa powder on top will have you rushing back for a second or third helping.
It’s actually very fun to make and I only use simple, easy ingredients that you can find at most grocery stores.
Enjoy a slice of vegan tiramisu while sipping on a pumpkin spice latte, or try my vegan coffee cake instead!
What is tiramisu?
Classic tiramisu is a dreamy and creamy cake with layers of espresso-dipped ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder on top. It’s a rich and decadent dessert from Italy with depths of flavor. The traditional recipe is loaded with dairy and eggs, but luckily I have found a way around this!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- All-purpose flour – Turn this recipe into a vegan gluten-free tiramisu by using gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of regular in the vanilla cake.
- Soy milk – You can substitute the soy milk for any dairy-free milk in the cake.
- Canola oil – Melted coconut oil or vegan butter can be used in place of canola oil in the cake.
- Apple cider vinegar – To help your cake rise and level as it bakes. Regular white vinegar should work in its place.
- Vegan cream cheese – I used Tofutti cream cheese, but Trader Joe’s, Miyokos and Daiya should all work in this recipe.
- Sugar – Use cane or coconut sugar as an alternative.
- Coconut oil – This is essential when the cream layer needs to firm up.
- Coconut milk – Use full-fat canned coconut milk so you don’t miss out on any flavor in the cream layer of the tiramisu.
- Espresso – As used in every traditional tiramisu recipe. Use your favorite espresso (I have this espresso machine and love it!) or even pick up a freshly brewed cup from your local coffee shop. A strong cup of coffee OR espresso can be used.
- Coffee liquor – I used Kahlua, but dark rum would work as well. Leave the alcohol out of this recipe if kids will be eating the cake or you prefer not to use it.
How to make vegan tiramisu
Save yourself a long day in the kitchen by making this vegan tiramisu recipe in steps over a day or two. Let’s start with the cake…
Vanilla cake “ladyfingers”
Instead of traditional and not-so-vegan ladyfingers, the base of the tiramisu will be vanilla cake strips. Make the cake up to two days ahead of time.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 10×15 inch sheet pan.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine. Next, pour the canola oil, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract over the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix with a large spoon until just combined, but be careful not to over mix the batter or your cake won’t be soft and fluffy.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack. Slice the cake into 1 1/2 inches wide strips to replicate ladyfingers.
Vegan cream layer
This part is easy and we don’t need any complicated ingredients like cashews or silken tofu. The vegan cream cheese and coconut milk cream layer tastes heavenly when blended together.
- To a food processor (or blender), add the vegan cream cheese, sugar, coconut oil, a tiny pinch of salt, vanilla, and coconut milk. Mix or blend until smooth, then place in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. This will help the cream firm up.
Assembling the cake
Here comes the fun part! Now that the hard part is done, we can put our tiramisu cake together.
- Make the espresso sauce by stirring together the espresso or strong coffee, liquor, and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Get out an 8×8 inch cake pan or a dish with tall edges or walls. Dip each cake strip into the espresso mixture and place it on the bottom of the pan. Continue until there is an even layer of cake. Use a spatula to scoop half of your vegan cream on top of the cake and spread until it reaches the pan edges. Add another layer of espresso dipped cake pieces, then the rest of the cream and refrigerate.
- Leave the cake in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight to let the cream firm up and the flavors mingle. When you’re ready to serve, use a sifter to dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder.
Tips for success
- A 9×13 inch sheet or cake pan will work for the cake recipe if you don’t have a 10×15.
- Mix the cake batter until the wet ingredients are only just combined with the dry. Avoiding over mixing the batter will help the vanilla cake taste soft and spongy. Plus, the more spongy your cake, the easier it will soak up the espresso sauce.
- Enjoy the leftover cake strips with a hot cup of tea or dip them in homemade vegan Nutella or whipped cream as a fun snack!
- You can make this recipe for vegan tiramisu in steps a couple days ahead of time or all in one day. Make the vegan cream layer while the cake is baking, then leave it to set in the fridge while the cake is cooling. Once the espresso sauce is made and everything is cooled down, assemble the cake.
How to store leftover vegan tiramisu
This vegan tiramisu cake is actually best when kept in the fridge overnight and served the next day! This way, all of the flavors have gotten to know each other and combined beautifully. Just make sure to only add the dusting of cocoa powder when it’s time to slice and serve the cake.
Storing the cake layers individually is very easy. The cake and cream can be sealed in separate airtight containers or covered in plastic wrap. Store them both in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
You can store the leftover assembled cake by putting plastic wrap on top of the serving dish. Leftover tiramisu will stay fresh for two days when stored in the fridge. Any longer and the cake might become soggy and messy.
More specialty vegan dessert recipes
- The Best Vegan Cheesecake
- Vegan Pecan Bars
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars
- 1 Bowl Vegan Apple Cake
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
Vegan Tiramisu
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake "Ladyfingers"
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Creamy Mixture (Vegan Mascarpone)
- (2) 8-ounce containers vegan cream cheese (16 oz total)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (use refined for NO coconut flavor)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk, the white creamy part only
- tiny pinch of salt
Espresso Mixture
- 4-6 shots strong espresso or coffee (about 1 cup)
- 4 tablespoons coffee liquor (I used Kahlua)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
To Finish
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, for dusting the top
Instructions
Make the vanilla cake "ladyfingers"
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 10×15 inch sheet pan (9×13 inches would work if needed).
- In a large bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk well to combine.To the bowl with the dry ingredients, pour in the oil, soy milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract. Mix with a large spoon until just combined, but be careful not to over mix the batter or your cake won't be soft and fluffy.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. If using a 9×13 inch pan, it will need to bake for 40 minutes or so. Check with a toothpick to ensure doneness.
- Let the cake cool, then slice into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. You will have some leftover cake pieces, which are lovely to have with tea or as a fun snack. Set aside.
Make the creamy filling (vegan mascarpone)
- To a food processor (or blender), add the vegan cream cheese, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, coconut milk and a tiny pinch of salt. Mix or blend until smooth, then place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. It will firm up somewhat due to the coconut oil.
Make the espresso mixture
- In a small bowl, stir together the espresso or strong coffee, liquor and sugar. Set aside.
Assemble the Tiramisu
- Get out an 8×8 inch pan or tall dish. Dip the cake strips into the espresso mixture and place a layer in the bottom of the pan. Layer on half of the creamy mixture. Add another layer of espresso dipped cake pieces, then the rest of cream and refrigerate.
- Refrigerate for several hours or overnight if possible to let the cream firm up and the flavors to mingle.
- After chilling for several hours or overnight, dust with cocoa powder (I used a sifter for this). Slice and serve.
Notes
- Make the tiramisu gluten free by using gluten free all purpose flour in place of regular in the cake.
- Use espresso for best results, but if you can not, strong coffee is an okay substitute. Just make sure to use strong coffee with a flavor you like!
- May use another non-dairy milk in place of soy if you like.
- Melted coconut oil or vegan butter can be used in place of canola oil for the cake.
- I used Kahlua for the liquor, but dark rum would also work. If serving kids or you need to, leave out the alcohol.
Hi Nora 🙂 Was wondering if there is a reason why we put the mascarpone in the freezer? Thanks!
Yes, it helps it firm up. 🙂
Nora, This looks great! I have two questions, first, is there anyway that I can omit the oils? Or at least reduce the oil in the ladyfingers and omit the oil in the cream mixture? Secondly, would it be possible for me to use vegan heavy cream in place of the coconut milk? Or is this because it needs to be more of a solid form? Thanks so much.
Hi Alison! Thanks, I hope you love it. If you really needed to, you could probably sub either half oil or all of the oil in the ladyfingers with applesauce. But they will taste different and be more dry. I bet you could leave out the oil in the cream mixture, but I’m not sure it will thicken up as well in the refrigerator. Same with using vegan heavy cream, because it doesn’t thicken when cool your results might be a bit different. Hope that helps!
HI–Just a question about the canned coconut milk. It calls for the creamy part–does that mean the top, more solid part that separates from the liquid? Thank you & can’t wait to try it!
Yes, exactly, the creamy part instead of the watery clear liquid. Hope that helps and you enjoy it!
THIS WAS AMAZING!!!! Everyone loved it. Thank you.
Hi Deanna! I’m so glad everyone loved it! Thank you!
This was delicious! It was very moist and so addicting. I used Violife cream cheese and it was very cream-cheesey, too cream cheeses….it was reminding me of cream cheese icing on a carrot cake.
Is there a trick to make it more traditional mascarpone tasting??
Hi Melissa! I’m glad you enjoyed the tiramisu. It’s probably never going to taste exactly like mascarpone cheese, but I thought it was quite close. Maybe try a different brand of vegan cream cheese, like Tofutti, which is what I usually use. Though I love Violife, too. You could try adding a little lemon juice if you are looking for more tang. Hope that helps!
I have done the recipe tonight . Tomorrow will be the test . I will see if the coconut oil taste comes through as Myself and my kids are not fans of coconut flavour . I was wondering if I omit the coconut oil altogether or do I need to replace the oil with another? I may just try it another time without coconut oil .
If you use refined coconut oil, it has absolutely zero coconut flavor, so that is what I recommend if you dislike coconut. The coconut oil helps it firm up, and another oil won’t work the same. Thanks!
Unfortunately I did not have refined coconut oil so naturally it tasted of coconut and nobody enjoyed it ?I found the cake to be a little stiff not moist . Is it possible I overcooked it ? I will definitely try it again when I get my hands on refined coconut oil . Thank you for the reply !
Wishing you a Happy New Year!?
Oh yes, if you don’t care for coconut I would only get the refined coconut oil for recipes. The cake isn’t as soft as my usual recipes because they get soaked in the espresso mixture. Try dipping them a little further into the coffee mixture, that should help it not taste stiff or dry. It’s also possible it was overcooked. Thank you so much, Happy New Year!
Hello! Is the vegan cream cheese measured in fluid ounces or ounces that measure weight? I’m making this using metric measurements so I’m trying to figure out whether to convert the cream cheese amount to ml or grams.
I personally don’t measure it at all, but I buy the packaged vegan cream cheese which tells me how many ounces are in it. 🙂 I believe it’s measured in volume though, not weight.
Hello Nora, can I use dairy milk instead of soy milk to make lady fingers?
I don’t think that would be a problem.
Thanks
I’m going to attempt to make this for Christmas ??
I noticed that the ingredients are slightly different for the “ladyfingers” than your actual Vanilla Cake. Is there a difference in taste or texture?
Not much of a difference, but I made these “ladyfingers” a bit drier since they will be soaked in coffee mixture, and I simplified the recipe somewhat to make it easier since there are multiple parts to tiramisu. Hope that helps and you enjoy it!
I’m going to try this recipe. Can the tiramisu be frozen?
Yes, it freezes very well. Enjoy!
Hi Nora – HUGE fan of your recipes (literally, I only use your recipes for baking, you’re a genius). My grandparents are Italian Immigrants and I grew up on tiramisu. I added a touch of lemon to the creamy mixture to create a true “marscapone” tang and it was PERFECT. Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
You’re welcome!
I replaced granulated sugar for powdered sugar in ‘vegan mascarpone’ and omitted the coconut oil turned out so good
Great, thank you!
I made this and the espresso came out extremely thick, what did I do wrong.? I did “about 1 cup of espresso like stated in the ingredients.
That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, as the espresso mixture is just espresso, optional liquor and sugar. Did you add something else to it? The espresso/coffee part is very thin.
how much sugar can i omit from the “ladyfingers”?
You could probably cut it in half if you wanted.
I’m in the process of making the tiramisu and the lady fingers look SO good! I just made the creamy filling and mine came out super grainy. I used Daiya cream cheese and I think that may be why but I’m not sure? Also, are we supposed to chill the coconut milk in the fridge before we add the cream part to the food processor or room temp is fine? I’m gonna give the filling another go, I’m still super excited to try this dessert:)
Let’s see, it might just look grainy at first, but once you chill it, it might be fine. Or it could be daiya cream cheese, I have had some bad luck with that brand in the past (but I love their cheese shreds!). You do not need to chill the coconut milk first, room temp is fine. You will stick the blended mixture in the freezer to firm it all up a bit. Hope that helps and you enjoy it!
Seriously SO yummy! I made this for my first wedding anniversary yesterday to surprise my husband and it turned out way better than I expected (I’ve never made tiramisu and was nervous!). But I was less nervous because it was your recipe and they have never let me down before. I could honestly eat the entire cake in one sitting because it’s that yummy!
You are one of the best vegan food blogger/recipe masters that I have come across. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world <3
Wow, thank you SO much! That means the world to me and totally made my day. ❤️ Happy anniversary and I’m happy you loved the tiramisu!
I enjoyed this recipe, tiramisu was my fave before I went vegan. This satisfied my craving. The cheese mixture was tangy, as someone else mentioned, we both used Miyokos. I would try a different brand next time. Thanks for all your recipes : )
My first time making a vegan dessert! The vegan cream cheese I used was quite tangy, making it a new take on tiramisu. Everyone thought it was great!
Also I substituted vegan whipping cream substitute (bought from the store) for the coconut oil+milk in the mascarpone. Whipped up nicely
That’s so great to hear!
This sounds wonderful! I have been searching for a vegan tiramisu recipe and I am looking forward to trying this one. I had a cooking lesson in Italy several years ago and made tiramisu as part of my meal, but that was before I was vegan. I was goingvto try to veganize that recipe, but this makes it easier. I have made many of your other recipes and find them to be easy and delicious. Can’t rate it yet, but it sounds like a five star recipe!
What would you use instead of the Kahlua?
A dark rum or other coffee liquor.
Hi Nora, I’m super interested in making this, but I’m wondering where you found vegan Kahlua? Or did you use something else?
The Kahula I used does not contain any animal products. You want to look for the liquor only, not one already mixed with milk or cream. Hope that helps!
I made this yesterday and it is delicious! It has been so long since I have had a tiramisu that I don’t know if I remember exactly what it tastes like. The cream is very thick and cream cheesy (I ran out of sugar -so was a bit short). I might fold in some Coco-whip or other vegan whipped cream (I never have luck making my own) to the cream before layering to lighten it up but it really is good as is. I love your recipes, you have quickly become my go-to for any craving that pops up- thank you!
That’s so great to hear! I’m so glad it was delicious! Thanks for the comment!
I am so thrilled to see this! I dont know how you did this, but my birthday is coming up and I got the idea to make tiramisu after watching GBBO and have been looking for a vegan recipe online. I almost gave up until I saw your post on instagram! It is like a birthday gift to me! I am so keen to make this! Thank you for posting this now! I follow your blog and have baked several of your recipes! It is an inspiration and awesome to see how we can make wonderful meals to eat without eating animal products! I will let you know how my birthday tiramisu turns out! Your chocolate cake recipe is my favorite and most trusted one! Cheers!
Thank you so much, what a wonderful comment! Makes my day. 🙂 So about the Tiramisu, I have been working on this recipe for more than a year! I had so many fails, that I would give up for a while, and then try again. Finally! I came up with a recipe I personally love, so I hope you will, too!
Hi Nora,
So, I did make the tiramisu yesterday as planned for my birthday!! I must tell you – kudos for your perseverance to keep going! a year! wow!!
Thank you for your effort, and we just get to bake it with a click of a button.
So, great recipe. really easy to make and not time consuming. I think I failed a bit though and this is all me. I didnt dip the slices very well, so the espresso mixture didn soake the sponges well. The cream mixture was a little grainy in texture and I may attribute it to the cream cheese I used. I used Miyokos. Which one do you recommend? But overall, I think it tasted delicious. Actually that sponge recipe is fantastic! I think it didnt taste like a tiramisu cause I didnt soak it well enough. But I ahve learnt that and will do better next time.
I made your chocolate chips recipe again! It is a winner as always!!
Thank you again! Looking forward to your recipes. Happy Baking!
Thank you so much! I’m not sure why the cream mixture was grainy, Miyoko’s is wonderful but I usually use Tofutti because it’s what I can find consistently. Also maybe use a different brand of coconut milk, some can be grainy. Dip better next time for more espresso flavor for sure. 🙂
I haven’t made this yet, but I’m always looking for vegan and nut-free recipes! Just like all of your recipes, I’m sure this will be delicious. 🙂 Quick question – could another milk be substituted in place of the coconut milk in the mascarpone recipe?
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it. I haven’t tested it, but it might work okay. Full fat creamy coconut milk is better though because it will make the cream richer. Another milk might make it rather runny.
Omg, my sons and daughters in law will be home For a visit in less than 2 weeks, I can not wait to make this recipe for them!!! We all had vegan tiramisu in Italy last year, so looking forward to reminiscing with them while we enjoy this!!!
That’s wonderful! I hope you all enjoy it! That must have been amazing in Italy!
I am interested in where you were visiting and found vegan tiramisu in Italy. Amazing!
Hey Ann,
I have found vegan Tiramisu’ in nearly every large Italian city. Namely Florence, Milan, Rome and Naples among others. There are many vegan restaurants popping up in Italy over the years. I think my favorite is Rifugio Romano in Rome. They have a great menu! And Universo Vegano in Florence, amazing!