Tiramisu (Vegan)

This tiramisu is my spin on the indulgent classic Italian dessert. The homemade ladyfingers are light, airy, and sweet, while the traditional mascarpone is replaced with a creamy, luscious, slightly tangy dairy- and egg-free cream cheese filling. Being a big fan of amaretto liqueur, I thought it would be the perfect upgrade to the espresso. The dessert is finished with a dusting of equal parts cocoa powder and espresso powder for an extra boost of espresso flavor. It’s surprisingly easy to make, wonderfully indulgent, and entirely plant-based from the cookies to the liqueur.

What you will need:

Whipping up tiramisu from scratch is easier than you might think. This recipe features easy to prepare homemade ladyfingers and cream cheese-based filling as an alternative to traditional mascarpone. All the ingredients are readily available at your local grocery store. The hardest part about this recipe is letting it chill overnight before digging in.

Ingredients:

• homemade ladyfingers –Ladyfingers (Vegan)
• dairy free cream cheese – Violife Dairy Free Cream Cheese
• plant based butter with salt
• powdered sugar
• vanilla bean pod (can substitute vanilla extract)
• dairy-free heavy cream – Country Crock Dairy Free Heavy Whipping Cream
• espresso powder
• amaretto liqueur (can be omitted) – Disaronno Originale Amaretto Liqueur
• cocoa powder

How to:

Ladyfingers:

The first step is to make homemade ladyfingers. Check out my recipe for them – Ladyfingers (Vegan). They can be made with either aquafaba or tofu water, whichever you have on hand. They can be prepared a day or two in advance to make assembling the dessert easier.

Cream Cheese Filling:

The cream cheese filling is an easy mix of dairy-free cream cheese and butter, powdered sugar, vanilla pod seeds (or vanilla extract), and dairy-free whipping cream. Begin by adding the cream cheese, vanilla, and butter to a large bowl. With a handheld mixer, beat everything on high speed for about 2 minutes. Then add the powdered sugar and keep mixing on high for another minute, or until it’s fully combined. Finally, pour in the cold whipping cream and blend on high for 2 more minutes. The result should be smooth, creamy, and thick, yet still pourable.

Espresso (for dipping):

Ladyfingers are traditionally dipped in an espresso mixture for this dessert. It is a simple combination of espresso powder, hot water and amaretto liqueur. Place all three ingredients in a container that’s easy to dip the cookies into, then stir until fully mixed. If you want to omit the liqueur, replace it with more water; you can also replace it with the liqueur of your choice.

Assembly:

With all the components ready, it’s time to put the dessert together. I used an 11x9x2 oval dish, a 9×9 square pan is a perfect alternative. Line the bottom with 12 to 14 ladyfingers, giving each a quick dip (not a soak) in the espresso mixture before placing them in the pan. Spread half of the cream cheese filling evenly over the cookie layer. Dip another 12 to 14 cookies in the espresso mixture and place them over the top of the filling layer. Spread the other half of the cream cheese filling evenly over the cookie layer.

Cover the tiramisu and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to set. Honestly, the longer you allow it to chill, the better; I leave mine to chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Serving and Storage:

When you are ready to serve the tiramisu, dust the top with a combination of cocoa powder and espresso powder. Store the tiramisu covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I do not suggest freezing the tiramisu, once defrosted the cookies are unpleasantly mushy.

Alright, let’s get started. Please make, bake and enjoy!

Tiramisu (Vegan)

A surprisingly easy and wonderfully decadent plant-based twist on the classic Italian dessert. The perfect sweet, creamy, make ahead treat.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

chill time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

Ladyfingers

• 1 recipe ladyfingers – Ladyfingers (Vegan) (28 ladyfinger cookies are needed)

Cream Cheese Filling

• 600 grams dairy free cream cheese – room temperature (3 tubs of Violife Dairy Free Cream Cheese)
• 8 tbsp plant based butter – room temperature
• 1 whole vanilla bean or 2 tbsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (135 grams) powdered sugar
• 1 cup dairy free whipping cream – cold

Espresso (for dipping)

• 3 tbsp espresso powder
• ½ cup hot water
• ¼ cup Amaretto Liqueur – or substitute another ¼ cup of water

Decoration

• 1½ tbsp cocoa powder
• 1½ tbsp espresso powder

Instructions

 

Ladyfingers

• Prepare the ladyfinger cookies. This can be done a day or two in advance to make the day of assembly easier.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Add the cream cheese, butter and all the seeds from one whole vanilla bean (or 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract) to a large bowl. Blend at high speed for about 2 minutes with a handheld mixer.
• Add the powdered sugar and blend for another minute or until all of the powdered sugar is incorporated.
• Add the cold whipping cream and blend at high speed for 2 more minutes.

Espresso (for dipping)

• Add the espresso powder, hot water and amaretto liqueur to a container large enough to be able to dip the ladyfingers easily, stir to combine.

Assembly

• I used an 11x9x2 oval dish, but a 9×9 square pan works perfectly as an alternative.
• Line the bottom of the dish with ladyfingers. It will take 12 to 14 cookies to cover the bottom of the dish. Dip the ladyfingers in the espresso mixture before placing them in the pan.
• Once the first layer of ladyfingers is placed in the pan, add half of the cream cheese mixture to the top of the ladyfinger layer. Make sure to spread it out evenly.
• Add the second layer of ladyfingers. Dip 12 to 14 cookies in the espresso mixture and place them across the top of the cream cheese layer.
• Add the rest of the cream cheese filling to the top of the second ladyfinger layer, making sure to spread it out evenly.
• Cover the tiramisu and place it in the refrigerator to set – this will take about 6 hours. I find the longer the better and I leave mine in the refrigerator overnight.
• When you are ready to serve the tiramisu, remove it from the refrigerator and dust the top with a mixture of espresso and cocoa powder.
• Store the tiramisu in an airtight container in the refrigerator.