Tiramisu
Discover the Delight of Vegan Tiramisu
Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert that has captured hearts (and taste buds) around the world. Traditionally made with layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese, it’s rich, creamy, and utterly indulgent. But what if you want to enjoy this treat while sticking to a plant-based lifestyle? Enter vegan tiramisu—an equally delicious alternative that retains all the flavour and texture of the original.
What Makes Vegan Tiramisu Special?
- Dairy-Free Creaminess: The creamy filling in vegan tiramisu is made with vegan whipping cream, coconut condensed milk, vanilla bean, lemon and a bit of silken tofu to cut the sweetness (I promise you won’t taste the tofu)
- Plant-Based Ladyfingers: While traditional tiramisu uses ladyfingers that contain eggs, many brands now offer vegan versions. You can also make your own sponge cake using the plant-based ingredients below, ensuring that your dessert is fully vegan.
- Customization Galore: One of the best things about making vegan tiramisu is the opportunity to customise. You can even experiment with an alternative to lady fingers. You can swap the lady fingers for biscoff or digestive biscuits. If you are worried about recreating lady fingers you can also bake a vegan vanilla cake and you can cut them into 1cm thickness rectangles as a substitution.
Perfect for Any Occasion
Whether it’s a dinner party, holiday gathering, or just a cosy night in, vegan tiramisu is sure to impress. Its elegant appearance and rich flavour make it a standout dessert, even for those who don’t follow a vegan diet. Plus, it’s a fantastic option for anyone with dietary restrictions, ensuring that everyone can enjoy a sweet ending to their meal.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowls
- Hand mixer/stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Deep dish for assembling (I use a 30cm x 20cm glass dish)
- Sieve for dusting
- Piping bag and large round tip or ziplock bag
Difficult level
Beginner (if using store bought lady fingers/biscoff biscuits, digestive biscuits, or a vanilla cake)
Ingredients
Lady Finger (savoiardid) Ingredients (makes 35 - 8cm lady fingers)
Tiramisu Cream Ingredients
Coffee
Dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C fan forced or 180 C conventional. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the aquafaba until it reaches stiff peaks (about 5minutes).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the custard powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to remove any lumps (sift the flour if needed)
- Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the oil, plant-based milk and vanilla extract.
- Gently fold the whipped aquafaba into the other ingredient. Be careful not to deflate the mixture too much; it should remain airy.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off) and pipe finger-shaped mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each.
- Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on each lady finger.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until the ladyfingers are firm to the touch.
- Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whilst the lady fingers are cooling prepare the coffee and tiramisu cream.
- Brew the coffee and add to a shallow wide dish and let it cool.
- In a large mixing bowl add all the cream ingredients and lightly whip until combined (the texture should resemble a double cream consistency – don’t over whip)
- And now you are ready to assemble the tiramisu.
- Dip each ladyfinger or sponge cake into the cooled coffee mixture, making sure not to soak them too long (I dip for around 1-2 seconds each side)
- Layer the dipped ladyfingers in the bottom of a rectangular dish. Add 2-3 tsp of extra coffee evenly to this layer and let the sponges soak in the extra coffee before proceeding with the next step (around 1 minute)
- Spread a third of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers.
- Repeat the process with another two layers of dipped ladyfingers and the remaining cream mixture. Finish the tiramisu with a top layer of cream. (you umay have a handful of lady fingers left over
- Cover (if possible) and rest overnight or for 6+ hours.
- Once the tirasmiu is rested sift the cocoa powder on top.
- Serve and enjoy. This tiramisu will last for 3 days covered or in an airtight container.
tiramisu, vegan cooking, vegan baking, lady fingers, vegan dessert, Italian food, Italian dessert
