This dreamy, creamy Vegan Tiramisu is made with espresso-soaked vanilla cake ladyfingers, rich and decadent vegan mascarpone, and topped with cocoa powder. It’s the type of dessert you dream about plus it can be made in advance.
Looking for more fancy vegan desserts? Check out my Vegan Cheesecake, Vegan Chocolate Cake, Vegan Fruit Tart, and Vegan Creme Brulee.
Homemade Vegan Tiramisu is far from your average dessert. This classic Italian dessert layers espresso-soaked ladyfingers with luscious and creamy vegan mascarpone before it’s topped with cocoa powder. Elegant and delicious, it’s the best vegan dessert to enjoy after indulging in an Italian-inspired feast (such as Vegan Baked Ziti) or a vegan holiday dinner.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the components and layers? I promise you this vegan Italian wonder is actually very fun to make and only uses simple, easy ingredients!
Soft, fluffy, decadent, and creamy, you’ll be dreaming of a second slice before you’re done with your first!
Why you’ll love this vegan tiramisu
- 3 layers of decadence – Espresso-dipped ladyfingers are layered with vegan mascarpone and topped with cocoa powder to leave you with a dessert you’d never guess was dairy and egg-free.
- A surprisingly easy and impressive dessert – From the vanilla cake strips to the dairy-free mascarpone to assembling, even beginner bakers can master this easy vegan tiramisu recipe!
- Perfect for any occasion – Treat yourself to a slice of tiramisu after Christmas dinner, after a vegan Italian feast (hello Vegan Alfredo and Caesar Salad), at a birthday party or whenever your sweet tooth wants.
How to make vegan tiramisu
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
To make the vegan ladyfingers, whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl before pouring in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Set the cake aside to cool completely, then cut off the edges. Cut the cake in half lengthwise and then into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips. Set aside.
Don’t waste any leftover cake strips. Dip them in a pumpkin spice latte or tea, enjoy them as a fun snack, or use them to make Vegan Cake Pops!
Next, make the vegan mascarpone by blending the soaked cashews with the rest of the mascarpone ingredients until very smooth.
Refrigerate until it’s time to assemble the cake.
For the espresso mixture, stir the espresso, coffee liqueur, and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside.
No espresso maker at home? Use brewed espresso from your favorite coffee shop, strong coffee, or decaf coffee instead. Just make sure you like the flavor of what you use!
To start assembling the vegan tiramisu, add a thin layer of vegan mascarpone to the bottom of a baking dish.
- Dip the ladyfinger cake strips in the espresso mixture and place on the bottom of the pan.
- Spread half of the vegan mascarpone on top, then add another layer of espresso-dipped cake pieces.
- Finish by spreading the remaining mascarpone over the top cake layer, then refrigerate overnight.
Tip: Tiramisu should chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge, although leaving it overnight will give you the best results.
The next day, dust the top of the cake with an even layer of cocoa powder (a sifter makes this very easy). Slice and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Classic tiramisu is an Italian layered dessert made from espresso-dipped ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder. The traditional recipe is loaded with dairy and eggs, but luckily I have found a way around this!
Dark rum or another liquor will work. Or, if you’d like to make a kid-friendly/alcohol-free version, omit the liquor from the recipe. I usually omit it.
To make gluten-free vegan tiramisu, simply replace the all-purpose flour with a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Yes, the assembled dessert is actually best when it’s made 1 to 2 days before serving! This way, all of the flavors have a chance to get to know each other and meld beautifully. Keep it covered in the fridge and don’t sprinkle the cocoa powder on top until it’s time to serve.
The individual layers are easy to store separately, too. Store the cake ladyfingers and cream in separate airtight containers or covered in plastic wrap in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
The leftover assembled tiramisu or individual slices should be covered and refrigerated for up 5 days. You can freeze some if needed.
The Best 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
Vegan Mascarpone
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 2 (12-oz) containers Mori Nu Silken Tofu
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup melted refined coconut oil
Espresso Mixture
- 6 shots strong espresso or coffee (about 1 cup)
- 4 tablespoons coffee liquor, vegan-friendly optional, I usually leave this out
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
To Finish
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
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 it's cooked through in the middle.
- Let the cake cool, then cut off the edges of the cake. Cut the rest of the cake in half lengthwise and then 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 vegan mascarpone
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil (I use my tea kettle). Pour the hot water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes or up to an hour.
- Drain the cashews, discard the soaking water and add to a high powered blender with the rest of the mascarpone ingredients. Blend until very smooth, scraping the sides as needed. The mixture will be quite thick.
- Place in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. (You could just leave it in the blender to refrigerate as well).
Make the espresso mixture
- In a small bowl, stir together the espresso or strong coffee, liquor (if using) and sugar. Set aside.
Assemble
- Get out an 8×8 inch pan or tall dish. Add a thin layer of mascarpone to the bottom of the dish. Dip the cake strips into the espresso mixture for a few seconds 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 usually leave out the alcohol since my kids like tiramisu. You can use it, or not.
- UPDATE 2024 – After a lot of testing, I updated the recipe with an improved vegan mascarpone layer. If you are looking for the original recipe that used vegan cream cheese, you can find it here: Original Vegan Tiramisu. I very much prefer the new recipe though, plus many folks can’t find store bought vegan cream cheese so this new version is more accessible.
Amazing dessert…I made small testers and SO delicious! Question tho…Can I freeze this once assembled? Or how long can it keep in the fridge assembled please?
I don’t think I’ve ever frozen it, but that might work okay. It seems to last up to a week in the fridge though. So glad you are enjoying it!
I’ve made this many times before, but often the kids in the family and my mom don’t like coffee, so don’t partake. Today I made this with the espresso replaced with very rich hot chocolate. IT’S A HIT! Everyone, including the real tiramisu junkies absolutely LOVE this with hot chocolate.
The only negative side of this recipe, is that even when I double it, there are never any leftovers 🙁
Hi Elisa. I LOVE your idea! Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing this, as well as your fantastic review! No leftovers = delicious! Wishing you happy cooking!
Can this be made without cashews to accommodate a nut allergy?
Yes, the original recipe used no cashews (there is a link in the Notes section of the recipe). Of course make sure you check the ingredients list on the cream cheese to make sure there are no nuts. Here are the ingredients for the non-cashew mascarpone: (2) 8-oz containers vegan cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup coconut oil, tiny pinch salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 cup coconut milk.
This turned out amazing! I cut these into circles with a cookie cutter so I could layer them into recyclable “to go” single serves for work.
What a fun idea, Caitlin! I’m so glad you love the tiramisu! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and idea!
Easy to make thanks to your step by step instructions and ridiculously delicious!! I did use a the coffee liquor with espresso. This desert is definitely special and my company loved it — served after baked ziti, salad and crusty bread. It was a vegan Italian feast! Thank you Nora ✨
Hi Karen. Your meal sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, and delicious sounding baking & cooking experience! I’m thrilled your meal was a hit! Happy cooking to you!
What depth should the 10″ x 15″ sheet pan have? Is a 1″ deep cookie sheet pan sufficient or are the 2″ jelly roll or deeper cake sheet pans recommended? Thanks!
1 inch deep is actually fine, your making a pretty thin sheet cake. That’s the kind of pan I use.
Hi Nora, Can I substitute apple sauce for the oil in the cake? Also, can tapioca starch be substituted for the corn starch? Thx.
Yes, you can sub applesauce but the cake will likely taste kinda “fat free” if you know what I mean. I think it will still be good though. And tapioca starch can be used instead of corn.
I just made this and wanted to write how easy this recipe was! Just a note that I only had a 9×13 sheet pan so my cake was too tall for my 8×8 pan with no room for the filling. I ended up slicing the cake in half horizontally so I could still fit 2 layers and now have lots of leftover cake (not a bad problem to have!) The “mascarpone” and espresso mix were just the right amount and worked out perfectly. I used the Philadelphia plant-based cream cheese and was very lucky to find it on sale. I softened it in my microwave just enough to blend easily with my hand mixer. It’s currently chilling in the fridge, but all of the components tasted delicious so I know it will be great when we dig in tonight!
It is so great to know that my recipes are easy to follow! Thanks for letting me know the instructions worked really well for you, and for sharing your great feedback! I hope ou enjoy the cake! Happy cooking!
When it says 1/2 cup of full fat coconut milk, creamy white part only, does that mean I should be opening multiple cans to get enough for 1/2 cup? As far as I recall anyway, there’s not a half cup’s worth in one can.
Coconut milks will vary as far as how much cream is actually in them, but usually 1 can is enough. The more quality cans will have 1/2 cup of creamy white stuff in them. If you only have one can, just do your best and you can use a little clear liquid if needed, it won’t ruin the recipe or anything. Hope that helps.
Nora you’ve done it again! It was my first time making tiramisu and first time eating vegan tiramisu, it came out absolutely perfect. I made it for my girlfriend’s birthday and everyone said “is this vegan??” I wasn’t sure how exactly to dip the cake since I’ve never done it before and the texture is different from ladyfingers, so for anyone with the same question, I did a quick dip and flip to get the cake moist but not soaked through, and did not hold it in the espresso mixture like some recipes suggest. I actually ended up needing more espresso mixture (about 1/3 more) but that could have been the size of my pan/how much cake I squeezed in there. I used Atomic Black espresso liqueur and it was perfect for my guests but might be too strong for some. Took a lot of time but definitely worth it, this recipe is a labor of love!!
Delicious!! Even my adamantly anti-vegan relatives absolutely loved this. I used Sabroso coffee liqueur instead of the Kahlua and Tofutti cream cheese.
Hi Erin. Your tiramisu sounds delicious! Thanks for your fabulous review!
Hello Nora,
This is an excellent recipe. Except that the coconut oil crystalized and did not mix with the cheese. Is there a way to create a smooth mixture?
Thanks,
I haven’t had that happen, but it could help to let your vegan cream cheese come closer to room temperature. It’s possible the warm coconut oil and cold cream cheese created a weird texture. Hope that helps!
Excellent. Made as a birthday cake for my daughter. She loved it
How lucky am I that all my favorite recipes come from “Nora Cooks”? The stars align!
Seriously though, as always this came out perfect. Such joy to have tiramisu after so many years. Thank you so much for sharing <3
You’re so welcome! Thank you for using my recipe and for your wonderful review 🙂
Hi Nora! Love your recipes. I really want to try this! Unfortunately Kahlua is not vegan. I’m going to try this with Cafetino brand coffee liqueur, and I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Maybe the best dessert I have ever made. Nora you really killed it with this one!