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.
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!