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.
I just Finished this recipe and it turned out ok. First, the vanilla sheet cake is delicious. This would be my go to for making lady fingers so thank you. Better than store bought and easy to make. The filling I had Issues with. First, all I had Was violife cream cheese. It seemed fine but I believe the coconut oil would not have been necessary for me. It seems like the coconut milk full fat unsweetened, sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt creams so much better. The coconut oil changed the texture and consistency. I didn’t Melt the oil & I used A food processor. I added The refined coconut oil last & now wish I didn’t. I will Admit I also Only used 2 tubs of violife which is 7.05 oz vs 8. I could’ve added more but did not. What is the reason for the coconut oil? I’m in high altitude denver 5280, could that play a role? Does anything have to be cold or room temperature when blending the filling? Thanks
Hi there! I’m glad you liked the vanilla cake lady fingers. Violife cream cheese should be fine here, since you aren’t cooking that part (that brand does not work for baked cheesecakes, etc). I’m not sure what happened with the texture, but the coconut oil helps the cream mixture firm up in the refrigerator as it chills. It’s also fine to leave it out though. I don’t think high altitude would affect the cream, but I suppose it’s possible.
Hi Nora 🙂
I can’t wait to make this for a friends birthday in a couple of days.
I’m salivating at the thought of eating already !
Can I use coconut sugar for the granulated sugar ?
Many thanks 🙂
I can’t wait for you to try it! Yes, you can use coconut sugar instead.
Made it on Saturday. It turned out delicious.
Thanks for this recipe.
You are so welcome! I’m glad the cake turned out fantastic! Thank you for sharing your fantastic feedback and review!
I made this and my friend said it’s the best thing I have ever made! It is so delicious, fancy, and rich–it is absolutely delectable. I had the same problem as another commenter … I used a 9×13 cake pan for the vanilla cake, and I didn’t have enough lady fingers to make two complete layers in the 8×8 dish. Then I re-read the instructions … looks like I was supposed to use a sheet pan, not a baking pan — interesting! I’d never think to bake a cake in a sheet pan. I’ll try that next time, but other than not having 2 layers, the taste wasn’t affected whatsoever. 10 out of 10!
Hi Sarah. I’m glad to hear the cake turned out delicious for you! Thanks for your feedback!
Hi Nora – I was hoping to turn this into a layer cake for a birthday, perhaps altering the cream mixture to make it more sturdy by substituting the granulated sugar and coconut cream with icing sugar and butter. Do you think the cake recipe would hold up well in a layer cake? Love your recipes!
Hi Melissa. You shouldn’t need to make any changes to the recipe – it should be sturdy enough to make a layer cake as-is! Happy baking!
It seems impossible to find things like this that don’t use coconut milk. We have IBS and can’t ingest coconut milk or cream without disaster striking (oddly enough actual coconut or coconut oil doesn’t bother us). Can this be made with another kind of milk? This really looks amazing and I’m dying to give it a go. Thanks so much!
Hi Tina. I haven’t tried the recipe without coconut milk, but you could try using a vegan creamer instead.
I trust you with my life. I will be making this for my 18th birthday and I know it will slay
Haha that’s fantastic to hear! I hope you love it!
I used cashew cream and it was sooo delicious I would highly recommend. I boiled half a cup of cashews for 10 mins and added the reserve water a couple tablespoons at a time until it was just thin enough to blend smoothly.
So delicious!
What brand of cream cheese do you recommend? I find that the textures vary so much from brand to brand
My favorite is Tofutti, but Miyokos and the Trader Joe’s brand also have great textures.
Oh My Goodness Thank you Nora for the Delicious recipe !
You are welcome! I’m so glad you love it!
Every time I make this the marscapone separates once I add the coconut oil. Any insight??
Hmm I’ve never had this happen so I’m not sure. I’m not totally sure why that would happen. Are you adding the coconut oil hot? I just put it in semi soft, I don’t melt it first. You also want to stick it in the freezer right after blending so it firms up.
ok. Thanks for responding. Ive tried it both ways….melted coconut oil out of the microwave and ive melted it and let it cool down. I have freezed it and its still separated??? It’s weird, Ive been making this awhile and sometimes it separates and sometimes it doesnt. I do know it never happrns when I use tofutti brand cream cheese, maybe it’s because of the brand??
Which brand do you use that separates? I have lots of issues with violife. It’s such a great cream cheese but doesn’t work for so many vegan dessert recipes. I will be trying this recipe with violife. Will report back with results.
Can almond flour be used? If so, are any adjustments needed?
Thanks!
Sorry, I don’t think almond flour will work here. Though you could probably make my Gluten Free Vanilla Cake instead of the cake here.
Sadly my “ladyfingers” did not come out very well. They are very flat and gummy inside. Not sure what went wrong. Any ideas for next time? Not sure if I will be able to use them. May have to resort to store bought which will not be vegan. ?
Did you forget anything ingredients or substitute anything (such as almond flour for regular flour)? The ladyfingers are basically a cake, similar to other cake recipes on my site and they should be quite fluffy and soft. Recheck the ingredients and make sure you follow the recipe exactly, being careful not to over mix.
Made this tonight and leaving in the fridge to serve for Christmas Eve tomorrow night. I can hardly wait, it already tastes so good! When we decided to make tiramisu for dessert, my husband and I looked at each other and said, “I hope Nora has a recipe!” We always check your site first whenever we need a recipe because they are always INCREDIBLE! Thank you for always gifting us with amazing vegan food. Happy holidays to you and your family, Nora!
Should the coconut oil in the marscapone filling be melted?
It doesn’t need to be melted, just semi-soft so it can blend.
How far in advanced can I assemble this? I’m baking the lady fingers now and plan to serve this for Christmas Eve (2 days from now). Can I assemble today and dust with coco powder Christmas Eve? Of would it be better to assemble on the 23rd?
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. Assembling on the 23rd would be perfect! Happy holiday cooking!
Wow! This was the first time I have ever made tiramisu and it was amazing! My guests and my husband raved about it, and said it tasted exactly like the non-vegan version of tiramisu. It was creamy, flavourful and delicious. The only trouble I had was that I only had a 9 by 13 pan to bake it in, which made the cake higher and smaller than it would have been in a 10 by 15 inch pan. Because of the smaller pan, I didn’t have enough ladyfingers to make two complete layers in the 8 by 8 pan. It was still a big hit though. I will definitely make this again! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
This recipe is incredible and just as good as the non vegan versions we used to make. Fabulous!
I’m thrilled you love the tiramisu! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
This tiramisu cake sounds very very tasty. I am surely going to make it for my family. Thank you, Nora, for sharing your recipes. They are all great.
Hi Nira. Thank you for using my recipes! I’m so glad you are enjoying them! I hope you enjoy the tiramisu, and happy cooking!
Kahlua is not vegan. I saw this recipe awhile ago and did research. I was dismayed about Kailua.
Yes, it appears that has changed. It’s not because it contains milk, but because the sugar supplier they use does not use vegan sugar. You can use a dark rum or other liquor, or simply leave it out if needed.
I noticed the feedback that Kahlua isn’t vegan friendly but apparently Tia Maria is. Guess what I have a bottle of in the cupboard?
Hi, Kamora Coffee Liqueur is Vegan…awesome replacement for Kahlua!
Thanks for sharing!
Kamora is much better than Kahlua anyway in my humble opinion.
Amazing recipe! But quick note, Kahlua is unfortunately not vegan 🙁
Amazing! My partner and I made this recipe this past weekend and it turned out awesome. Flavors blended together perfectly. Nora never does us wrong!!
I truly appreciate your kind comments and wonderful review! I’m glad you guys loved the tiramisu! Thank you for using my recipes! Happy cooking!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it for my non vegan family and they say it’s their favorite tiramisu they’ve every had. So super delicious!!
Thank you for sharing your review and comments! I’m thrilled you and your family love the tiramisu!
Is there a good substitute for the canned coconut milk? I really am looking for no coconut flavor.
You could try using a vegan creamer, but I haven’t tried this.
Hi Nora! I’m excited to try out this recipe, but had a few questions- Do you melt the coconut oil that goes into the mascarpone before blending it all up? And for dipping the ladyfingers, do you fully submerge them in espresso until the whole piece is soaked through or how long do you leave them to soak?
The coconut oil can be melted or just semi solid. For the ladyfingers, I just dip them rather quickly to fully submerge, then take them out. Hope that helps and you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Nora, firstly I love your recipes so much!! Thank you!
I’m planning on making a tiramisu cake for a friends birthday next week but wanted something that can stand up with a few layers and be cut and sliced. I understand it would be a bit different but how could I adapt this recipe for that?
Thanks for loving the recipes! That sounds fun. I don’t know exactly how you want the cake to be, but I’m sure you can adjust it to have a few layers. Having never done that, I’m not exactly sure how you want to do it. Hope it turns out yummy! The cake is sturdy enough for layers.