A veganized version of the classic Italian dessert! Homemade vegan ladyfingers are soaked in espresso, then covered with a sweet cream, layered and topped with cocoa powder.
the inspiration
This vegan tiramisu recipe was first developed back in either 2018 or 2019, I can’t quite remember. It lived in an ebook for a few years before I shared it to the blog. Since then, I haven’t made any changes or updates to the recipe until now.
In all fairness the recipe hasn’t change that much just a few tweaks. But when you’ve been food blogging for 10 years…wow… there may need things that need some updates.
We make homemade ladyfingers, soak them in espresso (or in my case decaf coffee) and they are covered with a layer of a sweet cream. It is truly the best and one of my favorite desserts. I also love it for summer, since aside from baking the ladyfingers there is no other oven use needed.
the ingredients
- Silken Tofu: the silken tofu is used to create a base for our sweet cream that goes in the tiramisu. Typically, mascarpone is used but of course we will be skipping that.
- Firm Tofu: this is a new addition to the recipe. When I originally created it, I only used silken tofu. However, the firm tofu adds more body and base to the cream. It also makes it thicker than just using the silken tofu.
- Vegan Cream Cheese: the vegan cream cheese is also used in the cream to help add that “cheesy” aspect. It will add in tang and umami. In the original recipe I only used ½ cup but in this recipe I went with the full copy. Again, adding more body and firmness to the cream.
- Vanilla Extract: we will use this in the cream and ladyfingers to add flavor.
- Chickpea Flour: the chickpea flour works as an egg replacer here.
- All Purpose Flour: we will use this to create the dough for our ladyfingers.
- Baking Powder: this will help give rise to our ladyfingers.
- Cornstarch: the cornstarch helps with the texture of the ladyfingers.
- Organic Sugar: we will use this to of course add sweetness to the ladyfingers and the cream.
- Coffee/Espresso: we need coffee or espresso to dip the ladyfingers in. This gives the tiramisu its classic taste. Personally, I opt for decaf coffee because I am not that big of a coffee drinker. Espresso is what you should traditionally use.
- Cocoa Powder: this is dusted on top over the tiramisu for that classic look it always has.
how to make vegan tiramisu
- In a bowl combine the organic sugar, chickpea flour, and water. It will turn into a thick mixture that resembles dough. Then, add in the vanilla extract and mix.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking powder, and cornstarch.
- You will then need to add in extra water until it forms a sticky dough.
- Use your hands to scoop out the dough and do your best to form it into a lady finger shape. They do not have to be perfect. If it is hard to form them, you can dust your hands with flour.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a blender mix the silken tofu, firm tofu, organic sugar, and vanilla extract until it forms a thick and smooth mixture.
- In a stand mixer whip the vegan cream cheese on a medium low heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, add in the tofu mixture from the blender. Mix again on a medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Grab an either 8 x 8 inch or 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Take the lady fingers and dip it in the espresso or coffee. Let it soak it up for a few seconds. Lay them down to fill up the bottom of the pan.
- Pour over half of the cream mixture.
- Repeat the process of layering the soaked lady fingers again.
- The cover with the remaining cream. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 24 hours. The longer it sits the better so you can even make this 36 to 48 hours in advance.
- Prior to serving dust with cocoa powder.
- Cut into as many pieces as you want.
- Garnish with a piece of fresh mint if desired and enjoy.
what does tiramisu mean?
The word tiramisu is a combination of a few Italian words. The first being tira, coming from the verb tirare. This means to pull. The second word is mi which means me. The final word is su coming from the which means up. So, essentially the word means pull me up, or as we call it pick me up.
This comes from the fact that the classic dessert is made with espresso to give a little caffeine boost. The ironic part is you can of course make tiramisu with decaf coffee like me or that there are many iterations of tiramisu made with things like teas, fruity syrups, or other ideas. Thus, negating the caffeine aspect and no longer making this a pick me up.
why you’ll love this recipe
First of all I have shared this recipe with many people, one of which being my grandma, and she loved it. The flavor and texture is truly exactly what I remember good tiramisu tasting like. Obviously being Italian, I feel my recipe is the best vegan tiramisu out there!
This recipe is not hard to make at all, while it does of course have a few involved steps, once you put it in the fridge you are done. I think it looks gorgeous and the best part about tiramisu is that it is a more rustic dessert. The more perfect it looks to me the less I want it. So, this is great for anyone at all baking levels.
Finally, I keep my recipe simple with no additions of things like brandy, Marsala wine, coffee liqueur. While you can of course add in those things you really do not need to. Furthermore, because this recipe is vegan we aren’t dealing with egg yolks, making a custard, egg whites, or anything that a classic tiramisu involves.
vegan tiramisu faq
It does use soy, gluten, and nuts. If you wanted to make it gluten free you can either swap in gluten free all purpose flour or you can use a store bought gluten free cookie/biscuit that you like. If you wanted to make it without nuts just use a different vegan cream cheese than me.
That depends on how quickly you eat it! But in all seriousness about 5 days.
You should be able to just fine!
If you don’t want to deal with making homemade lady fingers you can substitute that in for thick cookies or biscuits you find at the store. You also of course can make all sorts of variations on this recipe with things like fruit, teas, or different flavors.
If you do not want to buy blocks of tofu my original recipe does only use silken tofu. However, I really like this new and improved version. So, I do recommend following as is.
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Homemade Vegan Tiramisu
Equipment
- High Power Blender paid link
- 9 x 9 inch baking pan paid link
- Stand Mixer paid link, you can also use a hand mixer
- Cookie Sheet paid link
- Silicone Mat paid link, or parchment paper
Ingredients
Ladyfingers
- 1 cup chickpea flour paid link
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water
Cream
- 1 block soft tofu (16 ounces)
- ½ block firm tofu (8 ounces)
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese softened, I like Kite Hill
- ¾ cup organic sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup brewed espresso or strong coffee you can use decaf if you desire
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for dusting on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (190°C).
- In a small bowl whisk 1 cup chickpea flour and 1 cup organic sugar.
- Add in 3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract mix together until it forms a thick dough, that almost resembles playdough.
- Sift 3 cups all purpose flour, 4 tablespoons cornstarch and 4 teaspoons baking powder into the bowl.
- Then add the ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water in slowly mixing with a spoon until it comes together. The dough may be a bit sticky and that is okay, but you should be able to form it easily into a ladyfinger shape.
- Take about 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it between clean hands to form ladyfinger shape. If you are finding the dough is very sticky you can flour your hands before.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat leaving a bit of space between them. Repeat until all the dough is used. Depending on how big you make the ladyfingers you want to get between 20 to 24 ladyfingers.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes depending on your oven. They will be slightly darker in color and the bottoms do not need to be golden. If they spread and are touching while baking do not worry you can easily break them apart once they've cooled.
- Once the ladyfingers are done baking let them cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the cream. Add the 1 block soft tofu, ½ block firm tofu, ¾ cup organic sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract into the blender. Blend for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until mixed together.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip 1 cup vegan cream cheese for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, pour in the tofu mixture and whip again for about a minute.
- Prepare 1 ¼ cup brewed espresso or strong coffee. Then dip the cooled ladyfingers in the espresso for a few seconds and place in your baking dish. Make a single layer of espresso dipped lady fingers. Then add half of the cream filling, enough to cover it. Repeat dipping the ladyfingers in the espresso, layering, and finish with adding the remaining cream overtop. Note: If you have leftover ladyfingers you can break it up into pieces and pop it into any cracks or crevices you find. You can also pour any leftover coffee/espresso over the top ladyfinger layer. Let it it sit for about 30 seconds and then pour it out to get an extra strong coffee flavor.
- Cover the tiramisu and refrigerate at least overnight (24 hours). This dessert will get better the longer it sits in the fridge so it is great to make in advance. You can prepare it up to 48 hours in advance.
- Dust the 1 tablespoon cocoa powder over top. Cut into 9 pieces, or as many as you want for serving, and enjoy. If desired, garnish with mint.
Video
Notes
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you decide to purchase through a link I earn a small commission at no cost you. Thank you for helping to support blog.
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- For any questions you may have please refer to the FAQ above the recipe card.
- You can make this tiramisu in an 8 x 8 inch baking dish for a thicker tiramisu, I used 9 x 9 inch. You can also do a 9 x 11 inch pan but it will be thinner.
Nutrition
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hey there!
Hey, I’m Francesca!
Thank you for checking out my recipe! I am happy to have you here and hope you explore more delicious vegan recipes.
1 block of what?
soft tofu, thank you going to fix that now!
Can i use flax egg?
I haven’t tried that, I am not entirely sure how it will work
This is SO GOOD! Finally, found the best vegan tiramisu recipe.
Any brand suggestion for vegan cream cheese?
Thank you for sharing the recipe. This won’t be the first.
so happy you enjoyed it! I like tofutti or kite hill!
Hi There!
I’m confused about the Teaspoons and Tablespoons of the cornstarch and the baking powder. They both call for 32 grams but one is 4 tablespoons and the other is 4 teaspoons. Which measurement is correct?
Hi Nikki, thanks for pointing that out it should be 19g for the baking powder, it has been updated. They were both correct in their tbsp/tsp measurements grams were just wrong.
Can this be easily transitioned into gluten free as well?
hi please read the first bullet under the FAQ section 🙂
I’ve had this bookmarked for a while, and finally got a chance to make it (new mom here.) I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, yours looked delicious but wasn’t sure mine would turn out. I haven’t had tiramisu for so long, I don’t even remember what it’s supposed to taste like. This turned out SO delicious, even my non vegan husband approved. Very easy to make, even though I almost didn’t give the ladyfingers a go. Thank you so much for the recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again!
Hi Natalia! aww congratulations on your new baby! I am so glad you got a chance to try this and that you and your husband enjoyed it! yay. thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review/comment means so much xoxo