Gluten-Free Vegan Tiramisu

This Gluten-Free Vegan Tiramisu is aromatic, creamy, tangy and slightly boozy! It’s an elegant yet low-maintenance dessert that also tastes incredible: think buttery ladyfingers soaked in coffee and liqueur, layered with silky, tangy mascarpone and finished with a dusting of cocoa powder. Plus it’s the best crowd-pleasing make-ahead dessert for easy entertaining as it’s effortless to make in large quantities. Not only is this recipe egg-free and dairy-free, but it’s also refined sugar free.

What type of coffee should you use to make tiramisu?

You should make sure the coffee you use is strong so that the flavour is distinguishable. 

When making coffee-based desserts, the quality of the coffee can be a deal-breaker. If you use an overly acidic, watery coffee, no amount of sugar can make it taste better.

What temperature coffee should you use to make tiramisu?

The coffee should be warm, so that it soaks into the sponge better.

Can you make tiramisu caffeine-free?

Yes, you can use decaffeinated coffee.

Can you make tiramisu without coffee?

Yes, you can make the “coffee” mixture using chicory powder instead. Chicory powder is made from ground chicory root and has a bitter, coffee-like flavour, so much so that it used to be known as ‘poor man’s coffee’. It also boasts numerous health benefits. You can buy it in local health stores or online, and maybe at your local supermarket.

What type of alcohol should you use to make tiramisu?

You can use any alcohol you like, but the recipe usually uses any of the following:

• Marsala wine (or any other dessert wine).
• Rum.
• Amaretto.
• Coffee liqueur.

Tip: If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, make sure to check that the alcohol you use is gluten-free. If you need it to be vegan, you can use the website barnivore.com to make sure that your alcohol is vegan.

Can you make tiramisu without alcohol?

Yes, if you want to make it alcohol-free or if you are making it for kids, you can omit the alcohol completely.

How to make this recipe:

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

• Mix together all the ingredients for the sponge batter in a glass mixing bowl.

• Transfer into a square baking tin.

Tip: Line the tin with greased baking paper to make it easier to remove the sponge after.

• Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Leave the sponge in the tin to cool completely before cutting.

• Cut the sponge in half both ways, then cut each square into three, so that you end up with 12 rectangular-shaped sponges.
• Use a chopping board to carefully slice each rectangular sponge in half horizontally.

• Lay out half of the sponge rectangles along the bottom of a large baking dish.

• Measure out the coffee in a measuring jug and mix in alcohol of choice.
• Carefully spoon half of the coffee mixture over the sponges until absorbed completely – you will get more precision using a spoon to do this.

• Make the vegan mascarpone using an electric whisk.
• Spread half of the mascarpone over the sponges.

• Lay the rest of the sponges on top of the mascarpone and carefully spoon over the remaining coffee mixture.
• Top with the remaining mascarpone and finish with a fine dusting of cocoa powder.

Substitutions you can make to this recipe:

• You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
• You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
• You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
• You can replace the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground walnuts.
• For a nut-free version: replace the ground almonds (almond meal) with ground sunflower seeds or use 30g (¼ cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds.
• You can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free.
• You can replace the coconut milk with coconut yogurt (or any other plant-based yogurt) if you’re feeling lazy.

How long does this Tiramisu keep for?

This Tiramisu can be devoured immediately, but also keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a day. It doesn’t keep for longer than one day as the sponge becomes too soggy otherwise. The quantities can easily be doubled or tripled if you’re feeding a large crowd.

Can you freeze this Tiramisu?

No, unfortunately this Tiramisu cannot be frozen.

More delicious coffee desserts:

• Coffee Pudding Pots
• Coffee Jelly Ice Cream
• Coffee Walnut Cake

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe:

Gluten-Free Vegan Tiramisu

This Gluten-Free Vegan Tiramisu is aromatic, super creamy and much healthier than the traditional version! 

4.46 from 37 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: gluten-free tiramisu, vegan dessert, vegan tiramisu

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 351kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the sponge:

• ▢ 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• ▢ 200 ml (⅘ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar * (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• ▢ 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

For the coffee mixture:

• ▢ 400 ml (1 ⅔ cup) coffee , strong and warm
• ▢ 2 tablespoons liqueur of choice to taste (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)

For the mascarpone:

• ▢ 800 g (28 oz) tins of full-fat coconut milk ***
• ▢ 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 5 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To assemble:

• ▢ Cocoa powder , for dusting

Instructions

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
• Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the vinegar, maple syrup and ground almonds
• Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
• Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
• Transfer mixture into a square baking tin lined with baking paper (I used a 23cm/9inch square baking tin)
• Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean
• Leave the sponge in the tin to cool completely before cutting

For the coffee mixture:

• Measure out the coffee in a jug and mix in the liqueur

For the mascarpone:

• You’ll need to keep your tins of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
• Open the tins upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
• Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
• Add the lemon juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract
• Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy

To assemble:

• Cut the sponge in half both ways, then cut each square into three, so that you end up with 12 rectangular-shaped sponges
• Use a chopping board to carefully slice each rectangular sponge in half horizontally
• Lay half of the sponge rectangles along the bottom of a large baking dish (I used a 25cm/10inch by 22cm/8.5inch dish)
• Carefully spoon half of the coffee mixture over the sponges until absorbed completely – you will get more precision using a spoon to do this
• Spread half of the mascarpone over the sponges
• Lay the rest of the sponges on top of the mascarpone and carefully spoon over the remaining coffee mixture
• Top with the remaining mascarpone and finish with a fine dusting of cocoa powder
• Keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a day

Video

Notes

*The vinegar is crucial as its acidity needs to react with the alkali bicarbonate of soda to make the sponge fluffy.

**You can alternatively use almond flour.

***You can alternatively use 400g (14oz) coconut yogurt.

• You should make sure the coffee you use is strong so that the flavour is distinguishable. 
• The coffee should be warm, so that it soaks into the sponge better. 
• You can use decaffeinated coffee if you want to make it caffeine-free. 
• You can make the “coffee” mixture using chicory powder if you want to make it coffee-free.
• You can use any alcohol you like.
• If you want to make it alcohol-free or if you are making it for kids, you can omit the alcohol completely.
• The quantities can easily be doubled or tripled if you’re feeding a large crowd.
• This tiramisu doesn’t keep for longer than one day as the sponge becomes too soggy otherwise.
• This tiramisu cannot be frozen.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Tiramisu

Amount Per Serving

Calories 351 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 17g85%

Sodium 56mg2%

Potassium 233mg7%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin C 2.6mg3%

Calcium 96mg10%

Iron 3.1mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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