Eggless tiramisu is one the easiest desserts you’ll ever make. It’s creamy, chocolatey and a hit at every party. Make it ahead of time for stress-free hosting.
(If you’re looking for another classic dessert made without eggs, you’ll love this eggless key lime pie. This ube tiramisu is a hit every time too!)
Classic tiramisu contains egg yolks that you have to whisk with sugar over a double boiler until smooth, thick and creamy. It’s called a sabayon.
You guys know I’m not the most patient baker and I love shortcuts.
And since lots of things can go wrong in a sabayon — it’s grainy or the eggs are not cooked through, for example — I figure I’d just skip the eggs and make an eggless tiramisu cake.
I’m happy to report that my tiramisu without eggs is so good! You won’t miss the egg yolks at all.
Plus, it’s very easy to make. No sabayon required. Let’s get to it.
What is tiramisu?
Tiramisu is a coffee-flavoured Italian dessert.
Made of savoiardi or ladyfingers dipped in coffee, it is traditionally layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa, then chilled before serving.
The coffee is also usually spiked with a splash of either Marsala, rum or coffee liqueur. I like coffee liqueur the best.
Why you’ll love making this eggless tiramisu recipe
In addition to not having to deal with egg yolks, you’ll love making this recipe for easy tiramisu because:
- No baking is required. All you need to do so whip, layer, chill and serve.
- You can make it ahead of time. So all you have to do is bring it out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve it.
- It freezes well too.
- You can also customize it however you want. See the FAQs for more details.
- And it’s so delicious. Creamy, chocolatey, it’s a hit at every party.
How to make easy tiramisu recipe without eggs
Tiramisu is one of those desserts that look hard to make but is secretly very simple and almost foolproof.
Frankly, since I learned how to make it at home, I don’t order it at restaurants anymore because I know how easy it is to make lol!
Ingredients
To make this easy tiramisu recipe, you will need:
- Heavy cream (at least 36% milk fat) — in a pinch, whipping cream will also work (30-35% milk fat)
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Mascarpone cheese
- Espresso or extra strong coffee
- Kahlua or other coffee-flavoured liqueur
- Savoiardi or ladyfinger cookies — note that “egg-free” here means this recipe skips the egg yolks in the cream but it still contains eggs in the ladyfingers. To make this a 100% egg-free recipe, use egg-free ladyfingers
- Dark chocolate
- Cocoa powder
Tools
I use an electric mixer to whip my mascarpone cream mixture. I also use:
- A 3-quart baking dish (a 9×13 inch baking dish will work too)
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Angled spatula to layer the cream
Easy recipe
The steps to making egg free tiramisu are pretty straightforward (just have a look at the step-by-step video):
1 HEAVY CREAM. In a large bowl, whip heavy cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract until combined.
2 MASCARPONE. Add mascarpone cheese and continue whipping until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3 COFFEE MIXTURE. In another bowl, stir espresso with kahlua until incorporated.
4 ASSEMBLY. Dip both sides of each savoiardi/ladyfinger cookie in your coffee mixture. Place on the bottom of a deep baking dish (I used a 3-quart dish) or a 9×13 baking dish. Cut the cookies if needed to fit your dish exactly.
5 LAYER. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the cookies. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top of that.
6 CHILL. Repeat with another layer of cookies and mascarpone cream. Chill 6-8 hours, preferably overnight. Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.
Substitution tips and recipe FAQs
If you can’t find kahlua or another coffee liqueur, you can also use marsala (a fortified Italian wine), amaretto (a sweet Italian almond-flavoured liqueur) and even Irish cream like Bailey’s.
I know some bakers also like using rum, bourbon or whiskey.
If you plan on making this eggless tiramisu cake recipe alcohol-free as well, you can substitute kahlua with non-alcoholic coffee-flavoured syrup or coffee extract.
You can also leave out the kahlua altogether.
Yes, you can make tiramisu with regular coffee. I’d recommend making it extra strong coffee to mimic espresso as closely as possible. Decaf is fine too.
Yes, you can use cream cheese if you can’t find mascarpone but you won’t get the same silky texture and distinct flavour from mascarpone cheese. This article has great tips on how to substitute mascarpone cheese using a combination of cream cheese, whipped cream and sour cream.
If you can’t find ladyfingers, you can use sponge cake or angel food cake. You can use them as is or you can dry them in the oven (preheat to 250F and place slices of cake on a pan) so they don’t get too mushy once assembled.
Yes, you can make this easy recipe for tiramisu 2 days ahead of when you’re planning to serve it. Just remember that it needs to set so give the cake at least 6 hours (better overnight) in the fridge.
You can also choose to freeze tiramisu.
After you’ve placed the last layer of mascarpone cream (don’t sprinkle with cocoa powder), place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of it.
Then tightly wrap your baking dish in plastic wrap and with aluminum foil. You can double up on the wraps if you like. Frozen tiramisu should keep for at least a month.
To thaw, bring down to the fridge the night before, or place on your counter at least 30 minutes before you plan on serving it.
Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.
We don’t often have leftover tiramisu but the best way to store them is in an airtight container in the fridge. It should be good for another couple of days; after that it will get too soggy.
Tiramisu troubleshooting guide
Tiramisu is easy and straightforward to make but there are little things to keep in mind for perfect tiramisu every time.
Why is my tiramisu soggy?
I’ve found that the one thing that can make or break this super easy eggless tiramisu cake is how soaked or dry your savoiardi/ladyfingers are.
You want the savoiardi to be moist but still firm enough to hold up the cream and mascarpone that go on top of it.
Too moist and the cake will turn to mush. Too dry and the layers will not incorporate well.
The key is knowing how to dip the savoiardi/ladyfingers in your espresso-kahlua mixture.
Instead of dunking the cookie in espresso, just lightly dip each side. A quick second is really all it takes. Longer than that and your cookie will absorb too much liquid too quickly and fall apart.
You can also choose to brush each side with your espresso mixture instead of dipping it.
Also remember that the longer it sits, the soggier the tiramisu gets so best to serve the cake within 2 days of making it.
My mascarpone cream mixture curdled
The main culprit for curdled mascarpone cream mixture is usually over beating it. Ensure to watch your mixture and stop beating once you reach medium-stiff peaks.
Other holiday dessert recipes
Looking for more desserts to add to your holiday menu?
- Ube Cheesecake. Luxurious ube cheesecake filling on a bed of crunchy coconut cookie crust then topped with creamy coconut whipped cream.
- Red Velvet Cake. Paired with ermine frosting, this is the red velvet cake of the good old days.
- The Best No Bake Mini Cheesecakes. Smooth and creamy New York-style cheesecake without all the work.
- Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting. Chocolatey chiffon cake that’s light as air frosted with whipped vanilla cream that’s equally light and fluffy.
And if you’re looking for last-minute New Year’s Eve party desserts, check these out.
Tiramisu is a delicious cake to serve this holiday season or for any of your celebrations throughout the year. No egg tiramisu is even better!
Make it up to 2 days ahead, keep it chilled and just take it out when you’re ready to serve.
It’s so delicious and really easy to make (though don’t worry, nobody will ever suspect a thing).
Eggless Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream chilled
- 5 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup espresso or extra strong coffee
- 2 tbsp kahlua or other coffee-flavoured liqueur
- 24 pcs savoiardi or ladyfinger cookies you may need more depending on the size of your baking dish
- 5 oz dark chocolate roughly chopped
- cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip 2 cups heavy cream, 5 tbsp granulated sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract until combined.
- Add 1 lb mascarpone cheese and continue whipping to medium-stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In another bowl, stir 1 cup espresso with 2 tbsp kahlua.
- To assemble (see video): dip both sides of each savoiardi/ladyfinger cookie in your coffee mixture. Place on the bottom of a deep baking dish (I used a 3-quart dish) or a 9×13 baking dish. Cut the cookies if needed to fit your dish exactly.
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the cookies. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top of that.
- Repeat with another layer of cookies and mascarpone cream.
- Chill 6-8 hours, preferably overnight. Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy no baking!
Did you make eggless tiramisu cake? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Rajashree
I have made it before but I add little cream cheese aswell. It tastes heavenly good.
Jolina
Glad you liked it Rajashree!
MaryAnn
I’m making tgis tonight for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner. I love not having to make a sabayon.
And for those worried about uncooked eggs, a sabayon is egg yolks, sugar, and sweet wine/champagne and is cooked, whisking constantly, in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, so the eggs yolks are cooked. There’s no raw egg in a sabayon.
Jolina
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones MaryAnn!
Alona
I made your tiramisu recipe for my husbands birthday and it was delicious. It was my first time making dessert with mascarpone cheese. Thanks for the recipe!!
Jolina
That’s great Alona! Glad you and the family liked it 🙂
Rina Anderson
We’re hosting thanksgiving this year so I made this tiramisu last week seeing to “practice”. It tasted professionally done I myself was surprised how easy it was to make. I read your tip about lightly dipping the cookies but I am heavy handed and most of my cookies were too moist so my cake turned out lopsided. I am definitely going to serve this though as it is delicious, next time making sure to dip and not dunk as you said. Can I freeze it to make sure it stays firm? Thank you.
Jolina
Hi Rina! I don’t personally freeze my tiramisu but a quick Google search says it should freeze well. Good luck!
Arlene Mobley
I love Tiramisu but have never made it. Your recipe makes it look so easy I am going to have to try it!
Lois Christensen
Sounds yummy! I’m sure it will be a hit this summer!
Denise
I can’t resist tiramisu! You make it look easy to make, I may have to try this recipe.
Jolina
Neither can I haha!
Helen
Tiramisu is always my favorite flavor. Thank you so much for the recipe, the video helps me follow it easily.
Jolina
I’m glad your liked it! 🙂
Marisa Franca
One of the reasons I really like tiramisu is that it isn’t overly sweet like some desserts. We don’t eat dessert that often – just for holidays so we enjoy a little bit of alcohol in the treat!! Truly a great recipe.
Swathi
Eggless Tiramisu looks delicious, I haven’t thought we can make eggless version. I am going to try it.
Jolina
Hope you like it!
April Marquardt
I love Tiramisu and all of these look so good. These would be great for any dessert.
Brianne
I absolutely love tiramisu! This step-by-step video gives me the assurance that even I can make this!
Jolina
It’s super easy to make and perfect for the holidays 🙂