Tiramisu Recipe (Without Eggs)

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My simple Tiramisu recipe is made without eggs or alcohol, making it a dessert that the whole family can enjoy. Creamy vanilla flavored mascarpone and whipped cream is layered with espresso-syrup soaked sponge cake for a delightfully rich sweet that is simply perfect.

eggless tiramisu recipe

About Tiramisu

Tiramisu (pronounced “teer-a-ME-soo”) is a famous Italian dessert that translates to “pick me up.” The name isn’t surprising, considering how much coffee is added to this light and creamy recipe.

Tiramisu is one of our favorite desserts. In fact, when we go out to dine in Italian restaurants, we simply have to order tiramisu; it’s just that good!

Layers of “lady fingers” are soaked in an espresso syrup, then layered with a lightly sweet filling of coffee flavored mascarpone. It’s basically a latte flavored cloud of yumminess.

However, many recipes for this traditional dessert include two ingredients I abstain from: eggs and alcohol. As such, I took it upon myself to create this eggless and alcohol-free version so we can enjoy this delightful treat whenever we want.

While you can always swap in store bought lady fingers for a faster assembly, I share my simple recipe for an eggless sponge below. This way you can ensure that the entire recipe is egg free!

Making tiramisu recipe is easy and you can make this delicious dessert for small parties or gatherings.

So come along with me while I make this easy recipe. You’ll see just how easy it is to make an eggless tiramisu at home by following my step-by-step photos and instructions.

Tiramisu Ingredients

Tiramisu is one of those dishes where there are probably as many recipes as there are Italian families. In other words, there are a LOT of versions out there! For my family recipe, I had to take two major dietary considerations in stride – no alcohol and no eggs.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make my tasty eggless, alcohol-free tiramisu:

Lady Fingers (Savoiardi), or Sponge Cake

One of the most important elements in making tiramisu are savoiardi, the Italian name for lady finger biscuits/sponge fingers. While you can certainly buy pre-made biscuits or a sponge cake, it is simple enough to make at home and is much cheaper. I bake the sponge cake a day before and then refrigerate it.  

For the sponge cake, I have shared the complete recipe below. Bake the cake, cool it and then simply cut the completed sponge into “fingers” before proceeding with the tiramisu. You can also make this spongy and light Applesauce Cake instead of the sponge cake recipe mentioned below.

Mascarpone cheese

Mascarpone cheese is another important element of an authentic tiramisu recipe. Mascarpone is a soft, creamy, lightly sweet cheese that can be easily whipped with a wired whisk. Mascarpone cheese can be made at home or bought at the store.

Cream

To achieve the proper tiramisu consistency, it is important to use full-fat cream. You can use heavy whipping cream or even cream having 25% to 35% fat. With whipping cream the eggless tiramisu will be more rich and heavy. In this tiramisu recipe, I have used cream having 25% fat.

Coffee

Coffee is the signature flavor that adds the “pick me up” to tiramisu. I used instant coffee to make my coffee syrup, but you can easily swap in a strong brewed coffee or espresso instead. If you are sensitive to caffeine, simply opt for a decaffeinated coffee or chicory brew instead.

Now that you know what ingredients are needed, shall we get making the recipe!

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Tiramisu

To make this Italian specialty without any eggs, I recommend making your own sponge at home, as many store bought versions are made with eggs.

However, if you have ladyfingers or a sponge cake on hand, jump to the step of making the Tiramisu Filling and further.

Make Sponge Cake Batter

1. First grease 6×6 inches square pan or a 5 to 6 inches round pan well with some butter. Keep aside. preheat oven for 15 minutes at 200° C/390° F.

square cake pan rubbed with butter prior to adding batter

2. Place a plate or tray beneath a sieve. Add 1 cup all purpose flour and ½ teaspoon baking powder in the sieve.

If using unsalted butter, then you can add a light pinch of salt in the flour. Sift once. Keep aside.

sifting flour

3. In a pan, take ¼ cup salted butter, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 3 tablespoons sugar.

Note: I used organic raw sugar. You can also use regular sugar.

butter, sweetened condensed milk and sugar in a pan

4. Add ½ cup water.

water added to pan with eggless sponge ingredients

5. Place the pan on stovetop and heat on a low flame.

melting butter mixture

6. Stir with a spatula so that the butter melts. Mix everything very well with the spatula.

yellow spatula stirring sponge batter wet ingredients

7. Let this mixture come to a boil on a low heat.

egg free sponge ingredients simmering on the stove

8. When the butter mixture comes to a boil, turn off heat, lift the pan and then immediately add it to the flour mixture.

adding wets to dries for making easy tiramisu recipe

9. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence.

vanilla added to egg free sponge cake batter

10. With a wired whisk, begin to mix with a light pressure, being careful not to overmix. The batter in for this sponge is of medium consistency – neither thick nor thin.

Depending on the quality of flour, you may need to add less or more water. If the batter becomes too thick, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons more hot water, so keep a kettle nearby.

whisking sponge batter

11. Whisk to a smooth batter, but do not overmix. Tiny lumps in the batter are fine.

egg free sponge cake batter after whisking

12. Now pour the batter in the pan.

pouring sponge batter into prepared baking pan

13. Gently shake the pan or tap the sides.

square baking pan of sponge cake batter

Bake Sponge Cake

14. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes at 200° C/390° F.

If using an OTG, then use the bake mode or keep only the bottom heating element on for a regular oven.

tin baking in the oven

15. Check with a toothpick or a wooden skewer to see if the cake is done. The toothpick should come out clean, with no sticky batter on it.

toothpick coming out clean from the baked sponge cake

Make Sponge Fingers

16. Place the cake pan on a wired rack to cool.

sponge cake cooling in tin on wire rack

17. When cool enough to handle, gently unmold and place the cake on the rack to finish cooling.

sponge cake removed from tin and continuing to cool on rack

18. When the cake has cooled completely, mark the cake with a serrated knife for cutting into 6 even pieces

slicing sponge cake into fingers for making tiramisu recipe

19. Slice vertically first.

6 vertical slices of sponge

20. Then slice from the center to make 12 pieces.

knife cutting down the middle to make 12 sponge fingers for tiramisu

21. Separate the sponge fingers. Keep aside.

close up showing texture of sponge fingers

Make Tiramisu Filling

22. Get all the ingredients ready before you begin.

ingredients for making tiramisu recipe set out on a yellow cloth

23. Heat ½ cup water till it comes to a vigorous boil.

boiling water in a pan

24. Turn off the heat and add 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder.

instant coffee added to water

25. Mix very well and keep aside.

Note: You can add ½ tablespoon of liquor like rum, Kahlua or marsala sweet wine once the coffee solution cools down.

making coffee syrup for easy tiramisu recipe

26. In another bowl, take 200 grams mascarpone cheese. With a hand held whisk, whip the cheese till smooth. Do not over whip, as the cheese can curdle.

whisking mascarpone for eggless tiramisu filling

27. Add 6 tablespoons powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.

powdered sugar added to mascarpone

28. Mix very well. Keep aside.

egg free tiramisu filling in a bowl

29. Take 200 ml cream in another bowl. Make sure the cream is cold or chilled before you whip it.

heavy cream added to mixing bowl

30. Using an electric beater or a stand mixer, whip cream.

stand mixer whisking cream

31. Whip cream till you get stiff peaks in it.

cream at stiff peaks

32. Now add the whipped cream to the bowl containing the mascarpone cheese with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. If using vanilla essence, then only add ½ teaspoon.

vanilla added to cream

33. Fold gently with a spatula.

spatula folding cream and mascarpone together for eggless tiramisu filling

34. Fold well, but take care not to knock the air out of the mixture.

completed cream filling for egg free tiramisu

Assemble Tiramisu and Refrigerate

35. Take each sponge finger and dip in the coffee syrup. Let them soak up the syrup and become moist, but make sure that the sponge fingers do not become soggy or they may crumble.

soaking lady finger in espresso syrup for tiramisu

36. Layer the base of a glass pan or bowl with the coffee syrup soaked sponge fingers.

If you want, you can line the glass pan or bowl with a butter paper or parchment paper and then place the sponge fingers on it.

layer of soaked sponge fingers in a glass loaf pan

37. Now take half of the cream filling.

layer of cream filling added to pan

38. With a spatula spread it evenly on the sponge fingers.

first two layers of making tiramisu recipe

39. Line with another layer of the coffee dipped sponge fingers.

second layer of soaked ladyfingers stacked atop cream filling

40. Spread the remaining layer of the mascarpone cheese+cream filling and make it even with a spatula.

4 layers of eggless tiramisu recipe

41. Now take a small sieve or tea strainer and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder in it. Sift directly on the last filling layer.

dusting completed tiramisu with cocoa powder

42. Dust evenly all over.

assembled eggless tiramisu prior to chilling

43. Seal the pan or bowl with a foil or lid and refrigerate tiramisu for at least 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

foil wrapped over tiramisu

44. Here’s a photo of the tiramisu after getting set.

tiramisu in pan after chilling

45. Now slice and serve the tiramisu.

knife cutting a slice of tiramisu

46. Leftovers can be refrigerated. Tiramisu stays well for a couple of days in the fridge.

slice of tiramisu on a round white plate with a silver spoon on a wooden table

For your ease, I again list the steps in brief for you, so you get the idea of making this dessert which is not complicated and can be done easily.

Brief Overview of Steps to Make Tiramisu

1. Making the mascarpone and whipped cream filling: In an eggless tiramisu recipe, the tiramisu filling is made by making a smooth mixture of whipped mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, powdered sugar (or confectioner’s sugar) and vanilla extract.

2. Layering with coffee soaked ladyfingers & mascarpone filling: The sponge fingers or ladyfingers or sponge cake slices are dipped in coffee syrup. These are then layered in a glass pan or bowl. Now the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream filling mixture is spread evenly on the sponge fingers. Step 2 is repeated until you have 3 layers of soaked sponge and coffee cream.

4. Dusting with Cocoa Powder: The top layer of the cream filling is dusted with cocoa powder. 

5. Refrigerating: The tiramisu has to be refrigerated for 4 to 5 hours or overnight for it to set. After the tiramisu is set, you can slice it and serve as a dessert. Serve with a small cup of espresso for a yummy end to any meal!

FAQs

What if I only have a round cake pan?

In the sponge cake recipe pictures above, you can see that I have baked the sponge cake in a square pan. Don’t worry if you need to bake yours in a round pan instead.

Simply slice the cake horizontally into three equal layers. You can then assemble the tiramisu in a round pan like a layer cake. You can also make individual portions of tiramisu in desserts bowls or cups, so long as you follow the layering instructions.

What can I substitute for mascarpone cheese?

If you are able, I highly recommend either making or buying mascarpone cheese for this tiramisu recipe. However, if you are unable to find it, these are acceptable substitutes:
1. Whipped hung curd or greek yogurt
2. A mixture of 100 grams of hung curd (yogurt) and 100 grams of grated paneer beaten very well, or
3. Cream Cheese

Please note that with any of these substitutes, your tiramisu filling will have a bit of a tangy flavor that would not be present with mascarpone. This isn’t a bad thing, per se; it just isn’t traditional.

More Dessert Ideas!

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eggless tiramisu recipe

Tiramisu Recipe (Without Eggs)

My simple recipe for tiramisu is made without eggs or alcohol, making it a dessert that the whole family can enjoy. Creamy vanilla flavored mascarpone is layered with espresso-syrup soaked sponge cake for a delightfully energizing sweet that is simply perfect.
4.91 from 20 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Cuisine Italian, World
Course Desserts
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 6 servings
Units

Ingredients

For tiramisu filling

  • 200 grams mascarpone cheese
  • 200 ml cream – 25 to 50% fat
  • 6 tablespoons powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder

For eggless sponge cake

  • 1 cup all purpose flour (maida) or 105 grams all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 light pinch salt – OPTIONAL and only if using unsalted butter
  • ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup Butter or 40 grams butter – salted or unsalted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 to 2 teaspoon cocoa powder for dusting

If using ready made sponge cake or lady finger biscuits

  • 375 to 400 grams sponge cake OR lady finger biscuits (savoiardi)

Instructions
 

Making sponge cake

    Preparing cake batter

    • First grease 6×6 inches square pan or a 5 to 6 inches round pan well with some softened butter. Set aside.
      Preheat oven for 15 minutes at 200° C/390° F.
    • Place a plate or tray beneath a sieve. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida) and ½ teaspoon baking powder in the sieve.
      If using unsalted butter, then you can add a light pinch of salt in the flour.
    • Sift once. Keep aside.
    • In a pan, take ¼ cup salted butter, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 3 tablespoons sugar.
    • Add ½ cup water.
    • Place the pan on stovetop and heat this mixture on a low flame.
    • Stir with a spatula so that the butter melts. Mix everything very well with the spatula.
    • Let this mixture come to a boil on a low heat.
    • When this mixture comes to a boil, then immediately add it in the flour mixture. Also add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 
    • With a wired whisk begin to mix with a light pressure, so that over mixing does not happen.
    • While mixing you will come to know if the batter is going to be thick or too thick. the batter in this recipe is of medium consistency – neither thick nor thin.
      Depending on the quality of flour, you may need to add less or more water. if the batter becomes thick, then do add 1 to 2 tablespoons more hot water. So do keep some hot water handy.
    • Whisk to a smooth batter, but don't over do the mixing. If there are small tiny lumps in the batter, then its fine.
    • Pour the batter in the greased pan. Gently shake the pan or tap the sides.

    Baking sponge cake for tiramisu

    • Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes at 200° C/390° F.
      If using an OTG, then use the bake mode or for a regular oven, keep only the bottom heating element on.
    • Check with a toothpick or a wooden skewer if the cake is done. The toothpick or skewer should come out clean and there should be no sticky batter on it.
    • Keep the cake pan on a wired rack and let it become warm or cool down.
    • Then gently un-mold or remove the cake and place it on the rack to cool.
    • When the cake has cooled down completely, then with a serrated knife mark the edges equally for slicing the cake.
    • Slice vertically first and then slice from the center.
    • Separate the sponge fingers. Keep aside.

    Making tiramisu filling

    • Keep all the ingredients ready before you start.
    • Heat ½ cup water till it comes to a vigorous boil.
    • Turn off the the heat and add 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder.
    • Mix very well and keep aside. You can also add liquor like rum or wine once the coffee solution cools down.
    • In another bowl take 200 grams mascarpone cheese. With a hand held whisk, whip the cheese till its smooth. do not over do the whipping as then the cheese can curdle.
    • Add 6 tablespoons powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar.
    • With the whisk mix very well. Keep aside.
    • Take the cream in another bowl.
    • Using an electric beater or a stand mixer, whip cream till you get stiff peaks in it.
    • Now add the whipped cream to the bowl containing the mascarpone cheese. also add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
      If using vanilla essence, then add ½ teaspoon of it.
    • Fold gently with a spatula and do not over do the folding.

    Assembling and layering tiramisu

    • Now take each sponge fingers and dip them in the coffee syrup. Let them soak the syrup and become moist but make sure that they do not crumble and fall apart.
    • Layer the base of a glass pan or bowl with the coffee syrup soaked sponge fingers. If you want you can even line the glass pan or bowl with a butter paper or parchment paper.
    • Now take half of the mascarpone cheese and cream filling.
    • With a spatula spread it evenly on the sponge fingers.
    • Line with another layer of the coffee dipped sponge fingers.
    • Spread the remaining layer of the mascarpone cheese and cream filling.
    • Now take a small sieve or tea strainer and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder in it. Sift directly on the last filling layer dusting evenly all over. 
    • Seal the pan or bowl with a foil or lid and refrigerate tiramisu for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
    • Now slice the tiramisu.
    • Then serve tiramisu. Leftovers can be refrigerated and tiramisu stays well for a couple of days in the fridge.

    Notes

    • Feel free to make tiramisu with lady finger biscuits (savoiardi) instead of the sponge cake. You will need about 375 to 400 grams of ladyfingers for this recipe.
    • Don’t have a square cake pan? Not to worry! Feel free to bake yours in a round pan instead. To assemble, simply slice the cake horizontally into three equal layers. You can then layer the tiramisu in a round pan like a layer cake.
    • You can also opt to make individual portions of tiramisu in desserts bowls or cups, so long as you follow the layering instructions.
    • No mascarpone? These are acceptable substitutes:
      1. Whipped hung curd or greek yogurt,
      2. A mixture of 100 grams of hung curd (yogurt) and 100 grams of grated paneer beaten very well, or
      3. Cream cheese.
      Please note that with any of these substitutes, your tiramisu filling will have a bit of a tangy flavor that would not be present with mascarpone.
    • The recipe can be halved or doubled easily. 

    Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

    Nutrition Facts
    Tiramisu Recipe (Without Eggs)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 486 Calories from Fat 270
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 30g46%
    Saturated Fat 19g119%
    Trans Fat 0.3g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 4g
    Cholesterol 81mg27%
    Sodium 185mg8%
    Potassium 187mg5%
    Carbohydrates 46g15%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 28g31%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin A 942IU19%
    Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg13%
    Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.2mg12%
    Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
    Vitamin B6 0.03mg2%
    Vitamin B12 0.2µg3%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Vitamin D 0.2µg1%
    Vitamin E 0.4mg3%
    Vitamin K 1µg1%
    Calcium 153mg15%
    Vitamin B9 (Folate) 42µg11%
    Iron 1mg6%
    Magnesium 15mg4%
    Phosphorus 125mg13%
    Zinc 0.5mg3%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    This Tiramisu recipe from the archives, originally published in September 2017 has been updated and republished on February 2023.

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    Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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