Vegan Strawberry Tiramisu
It's no secret that I like sweets. In fact, I like it so much that I could eat dessert for breakfast. If there's something sweet left over, don't worry – I will sacrifice myself as I don't want it to go to waste. This is why I was delighted to create a variation of the Italian dessert classic tiramisu that completely suits my tastes – I put all my dessert desired in there (and even opted for a few less sweet components).
We already have recipes for a simple vegan tiramisu in a jar and a vegan tiramisu cake on the blog, but now it was time for a summery version with strawberries. To do this, I got a little more creative and chose two creams that are not really traditional: a light cream with curd and a dark cocoa cream. The result is a wonderfully fruity and tart summer dessert with a subtle sweetness, which you can of course season to your own taste by adding more sugar to each cream.
Be aware that not all zwieback is vegan and make sure to check the list of ingredients before you buy it. We used vegan whole spelt zwieback that we found in a larger supermarket. Alternatively, vegan cookies will also work well, but the tiramisu will be sweeter then. The vegan amaretto is just for flavor. If you want to make a non-alcoholic version, just use a plant-based vanilla drink instead.
This tiramisu is quickly prepared, but in order for the zwieback to soak up the espresso-amaretto mixture and become softer, it needs time chill in the fridge. Over night works the best here and will make sure that you can cut the tiramisu into pieces the following day.
Vegan Strawberry Tiramisu
Ingredients
For the cream layer:
- 75 g (0.75 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 75 ml (0.33 cup) vegan amaretto
- 100 ml (0.33 cup + 2 tbsp) strong espresso
- 600 g (2.5 cups) plant-based heavy cream
- 300 g (10.5 oz) plant-based curd
- 2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
- 16 g (1.5 tbsp) vanilla sugar
For soaking:
- 115 ml (0.5 cup) vegan amaretto (or plant-based vanilla drink)
- 250 ml (1 cup) strong espresso
Also:
- 1 kg (2.25 lbs) strawberries
- 18 g (2 tbsp) vanilla sugar
- 500 g (18 oz) vegan zwieback
Instructions
- Mix unsweetened cocoa powder with vegan amaretto and strong espresso. If needed, add some more cocoa powder or espresso until you get a creamy mixture.
- Whip plant-based heavy cream until stiff, then divide the cream equally into two bowls. Add the cocoa powder mixture to one of the bowls and stir to combine – this is our dark cream. Add vegan curd, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla sugar to the second bowl and stir to combine – this is our light cream.
- For the soaking mixture, add vegan amaretto (or plant-based vanilla drink) and strong espresso to a bowl and stir to combine, then set aside.
- Wash and hull strawberries. Add half of the berries and vanilla sugar to a liquid measuring cup and blend until smooth. Slice the remaining strawberries.
- Get your baking dish (33x20 cm / 13x8 inches) ready. Dip vegan zwieback into the amaretto-espresso mixture one by one, then arrange them in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread half of the light cream on top and smooth it out. Cover with a layer of strawberry slices and spread a quarter of the strawberry sauce on top. Now start again with a layer of soaked zwieback, but this time, spread half of the dark cream on top and smooth it out. Cover again with strawberry slices and part of the strawberry sauce. Repeat the layer of soaked zwieback, dark cream, strawberry slices and sauce once more (but make sure that there's still some strawberry sauce left). Cover with a final layer of soaked zwieback.
- For the top layer spread the remaining light cream on top. Add dollops of the remaining strawberry sauce on top, then gently swirl the sauce into the cream to create a pretty pattern – you can use a spoon handle or a wooden skewer to do this.
- Refrigerate tiramisu for at least 3 hours, but best over night.
