This Easy Gluten-Free Keto Tiramisu recipe without ladyfingers is so simple to make! By simply layering keto sugar-free sponge cake soaked in espresso with a light and creamy mascarpone filling and topping the entire cake with a dusting of cocoa powder, who says you can't have your cake and eat it!
Easy Keto Dessert Recipe
Have you ever wondered where Tiramisu came from?
According to the dictionary, Tiramisu cake is an Italian dessert with coffee and liquor-soaked layers of sponge cake alternating with mascarpone cheese and chocolate.
From what I could find on the web, the origin of tiramisu dates back to the 1960s in the region of Veneto, Italy, at the restaurant "Le Beccherie" in Treviso. Specifically, the dish is claimed to have first been created by a confectioner named Roberto Linguanotto, owner of "Le Beccherie".
Some claim that Tiramisu was believed to have aphrodisiac powers and was therefore served in brothels to help with "business" 🙂
Whoever you want to believe, I think we can all agree that this delicious keto coffee dessert, regardless of how, where or who invented it, is a delicious dessert!
Add if you are looking for more keto coffee desserts, check out my keto Opera Cake or this keto no-bake Coffee Cheesecake recipe
What makes this Sugar-free Tiramisu so easy?
- instead of making ladyfingers, we are using a quick and simple sponge cake that will be cut into sections to form the layers.
- the keto sponge cake is fool-proof
- it can be made in sections and assembled ahead of time
- it requires easy-to-find ingredients
- it only takes about 30 minutes to make
Gluten-Free Keto Tiramisu Ingredients
The main ingredient in Tiramisu are ladyfingers. Ladyfingers are not, however, gluten-free or keto-friendly. So, a couple of quick modifications, I ended up creating a sugar-free tiramisu using a quick and easy keto sponge cake recipe! Here are the list of ingredients you will need to make this gluten-free keto Tiramisu dessert
- Almond flour - Make sure you use super-fine almond flour. I like to use Blue Diamond.
- Whey Protein Powder - You can use either plain or vanilla for this keto coffee dessert. My favourite brand is by Naked Nutrition.
- Sweetener - I like to use a combination of erythritol-based sweeteners, such as Lakanto Classic for the sponge and Allulose for the mascarpone layer. Erythritol does not brown as quickly as allulose so it is great for baking. However, since erythritol will crystalize when cold, it is best to use allulose for the mascarpone frosting.
- Coffee and Espresso Powder- You can use any leftover coffee from your morning cup. To create a more dominant coffee flavour, a teaspoon of espresso powder is added to the coffee.
- Heavy cream and Mascarpone - These two ingredients come together to form the light and fluffy whipped layer. If you can not find Mascarpone (it is usually in the specialty cheese section), you can always use cream cheese instead.
- Rum - You can omit the alcohol if you wish or use rum extract instead.
- Xanthum gum, baking soda, baking powder, and cream of tartar
How to Make Gluten-Free Keto Tiramisu
Here are the basic steps for makin this keto tiramisu recipe.
Prepare the sponge cake. Allow it to cool before soaking one side in the espresso mixture.
Cut the soaked cake into 2 sections. Place the larger section, soaked side down, into an 8 x 8 baking dish. Soak the top side with the espresso mixture.
Prepare the filling by beating together the remaining egg yolks, sweetener, and salt. Add the remaining rum, then the mascarpone. Finally, whip the heavy cream and fold the cream into the mascarpone filling.
Add a layer of the mascarpone filling, spreading it evenly over the soaked keto cake. Add a dusting of cocoa powder. Repeat with the remaining cake, filling, and cocoa powder.
Repeat the final layer by adding the espresso soaked cake, mascarpone and the a dusting of cocoa powder. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 6-24 hours before slicing and serving.
Keto Coffee Dessert Tips and Tricks
- If you don't have any whey protein powder, you can try and replace it with more almond flour or egg white protein powder (I have not tried it so if you try this substitution, let me know how it works!)
- For the sponge cake, I used Lakanto Classic which is an erythritol based sweetener but any sweetener or regular sugar should work
- For the mascarpone, I used allulose as my sweetener. If you use an erythritol based sweetener, it may become grainy as the mascarpone cools. If you want to replace it with regular sugar, feel free to do so but make sure you start with only 3 tablespoon as allulose is less sweet than sugar.
- Taste the mascarpone and adjust the sweetness level but adding more sweetener if you desire
- If you don't have any espresso, simply boil ½ cup of water and add between 2-4 tablespoon of instant coffee depending on how much "coffee" taste you like.
- Feel free to replace the mascarpone with full-fat cream cheese
- The sponge cake will be relatively thin and somewhat on the drier side. This is EXACTLY how you want it to turn out as the cake will absorb the espresso without becoming soggy.
- If the pan that you bake your sponge can not be perfectly divided in two to form the layers, simply assemble the cake and use any leftover sections to fill in the gaps
- Feel free to use 2 square baking tins or round tins and divide the sponge layer evenly and bake it for 8-10 minutes instead of using a large pan and having to divide the sponge.
- Feel free to replace the dark rum with Marsala wine or eliminate it altogether
What are ladyfingers?
Also referred to as savoiardi, sponge fingers in British English, or as Boudoir in French. Ladyfingers are light and airy, dry, sweet sponge biscuits that are piped into the shape of a lady's finger. Made up of egg, sugar and flour, most commercial ladyfingers are not gluten-free or Keto.
Can I make homemade keto ladyfingers instead of the sponge?
If you do want to take the time to make individual ladyfingers for this Keto Tiramisu Cake recipe, here are some recipes I found online that are gluten-free and keto:
Queen Keto
Abigail's
Desserts with Benefits
What is Mascarpone?
Mascarpone is also known as Italian Cream Cheese. It has a higher fat content than American Cream Cheese and therefore is said to be richer and creamier in taste.
Since it is expensive in comparison to regular cream cheese, feel free to substitute the mascarpone with cream cheese
What can I use instead of rum?
You can use rum extract, omit the rum flavour all-together or use Marsala wine.
Can I make this easy keto dessert recipe ahead of time?
Yes. In fact, this gluten-free keto Tiramisu is BEST when you leave it in the fridge overnight.
How do store this sugar-free Tiramisu?
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.
How long does this gluten-free keto Tiramisu last?
This keto dessert, if stored in the fridge, should last at least 4-5 days.
More Easy Keto Dessert Recipes with Layers
Looking for other easy keto dessert recipes that involve layers? Check these out!
More Keto Coffee Dessert Recipes
These are more of my favourite keto coffee dessert recipes!
Easy Gluten-Free Keto Tiramisu Recipe without Ladyfingers
This Easy Gluten-Free Keto Tiramisu recipe without ladyfingers is so simple to make! By simply layering keto sugar-free sponge cake soaked in espresso with a light and creamy mascarpone filling and topping the entire cake with a dusting of cocoa powder, who says you can't have your cake and eat it!
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 large squares 1x
Ingredients
For the Gluten-Free Lady Finger Sponge Cake:
- 4 eggs, room temperature (this is a MUST!)
- ½ cup sugar substitute (any type will work or use regular sugar)
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup whey protein powder (plain or vanilla)
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp lemon extract (optional)
For the Espresso
- 1 cup leftover cooled coffee
- 2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 tbsp rum
For the Mascarpone Layer
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 4-6 tablespoon allulose (depending on how sweet you like your filling)
- 3 eggs yolks
- 3 tbsp rum
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Topping for each layer:
- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
- Optional - grated white or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Prepare the espresso by combining all the ingredients. Set it aside or store it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the cake.
For the Sponge Cake:
- Line a 9 x 13 baking sheet and spray it well. Set it aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sweeter until eggs lighten in colour (about 5 minutes). Add in cream of tartar and vanilla and beat an additional minute.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour and whey, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to incorporate the ingredients.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, making sure all the dry ingredients are incoporated into the egg mixture, being careful not to deflate the eggs.
- Spread the mixture into the baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the top of the sponge is beginning to brown.
- Remove the sponge cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Once slightly cooled, transfer the cake (including the parchment paper) to a cooling rack. Allow the cake to fully cool.
For the Mascarpone Layer
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks at low speed until just combined. Add the sweetener and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice. Add 3 tablespoons of rum and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20-30 seconds. Scrape the bowl down again. Add the mascarpone and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30-45 seconds, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set it aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes or until medium peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Taste the mixture and add additional sweetener if desired.
Assemble the Cake:
- Cut the sponge cake in half in order to fit on the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan. You will have a few leftover pieces of cake which you can use to fill in any gaps between the cake and the sides of the pan.
- Brush the espresso on one side of the cake, adding a good soak, and place the espresso-soaked side down into the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan. Soak the top of the cake with additional espresso
- Spread ½ of the mascarpone on the cake. Using a sieve, dust 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder over the mascarpone.
- Repeat the layer by soaking one side of the remaining cake with espress. Flip the cake onto the mascarpone, making sure that the espresso side is facing down. Soak the top side of the cake with espresso. Spread the remaining mascarpone over the cake and dust with the remaining 2 tablespoon of cocoa powder. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- If desired, add white chocolate curls or grated chocolate over the top layer right before serving.
Notes
- See post for additional Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
- Nutritional information is for the sweeteners I listed
- Feel free to make the sponge a couple of days ahead and keep it in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Dessert
- Cuisine: Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 322
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Fat: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1.1
- Protein: 7.6 g
K.T
This was so easy. The cake turned out better then making individual keto lady finger cookies.
Cat
Thanks!
Melissa
This was so much easier than making individual keto lady fingers! Great recipe!
Sarah
Hi again. I did make the Tiramisu this weekend. It was soooo good. After I ate a piece, I kept going back for just one more bite! Thanks for another great recipe.
Sarah
My mouth is watering. This looks amazing. I know what I'm making this weekend.
Cat
So glad you liked it!
Anonymous
Easy and delicious. I used cream cheese instead of mascarpone and it turned out great. I will defi6be making this again!