The Best Grain-Free Italian Style Tiramisu
Try this delicious Italian Tiramisu made with homemade grain-free and gluten-free ladyfingers, gently dipped in coffee and layered with a rich, creamy mascarpone filling. Made without grains and naturally lower in sugar than the classic version, this wholesome twist on a beloved dessert is so good, everyone will be asking for seconds!
Equipment
- 3 large bowls
- Electric hand mixer or stand up mixer
- Baking dish 8"x8 or 9"x9 or 7"x11
- Strainer
Ingredients
For the filling
- 16 oz Mascarpone cheese 450 grams
- 4 eggs separated
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream optional, see notes
For assembling the Tiramisu
- ~30 homemade grain-free ladyfingers see attached recipe in blog post
- 1 ½ cup strong black coffee or hot chocolate see notes
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder to dust
Instructions
Make the filling
- Whisk the mascarpone cheese using a electric hand mixer for just 30-60 seconds until it looks creamy, but avoid overmixing.
- Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar, the vanilla, and salt until the mixture becomes light in color and ribbony in consistency. If you are not comfortable using raw eggs, do this over a double boiler (see notes)
- Pour the egg yolk and sugar mixture onto the whipped mascarpone and whisk on medium speed until just combined, just 30-60 seconds. Don't over mix.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and the remaining sugar with a electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Do this over double boiler if desired (see notes). If you're using heavy cream instead, make sure it's well chilled and whip it until it reaches stiff peaks. Note that, in this case, you don't add the sugar to the cream, so all the sugar goes into the egg yolks in Step 2.
- Fold the whipped egg whites or whipped heavy cream into the mascarpone mixture in 2-3 batches, mixing very gently between each addition so as to not knock out the air. This will result in a fluffy and light mascarpone cream.
Assemble the Tiramisu
- Dip each ladyfinger very lightly into the cold coffee (or cooled hot chocolate) and lay it in a 8" or 9" square dish or 7x11" dish. To avoid your Tiramisu becoming too soggy, dip the ladyfingers really quick in the coffee, just enough to let the coffee wet the sides. If you, however, prefer a "soggier" version with more coffee flavor, dip them for 1-2 seconds per side.
- Cover the ladyfingers with half of the mascarpone cream and spread out.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 so you have 4 total layers: ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, ladyfingers, mascarpone cream.
- Once assembled, cover and refrigerate the Tiramisu for at least 4 hours, or overnight. This will allow the cream to set and the ladyfingers to get fully soft.
- When you are ready to serve, dust a generous amount of cocoa powder on top of the tiramisu using a sifter. Slice in, serve and enjoy!
Notes
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- You can substitute the 4 egg whites in the filling with 1 1/2 cup whipped heavy cream. Using heavy cream instead of egg whites gives the Tiramisu a creamier texture, and of course changes the nutritional values, reducing the proteins and increasing the fats.
- If you are making this recipe for kids or someone who doesn't like coffee, you can swap out the coffee and dip the ladyfinger in a simple hot chocolate instead. To make the hot chocolate mix together 1 1/2 cup of hot water with 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder.
- If you don't feel comfortable eating raw eggs, mix the egg yolks and sugar, as well as the egg whites and sugar (separately) over a double boiler: boil 1-2" of water in a saucepan, then turn the heat to the lowest setting. Place the bowl with sugar and egg yolks on top of the saucepan (the bowl should be larger than the saucepan and the bottom should not touch the water). Whisk on high speed for 2 minutes, not more. The mixture should be warm but not hot. Finish whisking on the counter until you reach the right texture. Similarly, if using egg whites, whisk the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler at high speed for 2 minutes. This should be enough to reach soft peaks.