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This Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu infuses the classic Italian dessert with the comforting spices of masala chai to make one of our favorite vegan desserts of all time! Serve chilled with a generous dusting of cinnamon. All you need is 8 simple ingredients and a batch of our Homemade Vegan Ladyfingers!
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A Vegan Twist on the Classic Italian Dessert
If you’ve ever had the joy of indulging in a classic Vegan Tiramisu recipe, you’re in for a treat! This Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu is made with the same soft and airy ladyfingers and rich cream mixture, but instead of dipping the biscuits in espresso or strong coffee, we’re dipping the ladyfingers in a homemade chai concentrate for an Indian-inspired twist!
Plus, if you’ve ever made a traditional tiramisu, you’ll know it’s laden with animal products. Often made with heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, and several egg yolks, it’s certainly not vegan-friendly.
But today, we’re going to teach you how to make an easy vegan swap for the mascarpone filling that’s just as lush, rich, and infused with the delicious masala chai concentrate. Trust us; everyone will go back for seconds of this no-bake vegan dessert!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Chai Concentrate:
- Non-dairy milk: Acts as the creamy base of the chai concentrate and adds a natural creaminess. Any non-dairy milk of choice will work. Try oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or our Homemade Almond Milk!
- Sugar: Sweetens the chai concentrate while allowing the chai flavors to shine through. If you have it on hand, our Homemade Simple Syrup works well as a sweetener here, too!
- Masala chai: Infuses the tiramisu with traditional chai flavors, like cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, star anise and cloves. If you are unable to find a masala chai spice blend in stores near you, try this Homemade Masala Chai Spice Mix.
- Black tea: The traditional base of masala chai and creates a signature-tasting chai concentrate. We used 4 black tea bags, but feel free to brew loose-leaf tea if you have it!
- Fresh ginger: Adds warmth and spice that enhances the overall flavor of the chai concentrate.
For Assembly:
- Vegan cream mixture: This mixture consists of vegan cream cheese (to mimic the tanginess of mascarpone cheese), granulated sugar, and vegan heavy cream whipped together until thick and creamy.
- Vegan ladyfingers: We used 1 batch of our homemade vegan ladyfingers recipe, but if you happen to be able to buy vegan-friendly ladyfingers in stores, feel free to use them here!
- Cinnamon: Instead of dusting with the traditional cocoa, this masala chai tiramisu is generously dusted with cinnamon. This deepens the subtle warmth in the masala chai concentrate and enhances the flavor of the final dessert!
Equipment Needed
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Fine mesh sieve
- Shallow bowl
- Large bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- 11×7″ baking dish
- Offset spatula
- Plastic wrap (for covering overnight)
How to Make Vegan Tiramisu
Prepare the Chai Concentrate
- Bring the chai concentrate to a boil. Add the water and non-dairy milk to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the remaining ingredients and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Strain and let cool. Strain the chai concentrate into a shallow bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. If making ahead, place it in the fridge until it is ready to assemble.
Prepare the Cream
- Cream the cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the softened vegan cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixture or stand mixer and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of the cooled chai concentrate and beat together until combined. Set aside.
- Whip the vegan heavy cream into stiff peaks. Add the vegan heavy cream to a separate large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Combine the cream cheese mixture and heavy cream. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low until combined.
How to Assemble
- Dip the ladyfingers in chai concentrate. One by one, dip half of the ladyfingers into the chai concentrate, about 2 seconds on each side. You don’t want them to be soggy. Once dipped, place them in the bottom of an 11×7″ baking dish, taking care to cover the bottom in an even, single layer of cookies. You might have to cut some of the ladyfingers to make them fit well.
- Top with cream mixture. Spread half of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers using an offset spatula.
- Repeat layers once more. Follow this same process, dipping the remaining ladyfingers and layering on top of the cream. Top with the remaining cream mixture and spread smooth, making the top as flat and level as possible.
- Dust with cinnamon. Generously dust the top of the tiramisu with cinnamon.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Clean up the edges of the baking dish with a damp towel, as needed, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Masala chai tiramisu is best served chilled straight from the fridge. Traditional tiramisu is often paired with a small glass of espresso or coffee to enhance the rich coffee flavors in the dessert.
This chai-inspired version can be enjoyed as is or served with a Homemade Vegan Chai or Vegan Chai Latte. It’s perfect for sharing for a special occasion or a vegan holiday feast!
Storage Instructions
Cover leftover tiramisu tightly with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 4 days. We have not tested freezing this tiramisu, but it may work. If you’d like to try it, we’d recommend layering the tiramisu through assembly step 4. Cover tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by foil, and freeze for 2-3 months.
Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then dust generously with cinnamon and enjoy!
More Vegan Dessert Recipes You May Enjoy!
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu Recipe
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 Servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu infuses the classic Italian dessert with the comforting spices of masala chai to make one of our favorite vegan desserts of all time! Serve chilled with a generous dusting of cinnamon. All you need is 8 simple ingredients and a batch of our Homemade Vegan Ladyfingers!
Ingredients
Chai concentrate
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons masala chai
- 1” piece of ginger
- 4 black tea bags
Cream mixture
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegan heavy cream
Assembly
- 1 batch of ladyfingers
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon, for dusting
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Fine mesh sieve
- Shallow bowl
- Large bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- 11×7″ baking dish
- Offset spatula
- Plastic wrap (for covering overnight)
Instructions
Prepare the Chai Concentrate
- Bring the chai concentrate to a boil. Add the water and non-dairy milk to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the remaining ingredients and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Strain and let cool. Strain the chai concentrate into a shallow bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. If making ahead, place it in the fridge until it is ready to assemble.
Prepare the Cream
- Cream the cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the softened vegan cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixture or stand mixer, beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of the cooled chai concentrate and beat together until combined. Set aside.
- Whip the vegan heavy cream into stiff peaks. Add the vegan heavy cream to a separate large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Combine the cream cheese mixture and heavy cream. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low until combined.
How to Assemble
- Dip the ladyfingers in chai concentrate. One by one, dip half of the ladyfingers into the chai concentrate, about 2 seconds on each side. You don’t want them to be soggy. Once dipped, place them in the bottom of an 11×7″ baking dish, taking care to cover the bottom in an even, single layer of cookies. You might have to cut some of the ladyfingers to make them fit well.
- Top with cream mixture. Using an offset spatula, spread half of the cream mixture evenly on top of the ladyfingers.
- Repeat layers once more. Follow this same process, dipping the remaining ladyfingers and layering on top of the cream. Top with the remaining cream mixture and spread smooth, making the top as flat and level as possible.
- Dust with cinnamon. Generously dust the top of the tiramisu with cinnamon.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Clean up the edges of the baking dish with a damp towel, as needed, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Serve. Once chilled, slice and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Cover leftover tiramisu tightly with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: We have not tested freezing this tiramisu, but it may work. If you’d like to try it, we’d recommend layering the tiramisu through assembly step 4. Cover tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by foil, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then dust generously with cinnamon and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 8 Hours 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
