Gluten Free Tiramisu

This gluten free tiramisu has all the creamy mascarpone filling, coffee flavor, and soft layered texture of the classic Italian dessert, made with delicate gluten free ladyfingers.

It’s rich and elegant, but still light, sliceable, and no-bake. Most of the work is in the layering, then the refrigerator does the rest.

Why this recipe works

The filling is rich without being heavy. Cooking the egg yolks first adds structure to the mascarpone filling, so the tiramisu sets up properly and slices cleanly.

Gluten free ladyfingers are more delicate than conventional ones, so they need a gentler method. Brushing them with the coffee mixture gives you the flavor you want without turning the cookies soggy or broken before they’re layered.

The long chill is what brings everything together. The ladyfingers soften, the coffee flavor spreads through the layers, and the filling firms up into a dessert that tastes classic and looks beautiful on the plate.

Recipe ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make this fancy-looking dessert. For full ingredient amounts, please see the recipe card below.

• Egg yolks: You’ll need 3 egg yolks from large eggs for a total of 75 grams. This is what makes the filling set up in the refrigerator and the tiramisu slice cleanly. Eggs separate most easily when they’re cold. Use the egg whites to make gluten free bread (just scale up the recipe to 15 slices and make an extra large loaf in a pullman pan).
• Superfine sugar: This sugar is like granulated sugar that’s been processed a bit to reduce the size of the crystals so it dissolves readily into the egg yolks without any graininess. You can pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor a few times to make the crystals smaller and use that instead. The sugar lowers the curdling temperature of the egg yolks so the mixture can be cooked more and sweetens the filling.
• Mascarpone: High in butterfat, this soft, mild Italian cream cheese adds a smooth, velvety mouthfeel to the filling, and doesn’t add extra weight, keeping the filling fluffy. The brand that never splits is Galbani, but it can be hard to find. I find that Trader Joe’s or Aldi’s brand mascarpone are light and creamy. Even BelGioioso, which many insist will always crumble and split, can usually be smoothed out if you don’t overbeat it.
• Rum: Classic tiramisu is made with sweet Marsala wine, but it’s also commonly made with coffee liqueur like Kahlua. I prefer dark unspiced rum from Bacardi for a full flavor that isn’t overpowering. This is the easiest ingredient to just omit, though.
• Cream: You’ll need cold heavy whipping cream with at least 36% fat so that you can whip it into a dense foam that will hold its shape. Whip it slowly (medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes is ideal) for a stable whip that won’t deflate, even at room temperature.
• Gluten free ladyfingers: Schar ladyfingers are very fragile, so handle them with care and don’t order them online. I search Instacart to see where I can buy them locally, and then buy them in person. If you make your own gluten free ladyfingers, they’ll taste better and be more stable, but that’s seriously a lot of work.

How to make gluten free tiramisu (step by step photos)

This overview illustrates how to make this recipe in your own kitchen, with the reason behind each step.

Cook the egg yolk base
We need to cook the sugar and egg yolks together over indirect heat to avoid curdling the yolks. To do this, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a double boiler or in a small, heat-safe bowl suspended over about 1 1/2 inches simmering water, without touching the water. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes paler yellow in color and falls off the whisk in ribbons. The ideal temperature is around 170°F (160°F makes the eggs safe to eat; 180°F risks curdling).

Make the whipped cream
Set the egg yolk base aside to cool while you whip the cream. In a separate bowl, use a handheld mixer to whip cold heavy whipping cream on medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes. Whipping it slowly over time will create a very stable foam that holds it shape, even at room temperature, for much longer.

Beat in mascarpone cheese
Use a handheld mixer to beat the mascarpone cheese with 2 tablespoons of rum, if using, to loosen it. Add the cooled egg yolk base and beat for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is paler yellow in color and fluffy, meaning that there’s air incorporated into it.

Finish the filling
Use a silicone spatula to fold the cold fresh whipped cream into the mixture in 2 batches. The filling should become fluffier and paler yellow with each addition. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl and turn everything over gently so you don’t compress the filling. Continue to fold until no obvious white or yellow streaks remain.

Moisten the ladyfingers
Since gluten free ladyfingers cookies are much more fragile than conventional ones, even dipping them in a coffee mixture quickly tends to cause them to fall apart. Instead, whisk together the optional rum with coffee, and use a pastry brush to coat the cookies in liquid. Start with them upside down, brush, invert, and brush again.

Don’t brush too generously on the bottom or they might become too fragile to flip. Leave as few gaps as possible between cookies, especially on this, the base of the dish.

Add the first layer of filling
To secure a solid base, cover the cookies with a bit more than half of the filling mixture and spread into an even layer. Scatter the filling all around before you spread it out so you don’t drag the wet cookies all over.

Repeat with the second layer
Brush the bottoms of another layer of ladyfingers with the coffee mixture, arrange them on top of the filling layer, and brush the tops generously with the liquid. Top with the remaining filling and spread evenly. You could top with cocoa powder now, but it tends to absorb into the filling and become soggy as it sits, so I prefer to wait.

Chill for at least 6 hours
Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 3 days to allow the moisture and flavors to penetrate the ladyfingers, and the filling to set up. Otherwise, the ladyfingers may be dry and/or flavorless, and the tiramisu not sliceable.

Cover with cocoa powder
Use a fine mesh sieve to scatter about 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder evenly across the top of the dish. If possible, dust the top about an hour before serving to give it a chance to absorb a bit. You can also add some chocolate shavings with the cocoa powder for more flavor.

Slice and serve
Use a large, sharp knife, metal bench scraper or spatula to cut the dish into 9 equal squares. Use a small metal spatula, if possible, to lift one corner out first. It will probably squash a bit as you work it out, but later pieces will be much prettier.

Expert tips

Don’t dip ladyfingers in liquid

When I tried to dip the Schar ladyfingers in a coffee mixture, they disintegrated no matter how quickly I worked. That’s why I prefer to dip a pastry brush in liquid and paint the cookies first upside down, then right side up. Don’t brush too generously on the underside or the cookies may be too fragile to invert.

Cook the egg yolks, then cool them

Cooking the egg yolks to at least 160°F removes any risk of salmonella from consuming raw eggs, but cooking them to about 175°F thickens them so they can increase in volume for a filling that sets up properly and slices cleanly. Then, allowing them to cool before combining with mascarpone or whipped cream keeps them from melting the fats and making a filling that will never set.

Ingredient substitutions

There are other allergens in this recipe beyond gluten. Here are my thoughts on eliminating them:

Dairy free

You might be able to use dairy free cream cheese in place of mascarpone cheese since most are softer and less dense than conventional cream cheese, and have a texture more like mascarpone. The taste will vary, though. In place of heavy whipping cream, try dairy free whipping cream like Silk brand or coconut cream in the can.

Egg free

I don’t recommend trying to replace the egg yolks exactly, but you may be able to use Baird’s custard powder instead. Make the custard according to the package directions, beat with mascarpone and fold in the whipped cream to make the filling. Schar ladyfingers do contain eggs, though, so try using egg free gluten free graham crackers instead.

Ladyfingers

If you can’t find gluten free ladyfingers to buy and don’t want to make them, consider using gluten free graham crackers instead, but definitely dip those in liquid rather than brushing them. Even packaged ones are much more sturdy than ladyfingers.

Storage instructions

Wrapped tightly in a storage container or even in the serving dish, the tiramisu keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 days, especially if you haven’t added the cocoa powder dusting yet. I don’t recommend freezing it for longer storage since the filling tends to separate and the liquid-soaked ladyfingers usually turn icy.