I came back from Rome craving my homemade matcha latte and also a vegan version of Tiramisu.
I love the idea of Tiramisu, but I personally prefer matcha to espresso (even though I agree espresso versions rock too) and I obviously wanted all that fluff on top to be vegan, dairy-free. Well I didn't realize how EASY a vegan + matcha version could be until I whipped this recipe up on a whim. I let it set in the fridge for a few hours and I did a taste test. I could not stop eating this stuff! Which was probably a bad idea at 4pm, with these silky layers heavily dusted in matcha green tea powder... But ah well! So so yummy.
Matcha-misu is my new fave matcha dessert.
So if you love the idea of matcha-soaked "lady fingers" (with an easy vegan hack for that part), fluffy whipped-cream-y style filling and topping and a snowy layer of matcha powder on top, dive into this recipe!...
The "lady fingers" hack? Waffles! Yup, I whipped up a few Belgium waffles in my waffle maker and let them cool. Then I thinly sliced them. They were the perfect easy vegan alternative to lady finger cookies.
Waffle recipe you could use here. Or just use your fave waffle mix and make a basic - plain flavored - batch of waffles. Waffle Tip: Overbake your waffles a tad so that they are crispy on the outsides and slightly stiff. This makes them easier to slice.
Skinny-sliced vegan waffles..
Soaked waffles being layered in the dish. I added an additional few spoonfuls of the matcha tea to really soak that bottom layer and keep things moist.
Layering the soaked waffle sticks with the creamy fluff mixture..
Obsessed with these fluffy layers..
Alcohol?? So classic tiramisu usually has some sort of rum or brandy or cognac in it. I have not tried that with this version, but definitely give it a try if you crave that rich indulgent liqueur flavor.
That banana in there... You will notice that the creamy fluff mixture has a banana in the ingredients. This definitely gives the dessert a sort of "banana cream pie" flavor. I enjoyed it! If for some reason you are not a huge banana fan, you could omit it and sub with an additional 5oz of vegan vanilla yogurt. The banana adds a lot of natural sweetness, so make sure the yogurt you use has a slight sweetness to it.
I used a 8 x 7 inch deep dish. You could use a similar size, or even load the dessert into individual little dessert cups.
Oh! And do not forget to enter this month's Kathy's matcha chat giveaway! Watch the video below and enter over on YouTube!
To enter:
- subscribe to my YouTube channel
- comment on the video below (over on YouTube) + leave an emoji in your comment
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Details. Just in case you noticed in the pics.. You can ignore the plastic wrap I lined my dish with. It turned out that I didn't need it for flipping the dessert... Ignore! 🙂
pin it for later..
Matcha Tiramisu
Ingredients
Creamy Fluff:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 5-6oz vegan yogurt, vanilla**
- 1 ripe very banana
Matcha Soak:
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
- Lady Fingers: 2 large vegan waffles, thinly sliced (A thick Belgium style works best)
- Topping: matcha powder, I used Organic Encha Matcha - culinary grade works best
- **(I used So Delicious Coconut Yogurt - something with body and fat works best.)
Instructions
- Prep: Soak your raw cashews in hot water for at least an hour. Bake your waffles a while before as well so that they have time to fully cool before slicing. When they are cooled, thinly slice and set aside. It is ok if the waffle slices dry out a bit while you are waiting for the cashews to soak. Drier waffles will effectively absorb more matcha without getting soggy.
- Matcha Soak: Boil a little over a cup of water, pour it into a 'matcha bowl' or a similar style mug. Then dissolve your matcha powder into the water by using a matcha bamboo whisk or an electric coffee foaming wand. You could also blend in a blender. You want the matcha to fully dissolve into the water, creating a dark green liquid. This is a strong matcha, reminiscent of what espresso is to coffee! Set your strong matcha tea aside. Note: If desired for a lighter matcha flavor, only use ½ teaspoon matcha in your water. Or if you want a really strong matcha flavor, you could add ½ teaspoon more.
- Cream Fluff: Drain the soaked cashews. Add them to a blender along with the vegan milk, yogurt and banana. Blend from low to high until silky smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes blending at the highest speed to fully smooth out those cashews. Set blender container aside.
- Start layering the dessert. First layer: Soak the waffle strips in the matcha soak, then place them in a single layer on the bottom of the serving dish you are using. I used a high-rimmed 8 x 7 inch glass dish. You could also load individual dessert cups. Soak well: Add a few spoonfuls of the matcha soak liquid over top of the waffle layer to fully soak. Next Layer: Once the soaked waffle layer is down, top with a thin layer of the cream mixture, just enough to coat the waffle strips. Smooth with a spoon. Then repeat the waffle layer by soaking them and laying them flat over top the cream mixture. This is where you want to make sure your waffle strips have been sliced very thin, so your dessert doesn't get too waffle-heavy, and stays cream-heavy. Last Layer: Then finally, pour all the remaining cream mixture over top and smooth with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and place in the fridge.
- Allow the dessert to chill for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight. To serve, sprinkle matcha over top, slice into squares and serve.
