Indulge in all the luscious flavor and texture of classic Italian tiramisu without the carbs. This easy Keto Tiramisu features layers of coffee-soaked almond flour cake layered with mascarpone whipped cream. One bite and you will swear you are enjoying the real deal in your favorite trattoria!
Tiramisu is one of those timeless classics that surprises you with its creamy richness. I was hooked from the moment I first tried this coffee-flavored layered dessert and I ordered it every time I went to a good Italian restaurant. And when I went low carb for my health, I knew I had to find a way to make it keto-friendly.
Love coffee-flavored desserts? You will also want to try Keto Coffee Cheesecake and Keto Espresso Shortbread.
Long ago, I hit upon the idea of using thin layers of keto vanilla cake in place of the standard ladyfingers. They soak up the coffee in the same way the spongy cookies do, and they provide a great base without the added carbs. I also simplified the luscious filling, forgoing the fussy zabaglione in favor of whipped cream folded into sweetened mascarpone.
I first wrote this recipe in 2013 and since then, I’ve made a few tweaks to make it even easier and lower in carbs. But it remains an oft-requested favorite of my friends. Many of them swear that they prefer it to the original! This Keto Tiramisu offers all of the classic Italian flavor without weighing you down.
Reader’s Thoughts
“I made this Tiramisu recipe this week and all I can say is WOW! I followed your recipe exactly and the results were spectacular. My husband who rarely says more than “this is good” ate his piece (well actually 2 pieces) and declared that if I hadn’t told him it was from my kitchen he would have thought it came from an Italian bakery in our neighborhood! High praise indeed! Thank you!” — Bobbi
Why you need to try this recipe
- Updated recipe: The cake is now a bit thinner, giving the dessert a better cream-to-cake ratio. And it’s lighter in calories!
- Classic flavor: With coffee soaked cake and creamy mascarpone, this has all the tiramisu flavor you crave.
- Classic texture: The cake softens as it sits with the coffee and filling, so it has the same tender, creamy texture that yields delightfully to your fork.
- Simplified prep: No heated egg yolks for zabaglione or other complicated steps.
- Low carb and gluten-free: This dessert has no wheat or gluten, and only xx grams of carbs per serving.
- Make ahead recipe: You can easily make this recipe several days in advance and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: This is an almond flour based cake recipe. See the Tips for success if you would prefer to make it with coconut flour.
- Sweetener: The cake requires granular sweetener and the filling uses powdered sweetener.
- Protein powder: A little protein powder helps the cake be more light and fluffy. Whey protein works best but egg white and plant based protein can work as well.
- Coffee: You can use espresso or strongly brewed coffee.
- Rum: Classic tiramisu usually has a liqueur or rum, but you can skip this if you prefer.
- Mascarpone cheese: This creamy Italian soft cheese has a naturally sweet taste. If you can’t find it, you can use cream cheese, but it is more dense and heavy.
- Heavy whipping cream: Whipped cream helps make the filling more voluminous.
- Garnish: Dust the top with cocoa powder and a little shaved chocolate for classic flavor and appearance.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, eggs, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
Overview: How to Make Keto Tiramisu
- Prepare the batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add the eggs, butter, vanilla, and water. Stir until smooth.
- Bake the cake: Spread the batter in a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake until golden and set. Let cool completely.
- Make the coffee mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee and the rum.
- Prepare the filling: Beat the mascarpone until smooth, then beat in the sweetener and a little of the coffee mixture. Separately, whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold the two mixtures together.
- Assemble the layers: Cut pieces of cake to fit into an 8×8 inch pan. Brush with coffee mixture then spread half of the mascarpone mixture over top. Repeat with remaining cake, coffee mixture, and mascarpone mixture.
- Garnish: Dust the top with cocoa powder and grate the chocolate over top. Refrigerate until firm.
Tips for Success
- I updated the cake recipe to make the layers a little thinner. I like the ratio of cake to filling better this way. A jelly roll pan (15×11 inches) works best for this. You can use other pan sizes, but it will change the thickness of the cake and how long it takes to bake.
- Mascarpone can be a bit finicky and curdle easily, so be sure not to over-beat it. Let the mascarpone come to room temperature before beating.
- For a nut-free version, use the batter from my Keto Chantilly Cake. I am not sure how long it will take to bake in a sheet pan so keep a close eye on it in the oven.
Sweetener Options: For both the cake and the filling, you can use your preferred sweetener. The cake may brown a little more quickly with allulose so keep your eye on it in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional mascarpone is a creamy soft cheese that has almost zero carbs per serving. It has a slightly sweet flavor because it is made with full cream. But some brands do add milk, which can add carbs. Check the labels and try to get mascarpone that has less than 1 gram carbs per serving.
Absolutely! This easy tiramisu recipe has no eggs so as long as your mascarpone and cream are fresh, it will be fine for up to a week in the fridge. As with any dessert recipe, wrap it up tightly. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to two months.
This keto tiramisu recipe has 5.8g of carbs and 2.6g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.2g net carbs per slice.
More Keto Italian Desserts
Keto Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 2 cups (200 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (95 g) granular sweetener
- 1/4 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder, (or egg white protein powder)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 1/3 cup (75.67 g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Coffee Syrup
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) espresso or strongly brewed coffee
- 1 tbsp dark rum
Tiramisu Filling
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) mascarpone, softened
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) powdered sweetener, divided
- 3/4 cup (178.5 g) heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) vanilla extract
Garnish
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 ounce (14.17 g) sugar-free dark chocolate
Instructions
Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease a rimmed 15×11 inch rimmed sheet pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and grease the parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, egg white, butter, water, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the top is just firm to the touch. Let cool completely in the pan.
Coffee Soak
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee and the rum. Set aside.
Tiramisu Filling
- In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone until smooth, then beat in 1/2 cup of the sweetener. Add 2 tablespoons of the coffee/rum mixture and beat until well combined.
- In another large bowl, beat the cream with the remaining sweetener and the vanilla extract until it holds stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until well combined.
To Assemble
- Cut the cake into pieces to fit into the bottom an 8×8 inch pan. Brush with half of the remaining coffee mixutre. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over top.
- Repeat with remaining cake, coffee mixture, and mascarpone mixture. You will have a few bits of cake left over. Discard or use for snacking!
- Dust the top of the tiramisu with cocoa powder and grate the chocolate over top. Refrigerate 2 hours to firm up before cutting.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I made the recipe as you directed; however, I noticed the cake had a lot of crumbs. I also did not have any rum so I used Irish Whiskey instead. I took it to a holiday party tonight and brought extra for the people at my table. Most enjoyed it and some asked for seconds. I liked the flavor of the dessert; however, I would like some advice on how to avoid the crumbs. I made the dessert two days ago and kept it refrigerated.
I am not sure what you mean by a lot of crumbs? Do you mean it was crumbly? Before or after making it into tiramisu?
I noticed the crumbs when I sliced the dessert in the pan. As result, the slides were not straight or h pieces missing. I made sure to use a sharp knife.
Well any time you cut cake, there are going to be crumbs. But it shouldn’t be crumbly and breaking apart. That said, in a layered dessert like tiramisu, no one is going to see the breaks!
What if you put a little coffee extract in the cake mix and marscapone?
Feel free!
This Tiramisu recipe is the real deal! I made your original one in the past and this is easier and better, in my humble opinion! It tastes very authentic. It sounds like a lot of work but it really isn’t. You could serve this to non keto friends and they wouldn’t even know it. Thanks for all the hard work you do to make great recipes for us!
Thanks!
How can I omit the coconut flour and add more almold meal?
Could Rum flavoring be substituted for the rum?
Sure! Just add a bit more liquid too.
So delicious!!! I made the recipe exactly as written. The sheet cake scraps were good too!
This is so good! It is an exact taste replica to the tiramisu at an Italian restaurant I worked at. Thank you… again. When I need a sweet treat, your website is the only place I go now.
WOW! Very good. Taste just like the real thing. Very happy with all your recipes. Loved your graham cracker recipe too.
Enjoyed this for Easter brunch this year and it did not disappoint! So light and delicious; it was a hit all around the table!
I’ve never seen keto tiramisu before! Because we do keto sometimes, I know this will be a great addition to the plan.
Wow! This was amazing.We made it yesterday for Easter and it was a very special treat. Your tips were very helpful too. We ate it all!
This is soooo delish! Thank you so much for that. No guilt desserts that what I like the most ????
The only amend I need to do is to use less sweetener as I don’t like sweet.
You’re a legend ????
Thanks!
Made this Tiramisu yesterday- OMG! It is to die for! Absolutely delicious, my husband even said it was better than at our favourite restaurant. Can see this is going to be my go to dessert. Thank you Carolyn ????
That’s so great to hear!
This was hands down one of the most delicious tiramisu recipes I have ever had. I made it for my husband for Valentines Day since it is his favorite dessert. He Loved it!!
So glad you liked it!
For the coffee component, can I use Starbucks cold brew coffee concentrate? I always have a bottle of this on hand to make keto coffee drinks and it is available at Walmarts. Thanks.
I can’t see why not!
Is this something that can be sliced and frozen after baking?
The cake certainly can. Not so sure the whole dessert would fare that well.