Keto Tiramisu

By
Ariane Resnick
headshot for ariane resnick
Ariane Resnick
Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author who takes great joy in shattering the image of what, and how, nutritionists eat.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/10/21
keto tiramisu hero shot of slice on plate, with whole tiramisu in frame

The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Chill Time: 60 mins
Total: 102 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 pan
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
767 Calories
72g Fat
24g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 767
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 72g 92%
Saturated Fat 39g 193%
Cholesterol 177mg 59%
Sodium 615mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 146mg 11%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 349mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Ladyfingers, sabayon, and booze: those are just a few of the non-keto components of a traditional tiramisu, an Italian dessert that layers pillowy cookies; custard made extra creamy with mascarpone and spiked strong coffee into a spoonable, bittersweet confection. 

The biggest issue to tackle to remove the carbs from this dessert is replacing the ladyfingers. While most recipes will have you replace the cookies with a keto sponge or pound cake, we found the results of that far too gooey. Instead, we opted for a shortbread cookie, cut into ladyfinger-sized pieces, which looks and acts closer to the "real" thing. 

Another needed transformation was the cream filling: sabayon has a tendency to get runnier when stored, and the marsala wine that usually flavors it has enough sugar to be a problem for a keto dessert. Instead of that, we whipped heavy cream to stiff peaks and added the mascarpone to that; because mascarpone doesn't hold up well to whipping, it's added at the end. This cream filling proved to be firmer and the tiramisu is bigger accordingly. Conveniently, the recipe is also quicker to make. It may not be your nonna's tiramisu, but it makes for a delightful end to any meal.

Ingredients

For the Keto Shortbread Cookies:

  • 1 cup almond flour

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour

  • 1/4 cup granulated sweetener, such as Swerve or monkfruit

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled

  • 1 tablespoon allulose syrup

For the Filling:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 1 cup mascarpone cheese

  • 1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee

  • 1 teaspoon rum extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia

  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided

Steps to Make It

Make the Cookies

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 F. 

    lady finger ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. In a mixing bowl, add flours, sweetener, salt, and cinnamon; stir with a fork or whisk to remove any lumps.

    ladyfinger dry ingredients in bowl with whisk

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Add butter and allulose syrup, and break up with a pastry cutter or two forks until pebble-sized bits of dough form.

    ladyfinger ingredients in bowl with forks

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Press mixture together and turn onto a lined cookie sheet, pressing further to 1/2-inch thickness. 

    keto ladyfingers dough in rectangle on sheet pan ready to bake

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Cut dough into 20 cookies; they don't need to be separated once cut.

    keto ladyfinger dough cut into pieces on sheetpan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Baked until golden at the edges, 11 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely before removing them from the baking tray. 

    baked keto ladyfingers on sheetpan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Make the Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    filling ingredients gathered

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then gently add mascarpone with a whisk; beat just until combined. Set aside.

    filling ingredients in bowl with whisk

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Add rum extract and stevia to coffee. Set aside.

    espresso and extract in bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Assemble the Tiramisu

  1. In a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan, place 6 cookies on the bottom.

    loaf pan lined with cling wrap

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Using a pastry brush, brush cookies with coffee until lightly soaked.

    ladyfingers in loaf pan being brushed with espresso mixture

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Pour 1/3 of the mascarpone-whipped cream mixture over the top and spread out with a spatula.

    cream mixture layered on ladyfingers in loaf pan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, using a mesh strainer or pastry sifter so that there are no clumps of powder. 

    each layer of tiramisu being sprinkled with cocoa powder

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Repeat steps 4 to 7 two more times, breaking up any extra cookies and tucking them into empty spaces, and ending with a dusting of cocoa powder on top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

    keto tiramisu turned out on to cutting board with an additional sprinkle of cocoa powder

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

    Tips

    • The shortbread cookies can be made one day ahead if desired.
    • If you don't have rum extract, you can substitute vanilla, almond, or anise extract.
    • If you don't have allulose syrup, substitute 1 tablespoon additional dry sweetener, plus 1/2 tablespoon water in the cookie dough. 
    • Keto tiramisu will keep for a few days in the fridge, but is best eaten with the first day or two as the cookies can get soggy.