Keto Tiramisu

Keto Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of Italy's most famous desserts made with layers of coffee-soaked sponge cake and soft mascarpone cream. Traditional recipes can take hours, so we decided to simplify and ketofy this irresistible dessert for you. Mangiamo!

Keto Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of Italy's most famous desserts made with layers of coffee-soaked sponge cake and soft mascarpone cream. Traditional recipes can take hours, so we decided to simplify and ketofy this irresistible dessert for you. Mangiamo!
USMetric
6 servingservings

Ingredients

Sponge cake
  • 4 4 large egglarge eggs
  • 1 cup (4½ oz.) 240 ml (130 g) powdered erythritol
  • 3½ oz. 100 g melted butter
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1¼ cups (5 oz.) 300 ml (140 g) almond flour
Mascarpone cream
  • 2 cups 475 ml heavy whipping cream
  • 9 oz. (1 cup) 260 g (270 ml) mascarpone cheese
  • 4 tbsp 4 tbsp powdered erythritol
Assembly and serving
  • 1 cup 240 ml coffee
  • 4 tbsp 4 tbsp cocoa powder
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Instructions

Instructions are for 6 servings. Please modify as needed.

Sponge cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Separate the egg whites from the yolks, and place them in two separate bowls.
  2. Beat the egg whites until stiff with the help of an electric mixer. Reserve.
  3. Add the sweetener to the egg yolks and beat until the mixture turns pale yellow. Add the melted butter and the baking powder and mix. Finally, add the almond flour and mix again until well incorporated.
  4. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture with a spatula, using gentle, sweeping movements.
  5. Grease a 9" × 13" (23 × 33cm) baking pan. You can also cover the pan with parchment paper instead of greasing. Spoon in the dough. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Let the cake cool down for 3 hours and remove it from the tray.

Mascarpone cream

  1. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.
  2. In another bowl, whip the mascarpone and add the sweetener.
  3. Using a silicone spatula, mix the cream and the mascarpone with gentle, enveloping movements.

Assembly and serving

  1. Pour the coffee into a deep bowl.
  2. Cut the sponge cake into strips or sticks, dip them in the coffee and form the first layer at the bottom of an 11" x 7" (27 x 18 cm) rectangular cake pan.
  3. Spread a layer of mascarpone cream on top.
  4. Then, add another layer of coffee-dipped sponge cake strips and covered it with another layer of cream.
  5. Decorate with the cocoa powder and let it rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Special equipment needed

Electric mixer.

9" × 13" (23 × 33cm) baking pan.

11" x 7" (27 x 18 cm) rectangular cake pan.

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💬 Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

50 comments

  1. Ariela
    Hi

    Is it possible to have it with no diary products? coconut oil or something beside butter? and mascarpone

    Thank you

    Reply: #2
  2. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Hi
    Is it possible to have it with no diary products? coconut oil or something beside butter? and mascarpone
    Thank you

    We have not tested this recipe with dairy free substitutes. The butter and mascarpone would be the most difficult to substitute.

  3. Lee
    I made this and it was great! Just remember if you double the recipe to also double the baking time for the cake. I didn’t soak the “lady fingers” in the coffee very long ( I did maybe 2 seconds on each side) and I gave the cake a slight crunch to the completed dessert and I loved it like that. If you like a more soggy lady finger than soak the fingers longer in the coffee to really absorb it. Enjoy! I can’t wait to make it again!
  4. Birgit
    sponge cake in a Tiramisu? very strange
    However, it seems possible to get closer to the original as a keto recipe for ladyfingers is available.
  5. Trudy
    What can I use in place of sweatener as they all upset my tummy and leave a after taste. Cheers
    Replies: #6, #8
  6. Manizheh
    Try monk fruit sweetener
  7. bassem.sabagh
    Traditionally In tiramisu, Zabaglione (whipped separated eggs, sweetener, and optional liquor) is folded into mascarpone.. how come you decided to omit this? - I mean there is no LC issues here is there?
  8. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    What can I use in place of sweatener as they all upset my tummy and leave a after taste. Cheers

    Hi, Trudy! Here's our guide to sweeteners that work best for keto. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/sweeteners

  9. Birgit
    I prefer Erythriol.
    All zero-calorie sweeteners without any exception have an after taste I cannot tolerate.
    Erythriol, Xylitol and other caloric sweeteners don't have such a terrible flavor.
    Erythriol has less calories than Xylitol and is not digested by the gut's microorganisms.
  10. ulli
    I make a slightly dirtier version of this with a shot of kahlua in the coffee and also egg yolks in the cream. Can't do tiramisu without egg yolks
  11. GABRIELE
    I just made this and had to divide into 12 portions because it’s sooooo rich.
    Bassem #7 question was never answered regarding using eggs like in the original recipe instead of cream. Is it because of the raw eggs? Prior keto I always found pure marscapone to rich so I used half quark (have to check carbs I think 5G for a cup) I think next time I will try that or half cream cheese instead of the cream and go back to the eggs.
    Reply: #12
  12. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    I just made this and had to divide into 12 portions because it’s sooooo rich.
    Bassem #7 question was never answered regarding using eggs like in the original recipe instead of cream. Is it because of the raw eggs? Prior keto I always found pure marscapone to rich so I used half quark (have to check carbs I think 5G for a cup) I think next time I will try that or half cream cheese instead of the cream and go back to the eggs.

    Glad you enjoyed it! I have asked our recipe team about this, but there should be no issues making it as Bassem stated.

  13. Valerie
    I'm a bit puzzled by this instruction 'Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture with a spatula, using gentle, sweeping movements with a hand mixer.' A spatula AND a hand mixer? The mixture seems too stiff to do this easily as it is. The instruction also says to POUR the dough into the cake-pan which made me wonder if my mixture was thicker than it was supposed to be. Not sure how this is going to turn out.
  14. Aiva
    I also add almond and rum extract, they brting keto tiramisu extremely close to the reall tiramisu!
    Reply: #16
  15. 1 comment removed
  16. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    I also add almond and rum extract, they brting keto tiramisu extremely close to the reall tiramisu!

    Those do sound like good additions! Thank you for sharing.

  17. Francesca
    Hi - how do I work out the right nutrition of one portion?
    Reply: #18
  18. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Hi - how do I work out the right nutrition of one portion?

    You can click the Nutrition+ tab under the list of ingredients to see the full nutrition information per serving.

  19. Nini
    I have made this a few times now and it lasts me a week. Absolutely love it as it feels like real decadence. I break my IF for lunch around 12pm-ish. If I have made this tiramisu then I have it at 5pm to start my fast again for 6pm. Filling but still very light. Lovely with fresh strawberries and blueberries. Lovecyour recipes here. Have tried most of them (I'm veg keto).
    Reply: #20
  20. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    I have made this a few times now and it lasts me a week. Absolutely love it as it feels like real decadence. I break my IF for lunch around 12pm-ish. If I have made this tiramisu then I have it at 5pm to start my fast again for 6pm. Filling but still very light. Lovely with fresh strawberries and blueberries. Lovecyour recipes here. Have tried most of them (I'm veg keto).

    So glad you're loving the recipes!

  21. eb
    Making tiramisu the traditional way sure does not take hours! It takes actually less time than making this recipe. But thank you for posting a keto version I will give it a try.
  22. Jamie Boepple
    This recipe is fabulous. So creamy and not too sweet but sweet *enough* and I just loved it! I had a problem transferring the cake to the pan after cutting it into slices... it just crumbed apart. Maybe I didn't grease the pan well enough. I thought it would be ruined, but I just pulled the crumbled out of the coffee bowl, mashed it into the 11x7 and it all worked out fine. I also scraped the cocoa powder off the top after trying it as it was a little bitter to me. But gosh darn, I'll keep this recipe in heavy rotation!
    Replies: #23, #32
  23. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    This recipe is fabulous. So creamy and not too sweet but sweet *enough* and I just loved it! I had a problem transferring the cake to the pan after cutting it into slices... it just crumbed apart. Maybe I didn't grease the pan well enough. I thought it would be ruined, but I just pulled the crumbled out of the coffee bowl, mashed it into the 11x7 and it all worked out fine. I also scraped the cocoa powder off the top after trying it as it was a little bitter to me. But gosh darn, I'll keep this recipe in heavy rotation!

    Thank you for your feedback. I am glad that the end result was a delicious dessert!

  24. Julie B
    can cream cheese be used instead if marscopone?
    Reply: #25
  25. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    can cream cheese be used instead if marscopone?

    Hi, Julie! We haven't tried it that way, but I bet it would work well!

    Reply: #33
  26. Julie B
    thx, i’ll let you know how this works out with cream cheese.
  27. Mary
    I tried this yummy recipe today to stay ahead of sweet tooth. It came out okay, the recipe works. But, what I have noticed is that eating heavy cream with stabilizers in it gives me a heavy bloated feeling. I think I've developed a dairy intolerance. Maybe it will freeze well.
  28. Elliott
    Use organic 35% cream, it only has one ingredient.
  29. Casa
    I can't wait to try this as I do keto now when I always made tirmasu if I didn't have lady fingers I would use sponch cake works a treat 🍰
  30. Rick
    Made the recipe twice, can’t seem to get the cake to rise, using fine almond flour?….
    Reply: #31
  31. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Made the recipe twice, can’t seem to get the cake to rise, using fine almond flour?….

    The most likely culprit for a cake not rising is expired baking powder.

  32. Julie B
    I froze the cake and cut it into equal halves instead of sticks. Way easier to handle.
  33. Julie B
    Finally got around to making this and cream cheese instead of marscapone is great.
    Reply: #34
  34. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    Finally got around to making this and cream cheese instead of marscapone is great.

    Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!

  35. Roberta Mason
    Can it be frozen?
    Reply: #36
  36. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Can it be frozen?

    This may get soggy if frozen and thawed.

    Reply: #37
  37. Roberta Mason
    Ok thanks for the quick response!
  38. Julie B
    Made this again but without marscapone, it was just too rich. I put a bit of vanilla in the cream and it was just right. I’ll use one cup of cream next time. I’ll be using what i didn’t put on the cake in my coffee over the next few days.
    Reply: #39
  39. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Made this again but without marscapone, it was just too rich. I put a bit of vanilla in the cream and it was just right. I’ll use one cup of cream next time. I’ll be using what i didn’t put on the cake in my coffee over the next few days.

    That's a great way to use up those leftovers!

  40. Miguel
    I made this yesterday, this was my first time baking anything "cake" related too so I think I did ok, was very happy with the end result and thought it was delicious.

    I do need advice on sprinkling the cocoa though and it's very difficult to do this with a spoon, the result is not even through out the whole surface, at least not with my inexperienced skills, I know there's containers that help with this but I don't know what they're called, can anyone help me out with a search term in amazon for these things?

    Replies: #41, #42
  41. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    I made this yesterday, this was my first time baking anything "cake" related too so I think I did ok, was very happy with the end result and thought it was delicious.
    I do need advice on sprinkling the cocoa though and it's very difficult to do this with a spoon, the result is not even through out the whole surface, at least not with my inexperienced skills, I know there's containers that help with this but I don't know what they're called, can anyone help me out with a search term in amazon for these things?

    Hi, Miguel! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! You may want to try something called a sugar caster for the cocoa.

  42. Laura jones
    Use a sifter! They work great!
  43. Tamara
    Hi! Can you use Stevia for this recepie?
    Reply: #44
  44. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    Hi! Can you use Stevia for this recepie?

    Sure! Just keep in mind the ratios may be different based on levels of sweetness.

  45. Amena
    Wonderful recipe!
  46. mar
    considering the veg.keto, thou it's heavy on kalium, would it work out better on keto?
    also, for a european: "cup"
    hmmm, an imperial, us custom, us legal, a whathaveyou, coz volume, or weight ...
  47. 1 comment removed
  48. Laura
    Regarding the almond flour, is it 1 1/4 c or 5 oz.? I’ve tried it both ways, both yield a questionable cake that I can never tell when it’s done. Very fragile and doesn’t hold up well to coffee soaking.
    When I weigh out 1 1/4 c, oz it’s less than 2 oz which is nowhere near 5 oz. Which is it? What am I watching for regarding doneness? A clean tooth pick, light browning or other? The cream and coffee and cocoa component are spot on . I just need help with the cake. Many thanks
    Reply: #49
  49. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    Regarding the almond flour, is it 1 1/4 c or 5 oz.? I’ve tried it both ways, both yield a questionable cake that I can never tell when it’s done. Very fragile and doesn’t hold up well to coffee soaking.
    When I weigh out 1 1/4 c, oz it’s less than 2 oz which is nowhere near 5 oz. Which is it? What am I watching for regarding doneness? A clean tooth pick, light browning or other? The cream and coffee and cocoa component are spot on . I just need help with the cake. Many thanks

    Hi, Laura! It's 1 1/4 cups, which equals 5 oz. Keep in mind that this is measured as dry weight ounces, not fluid ounces.
    A clean tooth pick is always a helpful way to tell doneness!

  50. Marie trepanier
    This cake is good but will add more sugar to tje cream next time, i like it very sweet. It gave me about 10 portions. Can you please tell me how many carbs by portions? Thanks for your answer.
    Reply: #51
  51. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    This cake is good but will add more sugar to tje cream next time, i like it very sweet. It gave me about 10 portions. Can you please tell me how many carbs by portions? Thanks for your answer.

    Hi, Marie! The nutritional information is per serving, and the default number of servings is 6.

  52. MrsP.
    I made this today, and I have to say it was delicious and since it is rich, I made it into 12 portions and it was perfect. Hubby loved it and has satisfied our sweet tooth after dinner. (although I always cut the sweetener down in all my recipes.) Made it in 11x7 silicone pan and it cooked perfectly, did not stick at all. I cut the cake into 30 stick pieces, and I probably will try to cut it into 32 pieces next time for no spaces, or just in squares, but was amazing.
    Thank you.

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