Low Carb Tiramisu, Keto Lady Fingers

I’m Italian, and I’ve eaten some pretty outstanding tiramisu. The two best ever were in Florence, Italy and Asheville, North Carolina. This means you don’t have to be in Italy to eat like Italy! 

I learned something wonderful this week. Low Carb Tiramisu is possible. Before I  go any further, know that I own a home keto bakery and have lots of keto dessert experience. 

Tiramisu means “pick me up.”  It’s an Italian classic, rich layers of cake, cream, liquor and espresso makes a luscious dessert, and just for you, this is sugar free, low carb, keto friendly.

There is no need to ever miss out on this Italian classic again if you don’t eat sugar or grains.   

Let’s get right to why this is low carb tiramisu?

I used my yellow cake batter that I use in my bakery. I piped them into finger shaped cakes and used Swerve as my sweetener. A serving is 4 net carb, but be aware, it’s still loaded with calories at about 367 from 1/12 of a serving,

 

Two layers of the cake fingers is perfect.

What makes a tiramisu wonderful?

Balance and not skipping the right steps. 

Some recipes simply doctor up whipped cream and call it tiramisu.

An authentic recipe makes the cream from mixing a sabayon, mascarpone and fresh stabilized whipped cream. This recipe has the perfect balance of these ingredients for the cream, and I’m so proud of it, even for sugar free.

There are a lot of moving parts in this recipe, and I  recommend making the cake fingers one day, allowing them to dry out a bit and then making the cream the next day.  

How do you Make tiramisu?

Authentic tiramisu is made with lady fingers, drenched in espresso (with liquor) and layered between layers of a cream made with mascarpone, sabayon and whipped heavy cream. The magic in the flavor is the cream which can’t be duplicated any other way.  Some recipes use egg whipped egg whites. I’ve not tried that, but I do know my method delivers that perfect cream taste that isn’t like anything else. 

What is sabayon?

The Sabayon originated in Italy as zabaglione. It’s basically egg yolks and powdered sugar and usually a liquor such as Marsala wine. I skipped liquor in my sabayon but I added a coffee infused rye to my espresso. You could skip the alcohol, or use any coffee liquor. You can go ahead and add the Marsala wine to your sabayon. 

Le Cordon Bleu at Home, tells you to whisk a sabayon  (egg yolks and powdered sugar) in a bowl that is placed in 2-3 inches of simmering water, and that water better not touch the pan, as it can curdle. There is a lot of whisking, and I was so proud of what seemed like the perfect sabayon. You can use your electric hand mixer at the stove. 

The whisking builds the air in the yolks, resulting in an airy, creamy, silky texture. Perfect means silky, no curdling, and it falls easily away from the spoon without leaving a film.

How does mascarpone differ from cream cheese?

Cream cheese contains 33% milk fat, no more than 55 % moisture. It has a tangy taste, is firmer than mascarpone. Marscapone is made from cream, is less firm and less tangy

Is there alcohol in tiramisu?

Usually there is some form of alcohol added to the espresso. However, you can leave it out if you’re serving to kids or prefer not to use it.

How long does tiramisu last?

It takes several hours to overnight for tiramisu to set, but then should be eaten within two days.  It does freeze well, though.

Can you freeze tiramisu?

Yes, you can. You can wrap in heavy plastic wrap in dish. Thaw in refrigerator.

Does tiramisu have raw eggs?

No, the egg yolks are cooked with the sweetener over a bain marie. I did not use uncooked whipped egg whites in the cream part, as some recipes do. My cream was absolutely perfect and tasted authentic. A bain marie is a double boiler. Use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

How do you pronounce tiramisu?

Teer ah ma su′

Making Low Carb, Keto Friendly Tiramisu

I envisioned several hurdles in making keto tiramisu, as I needed a replacement for the high carb lady fingers.

Making Keto Lady Fingers

While these are not official lady finger, low carb cake fingers work well, using almond flour and coconut flour.  I piped cake fingers into and baked them for ten minutes. I was concerned that the cake fingers might fall apart or get too mushy when dipped into the espresso, but they stayed intact, and they worked well. 

Can I substitute mascarpone in tiramisu?

If you have to substitute the mascarpone with cream cheese, whip the cream cheese with up to 1/4 heavy cream. 

What sugar free sweetener is used in this recipe?

I use Granulated Swerve, a powdered erythritol, and I write about Swerve here.

What is the nutrition value?

There are 304 calories, 29 grams fat, 4 carbs, 2 fiber. Net Carbs: 2

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