Protein Tiramisu
This Protein Tiramisu is made with espresso, chocolate or vanilla protein powder, ladyfingers, and a blend of whipped topping and soft cheeses. We think it’s just as good, if not better than the original! It’s one of my all-time favorite healthier dessert recipes!
I have a coffee obsession and love just about anything coffee-flavored, especially coffee-flavored desserts. I’m a huge fan of good homemade Tiramisu, but the traditional version is loaded with fat, calories, and sugar. It tastes amazing, but it’s not so good for my healthy eating goals.
This recipe was born from a Friday night craving for coffee-soaked ladyfingers and cream. I knew I could create a better version that would be both tasty and more macro-friendly.
I make chocolate and vanilla versions of this tiramisu, which both turn out fantastic. My family loves chocolate, so I thought it would be a nice twist on occasion, and the vanilla version has that amazing classic tiramisu flavor. I used Earth Fed Muscle protein in this recipe. I’m a HUGE fan of their protein powder for its quality, taste, and texture. It’s incredible, mixed with almond milk, and works well in baked goods. I made gluten-free strawberry donuts with their strawberry protein which turned out delicious. I’ve also included some other great-tasting protein powders that I’ve tested in this recipe with delicious results. Please remember that the quality and flavor of the protein powder make a big difference in the end result.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Ladyfingers – it’s very important that you use the soft sponge ladyfingers, not the ones with the cookie texture for this recipe.*pictured below.
- Espresso– or very strong brewed coffee, chilled.
- Vanilla– go with a good quality vanilla extract. You can also use almond extract, rum extract, brandy extract, or chocolate extract here.
- Zero-calorie sweetener- I have used both Whole Earth sweetener and a Monk Fruit Allulose blend sweetener with great success. You can also go with your favorite sugar alternative here. If you don’t mind the extract calories, both maple sugar and coconut sugar work well for a natural sweetener option.
- Mascarpone cheese– is essential for tiramisu, so I don’t recommend any swaps here.
- Ricotta cheese– non-fat or part-skim ricotta cheese is recommended.
- Whey protein powder- chocolate or vanilla *see notes for recommendations.
- Whipped topping– I love and use Truwhip whipped topping and went with the Skinny whipped version to lower fat/ calories.
- Cocoa powder– I used a Dutch-processed cocoa powder for dusting the layers.
Recipe steps
- Make the coffee mixture. Combine espresso, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1½ tbsp sweetener in a glass Pyrex dish with a spout and stir until mixed.
- Soak the first layer. Line an 8×8 (or 7×9 inch) glass baking dish with half of the ladyfingers. Pour half of the espresso mixture over the ladyfingers and swirl around the sponge cakes until liquid is absorbed.
- Make the filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine mascarpone, ricotta, remaining vanilla extract, remaining 2 tbsp of sweetener, and 2 scoops of protein powder. Blend with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy. Add the whipped topping and gently mix until just blended.
- Assemble the layers. Spread half of the whipped filling mixture over the ladyfingers and dust with half of the cocoa powder. Repeat with the second layer.
- Dust with cocoa. Dust the top with cocoa powder and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
Tips For Making Protein Tiramisu
If you need to cut the fat calories in this recipe, use all non-fat ricotta cheese instead of the mascarpone and ricotta cheese blend. However, I highly recommend making it as directed. I’ve tried making this with whipped cottage cheese instead of the ricotta, but it’s too runny to slice. You could make it in parfait dishes if you wanted to go that route. The cottage cheese adds a small protein boost, and the flavor is still on point. I love the Truwhip, it’s my go-to whipped cream alternative because it does not contain hydrogenated oils. Truwhip now makes a Skinny Whipped version that is lighter in calories.
Mascarpone is the traditional cheese used in tiramisu and I love the flavor and texture in this recipe. Trust me, it’s worth the splurge. You want to get the ladyfingers from the bakery section of the grocery store for this recipe. You want the softer ones (pictured below), similar to a sponge cake texture, not the ones with the crispy cookie-like texture.
Storing
This tiramisu should last up to a week in the fridge, but is best eaten within 4-5 days. Honestly, I don’t think that will be a problem. 😉 We are lucky if it lasts 2 days in our house!
More Protein-Packed Desserts
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Protein Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 3 oz ladyfingers *you need the soft sponge ladyfingers, not the ones with the cookie texture for this recipe
- ¾ cup espresso chilled- you can also use a strong cold brew coffee
- 2 tsp vanilla extract divided (you can also use ½ vanilla and ½ almond extract)
- 3½ tbsp zero calorie sweetener *see notes for recommendations
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup non-fat ricotta cheese
- 60 grams whey protein powder chocolate or vanilla *see notes for recommendations
- 8 oz Truwhip whipped topping I used the Skinny whipped version
- 2 tsp cocoa powder divided, for dusting layers
Instructions
- Combine espresso, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1½ tbsp sweetener in a glass Pyrex dish with a spout and stir until mixed.
- Line an 8×8 (or 7×9 inch) glass baking dish with half of the ladyfingers.
- Pour half of the espresso mixture over the ladyfingers and swirl around the sponge cakes until liquid is absorbed.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine mascarpone, ricotta, remaining vanilla extract, remaining 2 tbsp of sweetener, and 2 scoops of protein powder.
- Blend with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy.
- Add the whipped topping and gently mix until just blended.
- Spread half of the whipped filling mixture over the ladyfingers and dust with half of the cocoa powder.
- Repeat with second layer.
- Dust the top with cocoa powder and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I just made very similar tiramisu based on my experience. My cream consisted of 200g protein vanilla pudding, 3 egg yolks, 200g mascarpone, 200g low fat cream cheese, 1,5 scoop white chocolate protein powder and 200ml 36% cream. Looked very good, I like your recipe because it uses healthier ingredients and protein powder next to traditional ones. I don’t like when people swap every ingredient with healthy option because then it loses it taste texture and overall feeling… desserts should be enjoyed and eaten in moderation in my opinion 🙂
Hi Oliwia! Thank you for sharing your version, and I completely agree! I wanted to keep with the traditional flavor and texture of tiramisu but give it a little nutrition boost. 🙂
🙂