Forget about trying to find gluten free ladyfingers in the stores. We can make our own and they’re so easy you won’t believe it!
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Y’all, for years I’ve been slowly craving tiramisu more and more. I kinda put it in the back of my mind, though. For one, I rarely see the only gluten free ladyfingers I’ve known about (Schar brand {affiliate link}) and they are outrageously expensive. But I think the main reason I haven’t made tiramisu is because I thought making my own gluten free ladyfingers was gonna be a challenge.
I was wrong. These were one of the easiest cookies I’ve ever made. But better yet, the day after I made them and tasted them for the first time, I instantly wanted to make them again. They were so good that I didn’t want to save them to make tiramisu. I really just wanted to dunk them in some coffee or tea. So I made another batch.
What are Ladyfingers?
Ladyfingers are sponge “cookies” that are in the shape of a long finger. In Italy, they are called Savoiardi and are very crisp. They’re usually used in desserts where they’re soaked in a liquid because they are literally like sponges.
I used to see packages of ladyfingers in grocery stores and they were super soft. I’m not particularly fond of those. I like the Italian version because they’re crisp and can be dunked in coffee or tea on their own. But what I want to use them mostly for is to make tiramisu, or even a trifle or charlotte. These gluten free ladyfingers are just like that. They get crisp and are the perfect thing for soaking up anything!
How to Make Homemade Gluten Free Ladyfingers
The process is so simple, I’ll walk you through it:
- Whisk together egg yolks, half the sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined.
- In another bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the rest of the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold a large spoonful of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Then fold the rest of the egg whites through.
- Sift the flour and salt over the egg mixture and gently fold that in.
- Fill a pastry bag with the batter and pipe 3-4 inch strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with a mixture of granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until set and lightly golden brown.
What Can I Use My Ladyfingers For?
Tiramisu is of course the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of ladyfingers, and a post for that will be coming very soon (yay!). But there are other ways to use ladyfingers than just tiramisu:
- Dunked in coffee or tea–they’re so satisfyingly perfect for dunking in a hot beverage.
- Charlotte–a charlotte is just another type of layered dessert that is lined with sponge cake or ladyfingers, and is then filled with a cream, custard, fruit, or all of the above. Here’s a lemon charlotte I’ve wanted to try.
- Trifle–a trifle is usually served in a trifle bowl, which is made of glass so the layers can be seen along the sides. The ladyfingers will either line the sides vertically or are stacked in layers horizontally, or both. This traditional English trifle looks amazing!
- Crumbs for a pie crust or cheesecake crust–replace any cookie crumb with ladyfingers crumbs in a pie crust or cheesecake crust. My gluten free white chocolate raspberry cheesecake originally used ladyfingers as the base, but at the time I couldn’t find them gluten free. Now I can remake my favorite cheesecake with these ladyfingers!
You’ll find these from scratch gluten free ladyfingers to be super tasty and so easy to make!
Easy Homemade Gluten Free Ladyfingers
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, plus 1 egg white, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140 g) Kim's gluten free flour blend (or a store bought blend containing xanthan gum)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ cup (32 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Separate the eggs whites and yolks into two bowls. Whisk together the yolks, along with ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and vanilla extract, until smooth, thick, and a little lighter in color.
- Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy and soft peaks form. Slowly add ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar while whipping constantly. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold a large spoonful of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to loosen it slightly. Then fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture carefully.
- Put a sieve over the bowl and sift the flour and salt into the eggs. Gently fold the flour in until no more lumps of flour are visible.
- Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip (or a gallon ziptop bag with one corner cut off) and pipe 3½-4 inch long fingers onto 2-3 parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Mix together the final ½ cup sugar plus the powdered sugar together and sift over the cookies. Some of the mixture will get in between the cookies on the baking sheet, which is fine.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 14-15 minutes, or until slightly risen, somewhat cracked and firm to the touch. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies are slightly soft when first baked, but become crispy as they sit. To use in a recipe, leave them set at room temperature overnight or up to a few days.
Adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking’s The Easiest Homemade Ladyfingers
These came out delicious and were quite easy to make. I’m not a super experienced baker, so I assumed that they would even out in shape in the oven–they did not lol! Pipe them exactly as you want them to look. Also, I made another batch in preparation for the Tiramasu recipe and left off the sugar coating since they’ll be covered in cream, coffee, and amaretto already. If you’re eating them standalone do NOT leave off the sugar! I really missed it when I ate one just to make sure they were cooked. But if you follow the recipe, you can’t go wrong!
These came out great! I’m from South Africa and used a GF flour blend and extra xantham gum, as the flour didn’t contain any gum. I’ll definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you!