The BEST Gluten-Free Ladyfingers Recipe | Gluten-Free Palate (2024)

By Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On August 17, 2023

Craving a delicious gluten-free treat? Then you need to make these Gluten-Free Ladyfingers. A simple-to-make cookie perfect for dipping into your favorite hot beverage or using in your favorite desserts. These gluten-free ladyfingers turn out wonderfully crisp outside yet slightly soft in the middle, making the best combination. They're guaranteed to impress.

Gluten-Free Ladyfingers are incredibly versatile and can be used in various delightful desserts. The best use is to make Gluten-Free Tiramisu, a classic Italian dessert. You can also enjoy them for afternoon tea or as a light snack with your mid-morning coffee. Try these Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers, Best Gluten-Free Sponge Cake, and Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies for more recipe ideas.

Gluten-Free Ladyfingers Recipe

If you've ever tried to find gluten-free ladyfingers in a store, you might know it can be difficult.

While some companies are making gluten-free ladyfingers, I find that they are a seasonal item, often only available around the holidays and often only in specialty grocery stores.They can be very expensive as well.

It's easy to make gluten-free ladyfingers, which taste much better.

You need a crisp, airy ladyfinger for making tiramisu or trifles, and this recipe will give you exactly what you need without the stress of searching for ingredients.I originally thought ladyfingers would be complicated, but I was pleasantly surprised that they were simple.

You can bake these as soft cookies or bake them longer for a crisp, Italian-style "savoiardi" ladyfinger. Just a handful of pantry ingredients and some eggs are needed to make these amazing gluten-free ladyfingers.

NOTE: If you don't want to make your own, you can find a couple of premade options on Amazon, but they won't be quite as delicious:

• Schar Certified Gluten-Free Ladyfingers
• Matilde Vicenzi Gluten-Free Lady Fingers

Why You’re Going to Love These Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

Simple ingredients - These homemade ladyfingers are made with simple pantry staples you likely already have.

Delicious homemade taste - They taste much better than store-bought options and have a fresh, airy texture perfect for dunking and soaking up flavors.

Versatile and easy to make - Whether you're using them to create a decadent tiramisu or enjoying them on their own, these gluten-free ladyfingers are incredibly versatile and easy to make, requiring just a few steps.

Ingredients in Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

Eggs - Separate three eggs so the yolks and whites are in separate bowls. Each has its purpose in this recipe, but they go in at different times. The leavening agent in this gluten-free ladyfingers recipe is the air incorporated into the batter by whipping the egg whites, so no baking powder is required. The whipped egg whites provide the necessary lift and structure to the ladyfingers, resulting in their light and airy texture.

Granulated Sugar - This is our sweetener and gives crispness and texture to the ladyfingers.

Vanilla Extract - This is our main flavor, so use a high-quality vanilla extract for the best results.

Gluten-Free Flour Blend - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. This flour contains rice flour in its blend.

Xanthan Gum - You only need to add this if your flour blend doesn't include any. Bob's flour mentioned above has Xanthan gum, so I didn't need to add more.

Cornstarch - Adds to the airy texture of these cookies and helps the dough stay together.

Salt - Just a pinch brings out the vanilla's sweetness and flavor.

Powdered Sugar - Dusting the tops of the ladyfingers with powdered sugar adds a bit more sweetness and makes them so pretty.

No baking powder is used in this recipe.

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Equipment Needed for This Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

Prepared Baking Sheet - You'll need a baking sheet to place the piped ladyfinger batter for baking.

Pastry Bag with Large Round Tip or Ziplock Bag - A pastry bag with a large round tip or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off can be used to pipe the ladyfinger batter onto the baking sheets.

Wire Rack - A wire rack is essential for cooling the baked ladyfingers and maintaining their crispness.

Sifter - A sifter will come in handy for sifting the dry ingredients over the egg mixture, ensuring a smooth and well-incorporated batter.

Mixing Bowls - You'll need separate bowls for whisking the egg yolks, whipping the egg whites, and combining the dry ingredients.

Whisk or Electric Mixer - Whisk or use an electric mixer to beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and pale and to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Spatula -A spatula will be useful for folding the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and gently incorporating the dry ingredients.

If you have any questions about making Gluten-Free Ladyfingers, please leave a comment, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

How to Make Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

1. Add half of the sugar and the egg yolks to a large bowl. Whisk together until it reaches a light pale yellow color; this will take a few minutes.
2. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Then, add the remaining sugar, whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form.
4. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
5. Combine the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), and cornstarch. Sift over the egg mixture and carefully fold the flour mixture into the eggs until combined.
6. Pipe the batter onto prepared baking sheets using a pastry bag with a large round tip or with the tip cut off. Create cookies that are about 3 inches in length and 1 inch wide, making sure to leave space between each ladyfinger.
7. Dust the tops with powdered sugar, then bake as directed in the recipe card below.
8. Remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheets immediately and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. Please see the recipe below for the complete ingredient list and instructions.

TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE LADYFINGERS

I have a few tips to ensure your ladyfingers always come out perfectly.

Whip the egg whites fully to stiff peaks - The cookies won't rise in the oven if the eggs aren't whipped enough. To check if your egg whites are whipped enough, dunk a spatula or the electric beaters in the egg white mixture and pull out. The peaks should stand up straight. If they fold over a little bit, that means you need to keep whipping the egg whites a little longer.

Fold carefully - It's important to carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to keep as much air as possible. Sometimes it gets hard to work with too much-whipped egg mixture simultaneously, so doing it gradually is better. Fold in about ⅓ of the egg whites at a time. This way, you have better control.

These ladyfingers turn out crispy outside and slightly soft in the middle. I like this texture for dunking in coffee and recipes like my Gluten-Free Tiramisu. You will want them to be crispy enough to hold up to being soaked in espresso.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Can I Use Gluten-Free Ladyfingers For, Besides Tiramisu?

Ladyfingers are best known for being included in Tiramisu recipes, like my Gluten-Free Tiramisu, where they play very nicely with espresso and mascarpone whipped cream to create a decadent dessert.

These cookies are beautifully served on their own and go best with a hot drink, such as Gluten-Free Hot Cocoa or a hot cup of coffee. I would love to serve these and some Nutella Fudge and Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies on a holiday cookie tray.

Here are a few other yummy ideas to use your GF ladyfingers:

• Instead of vanilla cake in the gluten-free trifle
• To line the edge of the gluten-free cheesecake, standing vertically
• To line the edge of a no-bake chocolate pudding pie
• To make a Charlotte cake, soak the gluten-free ladyfingers in the sweet liquid and line the bottom and sides of a pan with them

GF Ladyfingers Ingredients Substitutions

Eggless Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

Vegan gluten-free ladyfingers are possible, but only with a recipe that was specifically created to make them without eggs. It would probably need to be made with whipped aquafaba instead of egg whites. Keep in mind that egg yolks are harder to replace.

Sugar-Free Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

You can replace the sugar from the recipe with a Swerve brand confectioners' sweetener. Although it's called a "confectioners" sweetener, it's actually an alternative to powdered sugar.

Can I use coconut flour to make ladyfingers?

No. Coconut flour doesn't behave like other flours. It absorbs its weight many times in moisture, and that's why it only works in recipes designed specifically for it.

Can I Freeze Gluten-Free Ladyfingers?

Yes. However, they will lose their original fresh texture once you freeze them. I recommend that you only freeze your gluten-free ladyfingers if you're going to use them as a part of another dessert.

How to Store Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

You can store GF ladyfingers by storing them in a sealed glass container. But if you are making them for tiramisu or in another recipe where they will absorb a sweet liquid, their texture will be refreshed, so don't worry if they get a bit stale.

WHAT ARE LADYFINGERS?

Ladyfingers are an Italian sponge cake-style cookie dating back all the way to the 1300s. Called Savoiardi in Italian, they were named after the House of Savory, which was the last monarch family in Italy.

Are ladyfingers supposed to be soft?

This gluten-free ladyfingers recipe makes ladyfingers crunchy on the outside and slightly soft inside when they are very fresh. They will harden as they sit, or you can bake them just a bit longer to make them crispy all the way through.

Are ladyfingers gluten-free, naturally?

No. Ladyfingers are originally made with an all-purpose flour base. To make gluten-free ladyfingers, you must follow a gluten-free recipe like this!

Can I substitute sugar with granulated erythritol in this recipe?

Did you make these Gluten-Free Ladyfingers? Please leave a comment below, letting me know what you think.