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These light & crunchy easy vegan ladyfingers (vegan savoiardi) are made in less than 30 minutes and are easily gluten free! Perfect for vegan tiramisù and more!
I’ve been on a mission to veganize all of my Italian great-grandpa’s recipes, including his tiramisu (the first recipe I veganized!), Pane di Pasqua, cannoli, risotto, gnocchi, and more.
So, I wanted to go more in depth on how to make the most perfectveganladyfingers that my Italian grandmother (his daughter!) fully approves of!
Table of contents
- Why you’ll love these vegan ladyfingers:
- What are ladyfingers or savoiardi cookies?
- Overview: How to make ladyfingers without eggs:
- Tips for success:
- What can I use ladyfingers for?
- Are these ladyfingers coconut-free?
- How to store leftover ladyfingers:
Why you’ll love these vegan ladyfingers:
If you’re looking for the most identical vegan version of ladyfingers for your vegan tiramisù recipe, then you’ve come to the right place!
In fact, they’re my go-to recipe for my top-rated vegan tiramisu recipe,andthis banana pudding tiramisu as well.
When paired with the easy vegan mascarpone cream, your jaw is going to drop. Like how is that vegan?!
This vegan ladyfingers recipe is it.Everything that you love about classic ladyfingers: the crisp and crunchy exterior, and the soft, sweet vanilla interiors, baked in an oblong shape- but entirelyeggless, dairy-free, and vegan.
And yes, you can even make them gluten free too!
But how is this recipe different than others on the web?
- These cookies are actually crisp:We’re baking our ladyfingers at quite a high temperature so that the outer shell gets crunchy, but the interior stays soft.
- You don’t need a mold:In fact, you probably already have all the equipment you need in your kitchen! We’re piping the ladyfinger batter instead of baking it in a mold to make this recipe SUPER approachable. And the best part? The cookies hold their shape in the oven and don’t spread!
- These ladyfingers aren’t overly sweet, but still lovely:They’re just perfectly sweetened with true cane sugar, but don’t taste just of sugar. I think the biggest complaint in vegan baking is that there’s a lack of flavor, and these cookies are anything but that. The vanilla and almond notes come through so beautifully that these vegan ladyfingers are a real treat to eat on their own.
- You can soak them in espresso, and they don’t go mushy!Of course, they’ll soften quite nicely once soaked in espresso, but they won’t dissolve. The perfect cookie for any vegan tiramisu recipe.
- We’re using simple ingredients:Everything that we need you probably have in your cupboard and fridge. So let’s get started!
What are ladyfingers or savoiardi cookies?
Ladyfingers, orsavoiardiin Italian, are an Italian shortbread biscuit typically used in the classic Italian dessert, tiramisù. They get their name from the fact that they’re long and thin- like a “lady finger”!
You might see them also calledboudoirs,the French form. They’re essentially a crisp and crunchy sweet vanilla cookie. But somehow also soft, like a sponge cake, on the inside. It’s quite delicious!
Ladyfingers are lovely with a cup of coffee, but also used as a component for desserts!
Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Flour:We’re using all-purpose flour, or plain flour in some countries. This doesn’t contain any learners, as we’re adding those in ourselves. You can also use a gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I specifically recommend King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten-free flour. It’s lovely!!
- Aquafaba:Otherwise known aschickpea brine(the liquid from your can of chickpeas), this ingredient, unfortunately, has no substitutes. Because of the nature of aquafaba, which acts like egg whites (my favorite vegan egg white substitute in baking!), there are no current substitutes that will mimic this.
- Cream of tartar:This will help to stabilize the aquafaba enough to create volume and air in it- basically a meringue! Don’t worry- cream of tartar is actually vegan. It’s abyproduct of the wine making process.
- Sugar:I like to use a high quality vegan sugar, such as Florida Crystals. Personally, they’re preferred, because the granules are so finely milled, which will integrate much more easily into our meringue. I have NOT tried this recipe refined sugar free.
Dairy free yogurt:You can use cashew milk yogurt, soy milkyogurt, almond milk yogurt, etc. Any that you prefer! - Avocado oil:Or another neutral oil. Coconut oil will leave a bit of a coconut flavor in your vegan ladyfingers(yes, even 2 tablespoons), but it will also work! I sometimes also use melted vegan butter. Either works!
- Baking powder & Baking soda:To help our ladyfingers rise in the oven.
Cornstarch:This creates a soft texture once you bite into your crisp ladyfinger. I personally love it! If you can’t do corn, though, you can swap in arrowroot starch. - Vanilla extract:I also like to add in a touch of almond extract for more flavor.
Overview: How to make ladyfingers without eggs:
The full recipe measurements are found down below in the recipe card. However, we’re going to go over the brief steps here!
Tips for success:
- Sift the flour:I know the temptation to just dump flour in. You’ll thank me later for slowly incorporating the flour into two increments! This helps to prevent any clumping in the vegan ladyfingers for a smooth batter, and prevents over mixing.
- A stand mixer is easier:But this can be done with a hand mixer! Aquafaba just takes a bit of work to cream and fluff into a meringue using a hand mixer- about 6-8 minutes sometimes.
- For a crunchier cookie:Bake them for 3 minutes longer in the oven. Don’t worry, they won’t over bake! About 12 minutes will give you the consistency of what a store bought ladyfinger feels and tastes like. But I think the extra baking time gives a bit more crunch that’s super satisfying!
What can I use ladyfingers for?
Aside from our favorite Italian pick-me-up dessert? Here are a few other of my favorite ways to enjoy ladyfingers:
- Dipped in coffee:Or espresso, or your favorite latter! In the fall and winter months, it’s really good in this pumpkin spice latte and gingerbread latte.
- As a border around a cake:This vanilla chiffon cake would be lovely with it!
- Layered in mousse:If you want to jazz up your favorite chocolate mousse or peanut butter mousse recipe, assemble them as you would tiramisu! With a layer of ladyfingers! An extra dusting of cocoa powder is a good idea too 🙂
- As the cake layer in trifle:Replace the vanilla cake with torn up ladyfingers in this vegan mixed berry trifle!
- Stirred into homemade vegan ice cream!Especially this chocolate ice cream!
Are these ladyfingers coconut-free?
You betcha. There’s no need for any coconut milk nor coconut cream in this recipe.
I try to be aware of lots of allergies while crafting these vegan recipes. So I’m excited to say that these vegan ladyfingers are soy free if needed, nut free if needed, and coconut free if needed. The only ingredient that would determine this is the dairy free yogurt that you use.
And of course, seeing as these are eggless ladyfingers, you’re safe from any egg allergies as well!
How to store leftover ladyfingers:
The best part about ladyfingers is that they’re actually best for use in a tiramisu when used a day or two old. The reason being is that they dry out enough for the espresso to be soaked up!
To store vegan ladyfingers if you’re using in the next few days:Let the baked ladyfingers cool down on a cooling rack before placing into an airtight container or baggy. You can keep them at room temperature or in the fridge.
To store vegan ladyfingers for longer:These ladyfingers are great stored the same way as above and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Perfectly Crisp Easy Vegan Ladyfingers Recipe – No Mold Needed!
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 3 reviews
- Author: Britt Berlin
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 28 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These light & crunchy easy vegan ladyfingers (vegan savoiardi) are made in less than 30 minutes and are easily gluten free! Perfect for vegan tiramisu and more!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour or sifted gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (if doing gluten-free, add in 1 tsp arrowroot powder)
- 2 tbsp (20 g) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) aquafaba*
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) dairy free yogurt or unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or a neutral oil
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 390F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Measure out the ingredients for the ladyfingers.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
- Make the meringue base:In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk together the aquafaba and cream of tartar on high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Then add in 1 tablespoon at a time of the sugar, continuing to mix on medium speed, until you finish the entire 3/4 cup (150g). Then turn the speed up to high and continuing whisking for 5-7 minutes, until you reach stiff peaks (aquafaba takes longer to reach stiff peaks than egg whites).
- Finish the wet ingredients:Add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, oil, and dairy free yogurt. Mix just until incorporated (the mixture won’t be stiff peaks anymore- that’s okay!). Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
- Sift in the dry ingredients:Place a sieve over the bowl, and add about 1/2 of the flour mixture to the sieve. Sift in the mixture, and gently fold again, being careful not to over mix. Once JUST incorporated, add in the remaining half of the flour mixture to the sieve and sift again. Fold JUST until the flour is incorporated (it will be super thick- don’t worry! It will still be pipe-able).
- Pipe the ladyfingers:Fill a piping bag with round nozzle, and pipe 3-4″ long lady fingers onto your baking sheet, separating them by about 1″. You should yield about 28 4″ lady fingers, or 36 3″ lady fingers. Dust with 1/4 cup powdered sugar before baking.
- Bake:Place the baking tray into the oven to bake for 12 minutes. They’ll be lightly golden. For crispier cookies, bake for another 2 minutes. Ten remove from the oven and set aside. Set the ladyfingers aside to cool completely. They’re even better if used the following day.
- Use in vegan tiramisu or enjoy as is!See the blog post for tips on how to store. You can use them for tiramisu or just enjoy dipped in coffee.
Notes
Gluten free:I’ve tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten free flour- it’s AMAZING, and I highly recommend!
