Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)

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Ladyfingers (also known as “savoiardi” or “sponge fingers”) are simple sponge cookies that are often used to make Tiramisu! These versatile finger-shaped cookies are great for soaking up the flavors of whatever sweet treat you add them to. My recipe is simple, quick, and uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! Includes a how-to video!

Homemade Ladyfingers

I’ll be completely honest, ladyfingers aren’t my favorite cookies. In fact, they’re not even in my top 100… at least not for enjoying by themselves. These light, airy, delicate sponge cookies have their place in my kitchen, but usually only if they’re dipped in coffee and rum and buried beneath airy mascarpone cream. Maybe you’ve had them this way before? They’re a key ingredient for making Tiramisu!

Unfortunately, ladyfingers can be notoriously difficult to find in most grocery stores (or maybe that’s just the grocery stores near me?) so when I started developing my Tiramisu recipe (coming next week!) I knew I needed to provide a way for you to make your own ladyfingers. Besides, everything is better made from-scratch anyway.

Today I’m sharing my recipe for homemade ladyfingers or, “savoiardi”. They work perfectly in Tiramisu and while they may be plain, simple and not that great on their own (just sharing my honest opinion, if you’re looking for a good simple snacking cookie then try my meringues), they’re still definitely worth knowing how to make. Let’s get started.

What You Need for Homemade Ladyfingers

Ingredients for ladyfingers: flour, vanilla, cornstarch, granulated sugar, eggs, salt — Ingredients

This recipe uses basic ingredients you probably already have on hand:

Eggs. You’ll need six eggs total and you’ll need to divide the yolks and whites. For best results, use room-temperature eggs. You’ll get more volume when you whip them and this helps to keep the ladyfingers from going flat while baking.
Granulated Sugar. Most of the granulated sugar will go into the batter, but sprinkling a bit on top of the unbaked ladyfingers gives them a lightly sweetened and crunchy exterior.
Flour. I use and recommend all-purpose flour and have not tested any other type of flour with this recipe.
Cornstarch. Cornstarch adds structure to the batter and helps keep the savoiardi from spreading.
Salt & Vanilla extract. For flavor!

Room Temperature Eggs, FAST: Bring eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 15 minutes, then dry and use as indicated!

How to Make Ladyfinger Batter

There’s a bit of technique required to make perfect ladyfingers (anytime we’re working with egg whites things can get a bit fussy) but follow my steps and you won’t have any problem:

Whip your eggs and half of the granulated sugar to thick, glossy, stiff peaks. They’ll increase greatly in volume and be fluffy, opaque, and when you pull the beaters out of the mixture the peak that forms will stay tall and sturdy. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer for this step or you’re up for the most exhausting arm workout of your life.
Separately, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla, salt, until thickened and lightened in color. You can use the beaters you used from your egg whites to save a dish (but don’t ever whip the yolks first and try to use the same beaters for the egg whites or you’ll never get stiff peaks!).
Combine egg whites and yolk mixture and sift flour and cornstarch over the batter.
Use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients together (do not use your electric mixer at this point!).

Piping & Baking Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)

Collage showing how to pipe and bake ladyfinger batter: 1 uniform batter, 2) piping batter into strips, 3) sprinkling with sugar, 4) golden brown edges after baking

Be very gentle when folding ingredients together and stir until ladyfinger batter is completely combined, but don’t overdo it. It may not be completely smooth but it should be mostly uniform in color and texture.
Carefully add the batter to a pastry bag with a ½” piping tip and pipe into 4″ lines, leaving 2″ of space between sponge cookies.
Evenly sprinkle additional granulated sugar over the cookies.
Bake the ladyfingers for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store my ladyfingers?

Savoiardi are best enjoyed the day they are made (unless you’re using them for Tiramisu) but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. They also freeze well and may be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.

My ladyfingers are flat; where did I go wrong?

Most likely the egg whites were not whipped fully to stiff peaks or the batter was over-worked when the egg whites were combined. Once whipped to stiff peaks, egg whites are delicate and need to be handled as such. Over-mixing the batter will cause them to deflate, resulting in flat cookies.
Room temperature eggs will also yield much better volume when you whip them to stiff peaks, resulting in thicker, sturdier savoiardi, so always start with room temp eggs!

Why aren’t my egg whites reaching stiff peaks?

Egg whites can be finicky things, and even the weather can affect them. If even a small, teeny tiny bit of yolk was in with the egg whites or if even a tiny bit of grease or water was in the bowl, they may never whip to stiff peaks.

Can I cut this recipe in half?

Yes! This recipe divides in half very well, simply use half of each ingredient called for.

Can I use these for Tiramisu

Yes! For Tiramisu they should be stale, though, so make them a day or two in advance and let them sit uncovered on your counter before using. This recipe makes enough for a batch of Tiramisu that is served in a 9×13 pan.

What else can I do with Ladyfingers?

Some people enjoy them plain or dipped in whipped cream and served with fruit. They’re also quite good dipped in chocolate gravy.
Savoiardi are most often used in tiramisu, trifles, charlottes, or even sometimes icebox cakes.

More Recipes You Might Like

Enjoy, and stay tuned for my Tiramisu post coming early next week!!

Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!

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