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Can’t find Vegan Ladyfingers in stores near you? Learn how easy it is to make homemade ladyfinger biscuits from scratch! Perfect for layering in our Homemade Vegan Tiramisu or dunking in a hot cup of coffee!
Table of Contents
The Origin of Ladyfingers
Ladyfingers, also known as savoiardi in Italian, are light, airy, sponge-like cookies shaped like elongated fingers. As their name suggests, savoiardi biscuits originated in the late 15th century in the region of Savoy. Ladyfingers were first created to honor a visit from the King of France and eventually became popular across Europe.
The biscuit cookies are most commonly used in staple Italian desserts, such as tiramisu, because ladyfinger’s light, airy texture is perfect for soaking up the flavors while also retaining their structure.
The original cookies are of course not vegan, often made with eggs and dairy. But just like our Italian Pizzelles and Vegan Cannoli, we are going to teach you how to make a vegan version that’s just as crisp, light and airy as the originals without any animal products at all! Now let’s get baking.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: You’ll need regular all-purpose flour for the lightest, airiest biscuit texture.
- Baking powder: Most traditional ladyfinger recipes do not contain baking soda because the whipped egg whites help the cookies rise. In this eggless, vegan recipe, we find it helps the cookies rise and be as light as possible.
- Aquafaba: Also known as the liquid from a can of chickpeas, aquafaba, or chickpea brine, is used as a vegan egg replacer in vegan baking. In this recipe, the aquafaba is whipped into stiff peaks.
- Cream of tartar: Helps to stabilize the aquafaba and encourage it to whip into stiff peaks.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens these cookies without changing their light classic color. To ensure your cookies are vegan, opt for organic sugar. We love the brand Wholesome.
- Oil: Vegetable oil adds moisture and richness while keeping the flavor light and neutral.
- Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract adds additional warmth, depth of flavor, and subtle sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as icing sugar in some countries, this sugar is used to sprinkle on top for a final touch! If you only have granulated sugar on hand, you can pulse it in a blender to make Powdered Sugar from Scratch.
Equipment Needed
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowls (2)
- Whisk
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment
- Spatula
- Large piping bag
How to Make Vegan Ladyfingers
- Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until combined and set aside.
- Whip the aquafaba into stiff peaks. Add the aquafaba and cream of tartar to a separate large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the aquafaba until it reaches soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the sugar while continuing to mix until the mixture is very glossy and reaches stiff peaks, another 2-4 minutes.
- Stream in the oil and vanilla extract. Continue beating the whipped aquafaba mixture while slowly streaming in the oil and vanilla extract until just combined.
- Fold the aquafaba into the dry ingredients. Add the aquafaba mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to carefully fold the ingredients together until just combined, trying to retain as much air as possible.
- Pipe into 4″ logs. Transfer the ladyfinger batter to a piping bag. Pipe into 4″ logs directly onto your parchment-lined baking sheets. Generously dust with powdered sugar.
- Bake until lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden. If you are baking in batches, wait to dust the ladyfinger cookies with powdered sugar until right before baking.
- Cool and serve. Allow the ladyfingers to cool completely on a cooling rack before enjoying or using them to make Italian desserts.
Serving Suggestions
We love to use these vegan ladyfingers to make our Vegan Tiramisu recipe, but they are also fantastic in a layered trifle or an icebox cake!
Or, simply enjoy them with a cup of coffee or tea for dipping!
Recipe FAQs
We have not tested this recipe using gluten-free flour and cannot confirm it will work. If you’d like to experiment with it, we’d recommend using a cup for cup gluten-free flour. If you have good results, please leave a comment down below to share your experience.
Leftover cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, but are best enjoyed within 24 hours of baking. If you’d like to store them longer, we recommend freezing for up to 2 months.
Note that freezing will make them slightly more moist and once thawed, are best used in recipes like our Tiramisu.
Whipping aquafaba into stiff peaks can be tricky if the environment is not just right. Adding cream of tartar should increase your chances of success, so make sure you don’t skip it! Additionally, make sure your beaters and mixing bowl are both clean and dry before starting.
With the added cream of tartar, our aquafaba whipped into stiff peaks in about 7 minutes total. It is not uncommon for this to take up to 10 minutes, so if yours is taking longer do not worry. Keep going!
More Vegan Cookie Recipes YOu May Enjoy:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Homemade Vegan Ladyfingers Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Can’t find Vegan Ladyfingers in stores near you? Learn how easy it is to make homemade ladyfinger biscuits from scratch! Perfect for layering in our Homemade Vegan Tiramisu or dunking in a hot cup of coffee!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup aquafaba
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, for dusting
Equipment
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowls (2)
- Whisk
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment
- Spatula
- Large piping bag
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until combined and set aside.
- Whip the aquafaba into stiff peaks. Add the aquafaba and cream of tartar to a separate large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the aquafaba until it reaches soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the sugar while continuing to mix until the mixture is very glossy and reaches stiff peaks, another 2-4 minutes.
- Stream in the oil and vanilla extract. Continue beating the whipped aquafaba mixture while slowly streaming in the oil and vanilla extract until just combined.
- Fold the aquafaba into the dry ingredients. Add the aquafaba mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to carefully fold the ingredients together until just combined, trying to retain as much air as possible.
- Pipe into 4″ logs. Transfer the ladyfinger batter to a piping bag. Pipe into 4″ logs directly onto your parchment-lined baking sheets. Generously dust with powdered sugar.
- Bake until lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden. If you are baking in batches, wait to dust the ladyfinger cookies with powdered sugar until right before baking.
- Cool and serve. Allow the ladyfingers to cool completely on a cooling rack before enjoying or using them to make Italian desserts. If using for our tiramisu, it’s best to store in an airtight container and use the next day.
Notes
- Storage: Leftover cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, but are best enjoyed within 24 hours of baking.
- Freezing: If you’d like to store them longer, we recommend freezing for up to 2 months. Note that freezing will make them slightly more moist. Once thawed, they are best used in recipes like our Tiramisu.
- If baking in multiple batches, only dust the piped ladyfingers with powdered sugar just before placing in the oven.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
