Ready for dunking into your coffee or creating a homemade tiramisu, Gluten Free Ladyfingers are a simple to make cookie that you'll want to make often.

These ladyfingers are as good as, if not better than, anything you can buy in the store. They are fresh, airy, and the perfect texture for dunking and soaking up flavors. 

The obvious best use for gluten free ladyfingers is to make Gluten Free Tiramisu. They are also a welcome treat for an afternoon tea, or just a light snack with your mid-morning coffee.

GLUTEN FREE LADYFINGERS RECIPE

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

While there are some companies 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 very easy to make your own gluten free ladyfingers, and they 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 that ladyfingers were going to be complicated to make, 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.

They are also excellent served with Java Chip Ice Cream.

INGREDIENTS IN GLUTEN FREE LADYFINGERS

Eggs - Separate three eggs so that they yolks and whites are in separate bowls. Each has it's purpose in this recipe, but they go in at different times. 

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

Vanilla Extract - Since this is our main flavor, use a high quality vanilla extract for best results. 

Gluten Free Flour Blend - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. 

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

Cornstarch - This adds to the airy texture of these cookies, and helps the dough to stay together. 

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

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

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE LADYFINGERS

1. In a large bowl, add half of the sugar and the egg yolks. 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 gradually add in 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 together. Sift over the egg mixture and carefully fold the flour mixture into the eggs until combined.
6. Using a pastry bag with a large round tip, or with the tip cut off, pipe the batter onto prepared baking sheets. 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 to a wire rack to cool. 

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.

TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE GLUTEN FREE LADYFINGERS

I have a few tips to make sure that your ladyfingers come out perfectly, every single time. 

• These ladyfingers turn out crispy on the outside and slightly soft in the middle. I like this texture both for dunking in coffee and for recipes like my Gluten Free Tiramisu. You will want them to be crispy enough to hold up to being soaked in espresso. 
• Whip the egg whites fully to stiff peaks. If the eggs aren't whipped enough the cookies won't rise in the oven. To check to see 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 in order to keep as much air in the mixture as possible. Sometimes it gets hard to work with too much whipped egg mixture at one time, so doing it gradually is better. Fold in about ⅓ of the egg whites at a time. This way you have better control. 

WHAT ARE LADYFINGERS?

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

ARE LADYFINGERS SOFT OR CRUNCHY? 

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

WHAT CAN I USE LADYFINGERS FOR? 

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

They can also be used in trifle style desserts, in place of the usual sponge cake. These cookies are beautiful served on their own as well, and go best with a hot drink such as Gluten Free Hot Cocoa or a nice hot cup of coffee.

I would love to serve these along with some Nutella Fudge and Gluten Free Snowball Cookies on a holiday cookie tray too. 

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