Gluten-Free Ladyfingers

black coffee in a clear mug, on a white saucer with a ladyfinger on it

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These light, airy gluten-free ladyfingers are a versatile, mildly sweet treat that brings the classic flavor of traditional ladyfingers to gluten-sensitive dessert lovers.

Prep Time15

Cook Time27

Total Time42

Course: Baking

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: gluten-free ladyfingers

Servings: servings

Author: Julia Elizabeth

Equipment

2 baking sheet
1 hand or stand mixer
1 piping bag

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour with xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
½ cup and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (163°C) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together your flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside for later.
Separate your egg yolks from the whites and place in separate medium-sized bowls.
Mix your egg whites with a hand or stand mixer until it reaches soft peaks, then slowly add in half of your sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks are achieved. Set aside.
To your yolks, add your vanilla and the other half of the sugar and beat with a hand or stand mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale in color and tripled in volume, about 4-5 minutes.
Carefully fold in ⅓ of the egg whites into your yolk mixture by creating swooping motions from the bottom of the bowl to the top, being careful not to overmix and lose all the volume you worked hard to create. Once incorporated, add the remaining egg whites and fold until it’s almost all mixed in.
Add in your flour mixture and carefully fold everything together, using the same swooping motion, just until there are no lumps.
Once your batter is ready, pour it into a piping bag fitted with a ½ inch round piping tip. You can also use a gallon freezer bag and cut the corner off to about the same size.
To your baking sheets lined with parchment, pipe your ladyfingers in neat rows, about 3-4 inches long, making sure to leave about 1-2 inches of space in between the cookies so that they don’t touch as they rise.
Use a sieve or sifter to lightly dust the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar.
Place both of the trays in the preheated oven and bake together for 15 minutes. Once done, drop the temperature to 300°F (150°C) for an additional 12 minutes. This step helps the cookies to dry out, creating a crispy cookie texture.
Remove the trays from the oven and allow the cookies to rest until completely cool before enjoying.

Notes

I use a piping bag to achieve the desired “finger-like” biscuit shape. You can also use a freezer bag.
I learned the hard way that over-mixing can result in dense cookies. Over-mixing will result in your whipped egg whites losing volume. It's important to stop mixing as soon as the mixtures are folded together..
You’ll hear the terms soft and stiff peaks often in baking relating to whipped egg whites. Soft peaks refer to the peaks formed that will be soft and droop down. Stiff peaks refer to the peaks when they stand straight up without drooping.
If you want a softer cookie for snacking, you can easily make them softer and more cake-like by baking them for only 5 minutes at 300°F instead of 12. Additionally, if you want them less sweet, you can leave off the sugar dusting—the cookies themselves are only mildly sweet.
Once your cookies have cooled completely, store them on the counter in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.
The only downside with freezing is that the cookies tend to lose their crisp texture, but if the convenience is worth it, you can freeze them in an airtight bag or container for up to 6 months. If using for tiramisu, allow them to thaw and come to room temperature before using.

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