Name: Ladyfinger Cookies for Tiramisu
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 3 large eggs (room temp); 1 egg white (room temp); 1/2 cup sugar (divided); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; 1 cup All-purpose flour (sifted); Pinch of salt; Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

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Make ladyfinger cookies for Tiramisu, a snack topped with powdered sugar, or dipped in chocolate. These are delicious, sweet, and easy to make!

pile of homemade ladyfinger cookies for tiramisu.

Mix it, Bake it, & Eat it!

How fun are these homemade cookies! I always seem to struggle when it's time to buy ladyfingers. I don't live in a very big city so the ONE grocery store we have in town does not carry something as fancy as Italian lady finger cookies. This delicious cookie recipe will be exactly what you need!

I could have them shipped, sure. But why do that when I'm pretty sure ALL of us have these ingredients at home. You'll be surprised how simple these are to make. Check out my Tiramisu recipe featuring these ladyfingers! This ladyfingers recipe makes 30 sponge cake-like cookies. I can't wait to hear how you liked these!

Gathering your ingredients

Egg yolks – Egg yolks should be at room temperature.

Egg white - Room temperature egg whites, if you're using a carton of egg whites take it out of the fridge with the whole eggs.

Sugar – White granulated sugar

Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract; imitation vanilla will also work.

All-purpose flour – As with most recipes that require flour, the best practice is to weigh it, as measuring with a cup/scoop doesn’t always result in the proper amount. If you do not have a kitchen scale, fluff up your flour, with a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup then level off with a butter knife.

Pinch of salt – Even though this is a dessert, a pinch of salt will enhance the flavors and balance the sweetness. Don’t skip it.

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional) – Also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar. Bring this ingredient out if you’re making these to eat just as Italian cookies.

*see recipe card for detailed measurements

Kitchen supplies you’ll need

Cookie sheet (at least 2)
Mixing bowls
Saucepan
Hand mixer, or Stand mixer
Whisk or Whisk attachments
Piping bag or Ziploc bag

How To Make Ladyfinger Cookies For Tiramisu

Preheat the oven to 375 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Adjust oven rack to the middle position if it isn't already there.

Separate your eggs, put the yolks into a large mixing bowl, and the egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; or a large separate bowl if using an electric mixer.

Whisk egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar with either a hand whisk or hand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until the color is pale and fluffy and the sugar dissolves. Add Vanilla extract to the egg yolk mixture, mix then set aside.

Using the stand mixer, whip the egg whites mixture on medium-high until fluffy. At this time add in the remaining sugar a little at a time while continuing to whisk. Once the sugar is added, continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.

egg whites mixed into the egg yolk mixture

Gently fold your whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture until they’re almost combined, they’ll look slightly streaky.

Sift the flour and salt over your mixture and continue to gently fold together until fully incorporated. Be careful not to knock too much air out. The texture should resemble a thick batter.

Fill a large piping bag with your Lady Finger batter. Use a tall glass to place either your pastry bag or ziplock bag straight for easy filling. Use a pastry bag fitted with a large round piping tip, or just cut the corner of a ziplock bag off.

Pipe 3-4 inch lines of finger-like shape batter on your parchment paper lined prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.

two cups, one with a ziploc bag, one with a piping bag to show different ways to pipe

Let the cookies bake, one sheet at a time, for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using the cookies for any other recipe. OR dust them with powdered sugar and eat them as cookies!

**To use for Tiramisu, allow the cooled cookies to sit in a container on your counter exposed to the air. After a day, they should have a slightly crisp exterior perfect for soaking up the instant coffee mixture.

How to pipe without piping bags:

As shown in the picture above, using a large ziplock or plastic bag works just as well as a large pastry bag for piping the sponge fingers. Having a piping tip isn’t necessary. Just stick the corner of the bag into a large cup or glass and fold the edges over. Use a rubber spatula to scoop and fill the bag. Use scissors to cut the corner off before piping.

Recipe FAQs

Are lady finger cookies soft?

After your homemade lady fingers have been baked, they're a delicious soft cookie. A chewy cake-like texture. Keep them sealed in a container for up to a week to maintain their softness.

For a Tiramisu, however, ladyfingers are meant to be used after they're hard. Leave them out in the room temperature overnight and they'll harden up quickly.

Are lady fingers supposed to be soggy in Tiramisu?

Supposed to be soggy? No. When making a Tiramisu, dipping the homemade ladyfingers into the coffee mixture is essential. But because a homemade ladyfingers recipe or even store-bought ladyfingers are sponge cookies they'll do just that. Its sponge like interior will soak up that coffee mixture quickly, so it's recommended to only dip them in for half a second to avoid making the lady fingers soggy.

Homemade ladyfingers should NOT be placed into a Tiramisu dish without drying out and becoming crunchy first. Adding newly baked cookies to that dessert will likely result in soggy sponge fingers.

Why are they called ladyfingers?

In the 17th century the cookie biscuit shape resembled a finger, hence the name "ladyfingers." They were a popular sweet treat among the upper classes and were often served with tea or used as a base for a dessert cuisine like tiramisu, charlotte, or trifle.

Expert Tips

Dust the homemade ladyfingers with powdered sugar and enjoy with a cup of coffee or afternoon tea.
Take these crunchy cookies over to our alcohol-free Tiramisu recipe.

Storing Suggestions

If using for Tiramisu, allow the ladyfinger cookies to sit out uncovered at least overnight to become stale and crunchy.

If eating just as cookies, store them at room temp in an airtight container, this will also keep them soft.

Can I freeze ladyfingers? Homemade ladyfingers can also be frozen for use at a later date. Let them cool then store them in an airtight container or Ziploc. If you need them to be crunchy cookies, let them sit out until they've hardened before freezing.

Try these other cookie recipes!