Homemade Italian Ladyfinger Recipe (Savoiardi)
Updated Feb 27, 2025, Published Mar 31, 2022
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The best Homemade Italian Ladyfinger Recipe (Savoiardi)! This is an authentic recipe from my hometown of Sardinia. These spongy, airy, light, and slightly crunchy cookies are a true Italian classic!
I grew up eating these Italian Ladyfinger cookies in Italy, which are one of my absolute favorites! I know you will love these classic Italian homemade cookies. Incredibly easy to make and eat :).
More Italian cookie recipes: Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies Recipe, Italian Wedding Cookies (Anginetti), Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies Recipe, Italian Pignoli Cookies Recipe (pine nut), Soft Amaretti Cookies, Italian Fig Cookies Recipe (Cucidati), Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies Recipe, and italian biscotti.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This was inspired by my classic Tiramisu Recipe, and pairs well with this amazing Authentic Thick Italian Hot Chocolate, Homemade Chocolate Syrup (hot or cold), or a hot cup of coffee.
Enjoy these delicious Italian cookies for breakfast, with an afternoon cup of tea, or for dessert with a little ice cream!
A couple more Italian cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings- Heart Thumbprint Cookies Recipe with Jam and Italian Butter Cookies.
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
Homemade Italian ladyfingers require a few basic ingredients you most likely already have at home!
- All-purpose flour
- Large eggs (separated)
- Granulated sugar
- Potato starch (can use corn starch)
- Vanilla extract
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Powdered sugar (icing sugar) for dusting
See the recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Ladyfingers
Homemade sponge finger cookies. The sponge interior of the cookies and the crisp exterior make this lady-finger recipe delightful! Simple and easy preparation.
Photos 1-3. Start by separating the egg yolk from the egg whites.
Place the egg whites and half of the sugar in a stand mixer (or hand mixer) with a whisk attachment. Start at medium speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually increase to high speed. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Photos 4-7. Mix the egg yolks, vanilla, and remaining sugar until combined.
Add egg yolk mixture to the egg whites, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Do not overmix.
Photos 8-11.
Sift in the dry ingredients, flour mixture, to the egg mixture and incorporate well. Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Make sure to also do it gently, especially when sifting the flour to the mixture.
Photos 12-14. Then, spoon the sponge cake batter to a piping bag or pastry bag with a wide tip.
Pipe the batter onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I use a standard cookie sheet.
Squeeze out 4″/8 cm strips onto the baking tray, and keep them a few inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes until well-risen and golden.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooking rack. Mangia! (eat!)
Hint: don’t worry about making the shapes perfect on your first try. You can make the “fingers” as fat or slim as you like!
Top Tips
Let these tips help you achieve the best results!
- Weigh your flour and sugar. With precise measurements, you will achieve a better overall result and won’t risk getting dry cookies.
- Clean bowl. Any grease or leftover soap will interfere with the whites whipping properly.
- Do not over-mix the batter. Make sure to gently fold the egg yolks into the egg whites and the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. This will make the cookies nice and airy.
- Don’t open the oven! This will make the cookies collapse.
FAQ’s
Ladyfingers are best fresh- eaten the same day. If you have any leftovers you can store homemade ladyfingers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You may also freeze the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature before eating or using them in a Tiramisu recipe.
Homemade ladyfingers are softer than the store-bought variety. The homemade variety remains soft and sponge-like. The store-bought variety are crunchy and hard in texture. Since the homemade variety is more delicate they get firm if left uncovered.
Stale ladyfingers should be used instead of fresh ones. This is because the fresh ones tend to become soggy when they absorb the liquids in the tiramisu. If you use homemade Itaian ladyfingers for tiramisu do not soak them as long in the liquid.
Italian Ladyfingers Cookies or Savoiardi are traditional Italian biscuits. Savoiardi cookies are the classic biscuits used for tiramisu recipes.
They are called “ladyfingers” for their long skinny shape that resembles the fingers of a lady (this is a very generalized statement). They are sometimes called sponge fingers.
They are a little bit like American angel food cake. More Italian cookie recipes: Authentic Italian Wedding Cookies (Anginetti), Soft Italian Amaretti Cookies (Sardinian Recipe), and Italian Classic Almond Biscotti Recipe (Cantucci).
Variations
This recipe is classic and simple. It is perfect for making tiramisu! If you want to change up the taste try these variations.
- Extracts – add almond, lemon, orange, or anise extracts to the batter
- Flavors – add a little lemon zest or orange zest to the batter
- Toppings – add a drizzle of melted chocolate after baking. Add sliced almonds before baking and create added texture.
Try this Heavenly Angel Food Cake (Strawberries and Cream) on my website!
Gluten-Free
If you would like to make this recipe gluten-free simply replace the flour with this gluten-free flour variety.
Recommended Baking Tools
I love these durable baking sheets and these simple piping bags.
After the cookies cool- transfer them to an airtight or tin container. If not used immediately they’ll harden in the air.
Storage Instructions
Stored in an airtight container these Savoiardi cookies will keep for about 2-3 days at room temperature.
These Homemade Savoiardi Biscuits are a true taste of Italy in a classic cookie! They are a little crisp to bite in and soft and airy inside.
If you make and love this recipe don’t forget to come back and leave a STAR rating and review. I love to connect with all of you!
Ladyfingers Recipe
Ingredients
- 120 grams sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 110 grams all purpose flour
- 40 grams potato flour, or corn starch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Start by separating the egg yolk from the egg whites. Place the egg whites and half of the sugar in a stand mixer (or hand mixer) with a whisk attachment. Start on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually increase to high speed. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Mix the egg yolks, vanilla, and remaining sugar until combined. Add egg yolk mixture to the egg whites, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Sift in the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and incorporate well. Careful not to over mix the batter.
- Then, spoon the sponge cake batter to a piping bag or pastry bag with a wide tip. Pipe the batter onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I use a standard cookie sheet.
- Squeeze out 4″/8 cm strips onto the baking tray, keep them a few inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes until well risen and golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooking rack. Mangia! (eat!)
Notes
- Weigh your flour and sugar. With precise measurements, you will achieve a better overall result and won’t risk getting dry cookies.
- Clean bowl. Any grease or leftover soap will interfere with the whites whipping properly.
- Do not over-mix the batter. Make sure to gently fold the egg yolks into the egg whites and the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. This will make the cookies nice and airy.
- Don’t open the oven! This will make the cookies collapse.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love all your recipes and follow you religiously. Ive made your carrot cake, pignoli cookies, angenettis, pistachio cookies, chocolate crinkles, lemon crinkles, biscotti, lemon biscotti, easter bread, and pistachio crema—all insanely delish.
This bake however was a killer. Others say this is awesome, and I believe it but this is just my experience. I made two different batches and they both failed. Wanted to make tiramisu but it all went to hell. 🙂
They came out sticky. The first time i dont think i made them fat enough. Some burned at 12 minutes. Then i tried a new batch which were thicker for 12 minutes; they didnt burn but they were also sticky. I baked them again super fast to dry them out. Seemed to work so I left the house came back and they were sticky yet again.
Elena, please help. What could have happened?
Hi Lee! I am thrilled you love all the recipes. This one is also tried and true! Although, I didn’t see your process my guess is that the egg whites weren’t whipped enough, or they were whipped too much into a stiff meringue. I would also watch them closely in your oven as oven temperatures vary greatly per oven type and age, etc. If your oven runs hot, etc. I would start looking at them with the light on in the oven at 8 minutes. I hope this helps as this is a wonderful recipe.
Let me know! Elena.
Above it reads to use stale lady fingers for Tiramisu. Do you leave them out (to harden) or wait until the next day to use them (or both)?
If you are using these homemade ladyfingers for tiramisu it is best if you let them harden a bit. The store-bought ones are already hard. You can leave them out on the counter until the next day and use them! Enjoy.
This is an excellent recipe!!!!!!! Easy to follow. Came out incredibly well.. light, soft in the middle, and not overly sweet. I rebaked them for a few minutes to make them more like a crunchy cookie.. either way awesome!!!!!!! I had to stop myself from eating the entire batch!!!!!Thank you Elena!
Happy you loved them! An Italian classic!
Great recipe! Used them it in a tiramisu cheesecake I made at work for a special! Def will be using again anytime I make tiramisu!
Love the idea of a tiramisu cheesecake! Happy you loved the recipe.
I finally had a chance to make this and love it!!! It is so light and very tasty. Not so sweet and has just the right amount of sugar.
My daughter kept eating it. It was a good thing she didn’t eat before I used them for Tiramisu! It would not have been enough left if she ate before I made Tiramisu!
Happy you loved the recipe they are a favorite from my childhood!
Can I add Amaretto Disaronno to the batter? If so, how much? I can’t use almond extract because of a nut allergy & the amaretto is nut-free. Thanks!
I haven’t tested it with that, so I am not sure of the exact amount! You can use it and it will taste great. You can also use vanilla extract.
I can’t believe hardly anyone has commented on this recipe! I made these today and they were perfection! I’m planning to make your tiramisu tomorrow – can’t wait! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
They really are the best savoiardi recipe! I hope you love the tiramisu as well. It is a family favorite.
This is a recipe loved by the entire family! We love these cookies in our tiramisu, eat them plain, or dip them in a warm drink! Must make recipe!