Egg White Ladyfinger Cookies Recipe
Make airy ladyfinger cookies at home with egg whites, sugar and flour; perfect for tiramisu or snacking.
Biscuits à la cuillère, commonly known as ladyfingers, are light sponge biscuits formed by piping an airy batter of whipped egg whites, yolks, sugar, and a small amount of flour onto a baking tray, then baking briefly until just set and delicately golden. A final dusting of icing sugar creates their signature thin, crisp crust, while the interior remains tender and absorbent—ideal for soaking up creams or syrups. Enjoyed on their own with coffee or tea, these biscuits are also an essential base for layered desserts such as charlottes, tiramisu, and trifles, making them a versatile staple in both everyday snacking and festive pastry preparations.
Egg White Ladyfinger Cookies Recipe
Forget the boxed kind—homemade ladyfingers rely on just three everyday ingredients and can be mixed, piped, and baked in under half an hour. The result is a preservative-free batch that freezes well, so you’ll always have a quick upgrade on hand for impromptu desserts or coffee breaks.
Prep Time
25 minutes
25 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
12 minutes
Total Time
37 minutes
37 minutes
Ingredients
Egg whites, 6 large
- Granulated (caster) sugar, 80 g ≈ ⅓ cup
- All-purpose flour, 60 g ≈ ½ cup minus 1 Tbsp
- Cornstarch, 20 g ≈ 2 Tbsp
- Vanilla sugar, 1 packet ≈ 7.5 g (or vanilla extract, 1 tsp)
- Salt, 1 small pinch
- Icing/confectioners’ sugar, 2–3 Tbsp for first dusting (plus a second light dusting after piping, optional)
- Finely grated lemon zest, ½ tsp (optional flavour boost)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 °C
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Lightly butter the parchment paper
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks
- Beat the egg yolks with half of the granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and thick
- Whip the egg whites to soft peaks with a pinch of salt
- Add the remaining granulated sugar to the whipped whites
- Continue whipping until the whites are stiff and glossy
- Gently fold the beaten yolks into the stiff whites with a spatula
- Sift the flour over the batter
- Fold the flour in gently until no streaks remain
- Fit a piping bag with a plain 1 cm tip
- Fill the piping bag with the batter
- Pipe 8 cm long fingers onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each one
- Dust the piped fingers generously with icing sugar
- Let the fingers rest for 5 minutes to form a light crust
- Dust the fingers a second time with icing sugar
- Place the baking sheet in the oven
- Bake until the cookies are puffed and lightly golden, about 8 to 12 minutes
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven
- Slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire rack
- Allow the ladyfingers to cool completely
- Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container
Nutrition
Calories
810 kcal Protein
28 g Fat
1 g Carbs
173 g Fiber
2 g Sugar
109 g
810 kcal Protein
28 g Fat
1 g Carbs
173 g Fiber
2 g Sugar
109 g
Notes
Whip the whites at room temperature for maximum lift, then double-dust the piped fingers with icing sugar—once immediately and again after 30 seconds—to guarantee that signature crackly crust. Pipe in one confident motion, holding the bag at 45° to avoid ridges that can burn. Any extras freeze beautifully; pop them straight from the freezer into a 160 °C oven for 3 minutes to restore full crunch.
why this recipe
This ladyfinger cookies recipe is worth trying because it distills classic French pâtisserie technique into a handful of approachable steps, yielding delicately crisp exteriors that give way to feather-light, melt-in-the-mouth centers. By relying on simple pantry staples—fresh eggs, fine sugar, and a whisper of vanilla—the method showcases the magic of properly aerated batter, rewarding you with biscuits that taste gloriously fresh rather than overly sweet or factory-made. A quick dusting of powdered sugar before baking caramelizes into a subtle, crackly sheen, making each cookie as beautiful as it is flavorful. Whether you plan to layer them into a tiramisu, serve them alongside coffee, or simply enjoy them straight from the cooling rack, the irresistible texture and aroma of these homemade ladyfingers will remind you why certain traditions remain timeless.
FAQs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my homemade ladyfingers turn out flat instead of airy, and how can I fix this?
Flat ladyfingers usually mean the batter lost its air: either the egg whites weren’t whipped to stiff, glossy peaks or they were deflated when you folded in the yolks/flour or let the batter sit too long before baking. Next time, whip room-temperature whites until they hold firm peaks, fold with slow, broad strokes just until blended, pipe immediately, and slide the tray into a fully pre-heated 180 °C oven so the trapped air can expand before the structure sets.
How should I store homemade ladyfingers and how long will they stay fresh and crisp?
Once the ladyfingers are completely cool, layer them between sheets of parchment in an airtight tin or zip-top container and keep them at cool, dry room temperature; they’ll remain pleasantly crisp for about 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a sealed bag for up to 2 months and refresh straight from frozen in a 160 °C oven for 3 minutes to restore full crunch.
Can I make these ladyfingers gluten-free, and which flour substitute gives the best rise?
Yes—simply swap the 60 g of all-purpose flour for the same weight of a finely milled, starch-forward 1:1 gluten-free baking blend (rice flour + potato or tapioca starch, usually with a touch of xanthan gum). That mix behaves closest to wheat flour in terms of structure, so the whipped-egg batter stays lofty and bakes up just as airy. Pure nut flours or straight rice flour alone tend to deflate and produce denser fingers.