Description
These Vegan Ladyfingers, also known as Savoiardi Cookies, are light, airy, and perfect for vegan desserts like tiramisu. Made without eggs or dairy using aquafaba and vegan yogurt, these cookies have a delicate texture and subtle sweetness. They bake up crisp on the outside and soft in the center, with a classic ladyfinger shape that can be piped by hand or formed in silicone molds. Easy to make and ideal for vegan baking projects.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 120 g aquafaba (see note 1)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (or lemon juice or vinegar)
- 45 g vegan Greek-style yogurt (or coconut cream/vegan sour cream)
- 40 ml olive oil (or sunflower oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sugars
- 115 g granulated or caster sugar (superfine sugar) (separated into ⅓ cup / 70g and ¼ cup / 45g)
- 50 g powdered sugar (icing sugar)
Dry Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour (sifted)
- 30 g cornstarch (sifted, see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (sifted)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheets: Preheat the oven to fan 180°C (356°F) or conventional 200°C (392°F). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease them with oil spray for easy cookie removal.
- Whisk aquafaba: In a large, clean, dry bowl, add aquafaba and cream of tartar. Whisk on high speed for 5 minutes until soft peaks form.
- Add sugar to aquafaba: Gradually add â…“ cup (70g) sugar slowly into the aquafaba while whisking continuously. Continue whisking for 3 minutes more until stiff peaks form.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup (45g) sugar, vegan yogurt, olive oil, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Fold aquafaba mixture: Carefully fold the whipped aquafaba into the wet ingredients in 3-4 additions to combine gently without deflating.
- Combine dry ingredients: Sift and mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together.
- Fold dry ingredients: Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet aquafaba mixture in 2-3 additions, taking care not to over-mix.
- Pipe the cookies: Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip or snip the bag’s corner. Pipe 3.5-inch long, 1-inch wide ladyfinger shapes onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch space between them. Dust generously with powdered sugar.
- Alternative mold method: Lightly grease silicone ladyfinger molds and dust with powdered sugar. Pipe batter halfway into molds and dust again with sugar before baking.
- Bake: Bake piped cookies on trays for 12-13 minutes until edges brown lightly. Bake in silicone molds for 14-15 minutes until cooked through.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. For molds, cool completely before removal.
- Store: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days; cookies may soften after a few days. Freeze in sealed containers up to 1 month.
Notes
- Note 1: Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas and works as an excellent egg white substitute.
- Note 2: Sifting the cornstarch ensures smooth, light cookies.
- Using a silicone mold gives a slightly softer texture than baking on trays.
- For best results, measure ingredients by weight as suggested.
- Cookies can be used in vegan tiramisu and other layering desserts.
