Homemade savoiardi, grandma’s foolproof recipe, perfect for a Tiramisù worthy of a chef! Making savoiardi at home is really very easy, you only need a few precautions to achieve an outstanding result and the outcome is very similar to that of homemade Sardinian savoiardi.
Savoiardi are traditional Italian pastry cookies and are also known as ladyfingers thanks to their elongated shape. They can be used for many desserts, such as Zuccotto with savoiardi and Nutella or Crostata beneventana, but certainly tiramisù, with its mascarpone cream for tiramisù, is the most famous and appreciated worldwide.
You may ask: why make savoiardi at home? It’s true that savoiardi are easy to find commercially, they taste good and are very inexpensive, but it’s equally true that homemade ones are a whole different thing, just like homemade sponge cake (Pan di Spagna)! Making a tiramisù with homemade savoiardi or a charlotte, or any other preparation that uses them as a base, means making a truly special dessert.
Savoiardi are soft, light and fragrant cookies that contain very little fat (only that in the egg yolks). They are perfect for an afternoon snack, great for dipping in milk and very useful in the kitchen for countless indulgent recipes. Their exterior is crumbly and slightly crisp, especially when just out of the oven, and the center is soft and sponge-like. They are crunchy and tasty and loved by both adults and children.
Today we’ll make homemade savoiardi without leavening, following the original recipe, and you’ll see you’ll like the result so much that when you have a few extra minutes to make a dessert, you’ll make them yourself rather than buying them!
Let’s go to the kitchen to discover how to make homemade savoiardi, but first remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 35 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (type 00)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed powdered sugar
- as needed granulated sugar
Tools
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Piping bag
- Parchment paper
Steps
To make savoiardi you must carefully follow a few precautions; otherwise the preparation is really simple. Start with eggs strictly at room temperature and separate the whites from the yolks.
Using a fork or a handheld whisk, beat the yolks together with half of the sugar until you obtain a light, aerated and frothy mixture.
Meanwhile, pour the egg whites into the bowl of the stand mixer and whip them to stiff peaks. Add the rest of the sugar and continue working until you obtain a firm, supported mixture, firmer than whipped cream. The whole process should take about 10 minutes and it is essential that the whites are well whipped; otherwise you won’t be able to shape the cookies.
After this step, add the yolks and gently incorporate them with a spatula.
Add the flour little by little, folding it in gently with the spatula and taking care not to deflate the mixture.
Finish by adding the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip with the mixture and pipe strips about 4 inches long onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them well apart. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and powdered sugar and bake in a convection oven at 356°F for 8 minutes, or in a conventional oven for about 10 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the oven and, once all are baked, place them again in the turned-off but still warm oven for 30 minutes.
The savoiardi are ready, perfect to be enjoyed immediately or to be used in your desserts.
Storage notes and tips
Let the cookies rest uncovered for a day, then you can store them in a tin biscuit box for about 1 week or a little longer.
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