This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Yummy, crunchy Biscotti are perfect for breakfast, light desserts or snacking anytime. Almond extract and nuts mingle with dried cranberries in my easy recipe.
Serve them with your favorite gourmet coffee, tea, or holiday eggnog, for a comforting cookie that’s just sweet enough to satisfy your cookie craving.
What is Biscotti?
Biscotti are an Italian dipping cookie. Twice baked, they have a pleasant, not-too-sweet stiffness which makes them perfect for dunking in hot beverages without falling apart.
The dough is shaped into a loaf, baked and then sliced into long oblong pieces and baked again. Biscotti can be made in as many flavors as there are extracts and spices. Some of the best and most popular flavors are chocolate, anise, and my personal favorite, almond.
How to Make Biscotti
It’s so easy to make biscotti from scratch that you may never buy them again. The process is very similar to making cookie dough:
- Cream butter, sugar and eggs together, then mix in dry ingredients in increments.
- Shape into loaf and bake.
- Remove and slice, then bake again.
Serve them plain, drizzle with a sugar glaze, or dip them in chocolate.
Delicious Add-Ins
This recipe can accommodate so many variations and add-ins, such as:
- Nuts & Seeds: walnuts, sliced or chopped almonds
- Fruits: raisins, citron or any dried fruit, orange or lemon zest
- Candy: chocolate chips, crushed toffee
- Extracts: vanilla, lemon, or orange
- Spices: Pumpkin or apple pie spice
Dip or Dunk
Biscotti are the perfect shape for not only dipping and dunking! They are excellent with cappuccino, espresso, hot chocolate or any hot or cold beverage.
Biscotti are also a terrific way to garnish a bowl of ice cream, or a custard parfait.
How to Store Biscotti
Biscotti are dry enough and have enough sugar that they hold up incredibly well to storage. Keep them in your cookie jar or in a paper bag in your pantry, where they’ll keep for up to four days.
Store tightly covered in the fridge or freezer. They will keep frozen up to six months. Be sure they are completely cool before covering and storing to prevent them softening. You can restore their crisp by popping them in the oven for a few minutes, and then cooling.
Biscotti are always popular and make a welcome sight next to any cup of coffee!
Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter unsalted
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a pan with parchment paper.
- With a mixer on medium, combine butter, sugar, baking powder and salt, until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add in flour a little at a time until incorporated. Fold in almonds and cranberries.
- Divide dough in half and form each half into a 10"x2" rectangle. Place on a parchment lined pan.
- Bake 25 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool 10-15 minutes. Slice on an angle into 1" slices and lay flat on the baking sheet.
- Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and cool completely on wire racks.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Great recipe. I have a biscotti pan so I used that and baked for 32 minutes. Came out perfect. Let cool, cut and rebake. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you loved it!
Hello can you freeze the logs and bake them at a later date?
I have never tried freezing them before cooking but after they have been cooked they freeze great for up to 6 months in an airtight container. I would love to hear how they turn out for you if you freeze them before baking!
Love them! Have made them over and over!
I like to try different recipes for the same thing to compare. This one was ok. Too soft/crumbly for my liking as I like biscotti crunchy hard, but the recipe was easy and they taste great. If you like the more American version try these.
Why is the baking powder and salt mixed in with the butter and sugar in step 2 and not with flour first?
Hi Beth, we found that was what worked best for this recipe. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Delicious!
My dough is extremely sticky. Is that how it’s supposed to be? I was unable to even handle it to shape into two. I feel like there wasn’t enough flour?
It should not be that sticky, I can’t say for sure what went wrong but you might like to add more flour.
Great recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Could you add pistachios instead of slivered almonds?
Yes, that would work just fine!
Love these, making them in double batches for sharing!
You forgot to mention the salt in the directions….ugh!
Sorry for the confusion, the salt is added with the dry ingredients in step 2.