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A holiday tradition, homemade Almond Biscotti is the classic Italian twice-baked cookie, a simple treat dunked in your morning coffee! They're surprisingly easy to make, crisp and light with almond flour, almonds and almond extract, and make a perfect gift!
- The Holiday Season! - Every December I make at least 2 or 3 batches of Almond Flour Biscotti, put them in pretty jars with ribbon and give them as gifts, often along with a jar of Homemade Granola. Everyone loves them and requests them every year, a delicious Christmas tradition!
- Easier than you Think! - Homemade biscotti can seem intimidating, but I've simplified this recipe to be made in one bowl, with no special equipment. Just mix up the batter, bake it in two loaves, slice the cookies and bake again. Chocolate dipping is optional, but an indulgent finish!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Homemade Almond Biscotti get their crisp texture and flavor from almond flour and crunchy almonds. Plus a few simple ingredients you likely have in the pantry!
- Eggs - Start by whisking the eggs vigorously, this incorporates air into the batter making the biscotti light and crisp. You'll pull out a little of the egg for an egg wash, no need to waste a whole extra egg!
- Sugar - The sweetener for the biscotti is just regular sugar, I used an organic cane sugar which is why it's not pure white.
- Almond Extract and Vanilla Extract - These are the big flavor boosters, almond extract is really what gives these almond biscotti their delicious taste!
- Butter - Melt the butter, but let it cool slightly before adding.
- Almonds - This is where you have some options that will greatly affect the appearance of the biscotti. I used slice almonds, which are great because they are easy, no chopping, and when you slice the cookies, the knife easily slices right through keeping the cookies intact without crumbling. The alternative, using whole raw almonds and giving them a rough chop, has its pros and cons. You will be able to see beautiful big pieces of the almonds running through the cookies, a big pro! But, they are also a little tougher to slice through. The knife can catch an almond chunk and crumble the cookie. Slivered almonds would be somewhere in between. Any option will taste great, the difference will be in the appearance.
- Almond Flour - These almond flour biscotti replace a lot of the regular flour with almond flour for more flavor and better texture.
- Flour - Some regular flour is still needed for the perfect bake.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Classic Almond Biscotti is a lot of steps since it's twice-baked, but it's really pretty simple! The prep is minimal, just time in and out of the oven!
Step 1 - Whisk the eggs vigorously for 1 minute, set a timer!
Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the whisked egg in a small bowl for the egg wash.
Step 2 - Add the sugar, baking powder, salt, almond extract, vanilla extract, and melted butter.
Whisk again for 1 minute.
Step 3 - Fold in the almonds, almond flour and flour and mix until combined.
Step 4 - The batter will be very thick and sticky.
Step 5 - Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Divide the dough in half and set it in 2 piles on the pan.
Step 6 - Use a butter knife to pull and shape the dough into 2 rectangular loaves measuring about 3x8 inches each.
Brush the tops and sides with the egg wash.
Step 7 - You can use the butter knife or a rubber spatula to smooth out the loaves even more, getting them as rectangular as possible.
Step 8 - Bake at 325℉ for 30 to 35 minutes until they look set and baked through.
Allow to cool on the pan for 30 minutes!
Step 9 - Once the loaves are slightly cooled, you can remove them to a cutting board and slice.
Use a serrated bread knife at a slight diagonal using a gentle sawing motion, and slice into ¾ inch cookies.
Step 10 - Return the cookies to the parchment paper and bake for the second time.
Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each cookie over (carefully use your hands!) and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
Step 11 - They're done! You can eat them as is, or choose to dip the tips in melted white or dark chocolate.
Recipe Notes and Helpful Tips
- Important - What Almonds to Choose - This choice makes a big variation in the way the biscotti looks, and there are pros and cons to each option. I used slice almonds, which are easy (no chopping), and are easily sliced into cookies without the knife hitting an almond chunk and breaking the cookie. The downside is you don't get those big pretty almond pieces that let you know they're there! If you want to use whole raw almonds to get those big visual pieces, just give them a rough chop with your knife before adding to the batter. Then when you slice the biscotti loaf into the cookies, use a serrated knife and gently saw back and forth to get through the chunks of nuts. Slivered almonds will be somewhere in between. Use raw, plain nuts, nothing that has be roasted, salted or flavored.
- Whisking a Lot! - You really want to beat the eggs, and then really whisk the sugar and other ingredients into the eggs for a fluffy, pale yellow consistency. This is important for tender biscotti. Biscotti should be crispy when baked, but shouldn't be rock hard or break a tooth!
- Parchment Paper - Made sure to use parchment paper so our loaves will easily come off the pan. I've never tried it without, but I wouldn't risk it!
- Handling and Shaping the Dough - The dough is sticky and a little tough to handle. You can flour your hands, but really the best is to plop the 2 divided dough blobs onto the sheet pan and shape it with a butter knife. If the top is sticky and craggy, that's ok, it will smooth out with the egg wash. Then another smooth over with the butter knife or a spatula.
- Slicing - Take great care when slicing your biscotti with a serrated bread knife. Depending on the almonds you use (see reasons above), this isn't difficult, but you'll want to make them as even and uniform as you can. Use a sawing motion, not a chopping motion.
- Storage and Gift Giving - Store biscotti in jars or airtight containers at room temperature for up to a month. Biscotti make great Christmas gifts, in jars with a label and ribbon. Pair a jar of homemade biscotti with a bag of coffee beans or a jar of Homemade Granola.
Recipe FAQs
When making a big batch of biscotti, I like to dip some of them in chocolate and leave some plain since some people like the extra sweetness and some don't. You don't need to melt very much chocolate to dip a few of the tips. Use about ¼ to ⅓ cup of white or dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Usually the package has melting instructions, but they can be carefully microwaved for 30 seconds and then in 15 second intervals after that, stirring in between each.
These almond biscotti are delicious dipped in coffee or tea. The kids love them dipped in hot chocolate or milk.
If you forget to pull out the 2 Tablespoons of egg wash, no big deal. Your biscotti dough may be a little extra sticky and you can sprinkle with a bit of flour. Then just beat an additional egg for the egg wash, you won't need the whole egg.
More Holiday Favorites!
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Almond Biscotti
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 3 eggs (divided)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup almonds (see notes)
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1½ cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉.
- Add the 3 eggs to a large bowl and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Using a measuring spoon, remove 2 Tablespoons of the whisked eggs to a small bowl and reserve for the egg wash.
- Add the sugar, baking soda, salt, almond extract, vanilla extract and melted butter to the eggs and whisk again for 1 minute.
- Add the almonds, almond flour, and flour and fold in with a spatula until a sticky dough forms.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough in half in the bowl and scoop each to the parchment paper. Shape into 2 rectangular flat loaves, about 3 x 8 inches each. Use a butter knife to shape the dough, it will be sticky.
- Brush the dough logs with the egg wash, the tops and sides. Use the butter knife or a spatula to smooth the tops and sides.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until just baked through. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the loaves to a cutting board. Use a serrated bread knife to slice into ¾ inch cookies at a slight diagonal, using a gentle sawing motion.
- Add the slices back to the parchment paper cut side up. Bake 15 minutes, flip the slices, then bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crisp and golden.
- Optional - Dip the ends into melted white or regular chocolate.
Notes
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- Almonds - You can use Sliced Almonds or Whole Almonds and roughly chop them. This is a big variation in the way the biscotti looks, and there are pro's and con's to each. I used slice almonds, which are easy, and the baked loaves are easily sliced into cookies without the knife hitting an almond chunk and breaking the cookie. Whole raw almonds, just chopped a little, will give you those big beautiful pieces in the finished cookie. But, be careful when you slice the biscotti loaf into the cookies, use a serrated knife and gently saw back and forth to get through the chunks of nuts. Slivered almonds will be somewhere in between. Use raw, plain nuts, nothing roasted, salted or flavored.
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- Whisking is Important - Really beat the eggs, and then really whisk the sugar and other ingredients into the eggs for a fluffy, pale yellow consistency. This is important for tender biscotti.
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- Handling and Shaping the Dough - The dough is sticky and a little tough to handle. You can flour your hands, but really the best is to plop the 2 divided dough blobs onto the sheet pan and shape it with a butter knife. The sticky, craggy top will smooth out with the egg wash.
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- Slicing - Take great care when slicing your biscotti with a serrated bread knife into even, uniform cookies. Use a gentle sawing motion, not a chopping motion that will smash the cookies.
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- Storage and Gift Giving - Store biscotti in jars or airtight containers at room temperature for up to a month. Great for gift giving paired with a bag of coffee beans or a jar of Homemade Granola!
Lisa says
These were very good. I followed the directions exactly as written and sent some home with my daughters for Christmas. I will be making more soon. So good dipped in my afternoon tea. I didn’t bother with dipping them in chocolate, though perhaps next batch.
Meryl Downing says
So happy to hear you liked them Lisa! They are perfect with afternoon tea!