Almond Biscotti

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Almond biscotti is a crisp, lightly sweet cookie that goes perfectly with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. Learn how easy it is to make biscotti at home!

While I enjoy chocolate chip cookies and extra-special salted caramel cashew cookies, most of the time what I crave is simple, lightly sweet cookies like shortbread or spritz cookies.

Biscotti is excellent to make in an afternoon or evening. While the long bake can make it seem like a tedious task, biscotti is actually rather easy.

In fact, you probably already have everything you need on hand. If you keep almonds and almond extract in your pantry, you’re on your way to making this easy almond biscotti.

What is biscotti?

You might be familiar with biscotti from your favorite coffee shop. Biscotti are crunchy, crumbly cookies that are baked into logs.

They often do not contain butter in order to keep them crisp. After all, biscotti are for dipping into your coffee or tea!

Biscotti simply means “biscuits” in Italian, and of course a biscuit in Europe is a cookie in American English. Whatever you call them, these crunchy treats are the perfect thing for enjoying with your favorite cup.

Ingredients for almond biscotti

Ready to get baking? Grab your ingredients:

• Eggs
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Almond extract
• Slivered almonds

You’ll notice that biscotti dough does not contain butter. It gets its richness from the eggs, and the lack of butter helps make sure the biscotti is crisp.

Almond flavoring is not the same as almond extract, though they are very similar. If you want true almond flavor, use the extract! Keep in mind that it is stronger, so add more or less extract as you like.

I use slivered almonds in this recipe. Slivered almonds are not to be confused with sliced almonds — although you can use those too! — and are thick “sticks” rather than thin slices. You can also use chopped almonds, making sure the pieces aren’t too large.

How to make biscotti

To make the biscotti, preheat the oven to 300°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. The lower temperature will ensure the cookies cook fully on the inside without burning the outsides.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until airy. You’ll notice bubbles as it will be foamy. Add in the almond extract.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, stir it into the egg mixture until fully incorporated. A silicon spatula is ideal for mixing the dough here.

Fold in the almonds until they are evenly dispersed. The dough will be wet and sticky and not like a standard cookie dough. Avoid the temptation to add more flour, unless you dough is very runny.

Scoop half the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and pat into a flat rectangle. Repeat with the remaining dough and baking sheet.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for an even bake. They will be lightly browned and firm to the touch but not hard.

Let cool for a few minutes, then slice each log along the short end, creating approximate 1-inch thick slices. Using a serrated knife will make this easier with cleaner cuts.

Place the biscotti cut-side up on the baking sheets and return to the oven.

Bake again for 20-30 minutes, flipping the cookies halfway through, until they are crisp and golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack to crisp further before storing.

Shaping biscotti

If you’ve never made almond biscotti before, you might be surprised by how it is shaped.

Unlike rolled cookies or drop cookies, biscotti is first baked as a large rectangular oval.

Then, you cut the oval into slices and bake the slices for a second time. This is what creates their trademark shape and crunchy texture.

Biscotti can be long or short, depending on your preferences.

If you like longer biscotti, shape the dough into a wider oval. For short biscotti, use a thinner oval. Shorter biscotti might need less time in the oven during the second bake, so keep an eye on it.

Variations for almond biscotti

There are so many ways to flavor biscotti. If you don’t like almonds, you can use this base biscotti recipe to riff on by incorporating your favorite ingredients!

Add festive pomegranate arils to make pomegranate biscotti with a chocolate drizzle. You can also try dried fruits, like cranberries, blueberries, or chopped apricots or cherries.

Love chocolate? Add in chocolate chips! For biscotti I prefer to use mini chocolate chips, but you can buy the standard kind, or even a chocolate bar, and chop into smaller pieces.

Or, use your favorite melted chocolate to create a drizzle or dipped ends. You can even dip an entire cut edge!

Try adding your favorite baking spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and cloves all are delicious. If you are using a stronger spice, use only ¼ to ½ teaspoon.

This recipe calls for almond extract. You can swap in vanilla extract, orange extract, or even try rosewater for a floral flavor.

Nearly anything goes, so try this almond biscotti recipe first and use it as your jumping off point.

Storage tips

Almond biscotti are excellent for storing long term, as they are meant to be crispy!

Keep the cookies in an airtight container. I like to store my biscotti a metal canister or a glass jar with lined lid, but a plastic zip top bag will also work.

FAQ

Why does this recipe bake for so long?

These biscotti cook at a lower temperature for a longer period of time to give you a cookie that is crisp but not too hard to eat. 

While it might be hard to wait the extra time, I promise the result is worth it!

How long do biscotti last?

Stored in an airtight container, homemade biscotti will keep for up to 2 weeks! 

This makes it an excellent option for holiday gifting, or just a snack to keep around for tea time.

Can I freeze biscotti?

Absolutely! Baked biscotti can be frozen for up to 3 months.

To freeze, make sure the biscotti have cooled completely. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

Then, transfer the frozen biscotti to an airtight container or a plastic freezer bag.

To thaw, remove the biscotti you need from the bag and let come to room temperature before enjoying. If they are no longer crisp, you can bake them again in a low (250°F) oven.

If you’ve ever been curious about those little cookies at the coffee shop, try this almond biscotti recipe! You might find it’s your new favorite cookie.