Almond Biscotti is a crunchy cookie of Italian descent loved throughout the world. It is traditionally enjoyed in the U.S. with a steaming hot cup of coffee, making this delicious treat the perfect Christmastime food gift for any caffeinated connoisseur!
If ever you've found this elongated cookie stale or lacking in flavor, rest assured, this is not that kind of biscotti. This Almond Biscotti Recipe is worthy of your time, and it comes with a great big crunch and even bigger flavor.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR ALMOND BISCOTTI
- All-Purpose Flour - Use only all-purpose flour for this Almond Biscotti Recipe. Not whole wheat, not cake, and definitely not self-rising. Only all-purpose will do!
- Baking Powder - Be sure not to confuse baking powder with baking soda. They are not the same ingredient.
- Fine Sea Salt - Different types of salt have different grades of sharpness. For a subtle salty vibe, it's best to stick with sea salt for baking.
- Unsalted Butter - This ingredient is so important. Only use unsalted butter for this recipe. If you use salted butter, your biscotti will be overwhelmingly salty.
- Large Eggs - Be sure to set your eggs out ahead of time so they are at room temperature before you begin baking.
- Granulated Sugar - Just good ol' fashioned granulated sugar. That's all you need!
- Almond and Vanilla Extract - Although more expensive, pure extracts are ions better at adding flavor than their imitation counterparts. If you can swing it, go with both pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract.
- Raw Almonds - Your almonds will get nice and toasty as they bake in the oven, making budget-friendly raw almonds perfect for this Almond Biscotti Recipe!
HOW TO MAKE ALMOND BISCOTTI
Making a batch of almond biscotti for the first time is much less complicated when you know what you're getting into. Be sure to read over the directions so you have an idea what's coming next.
- Mix dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix eggs and sugar until thickened, and add melted butter and extracts.
- Add dry ingredients to wet, and then add the almonds.
- Divide dough in half and form two logs on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 24 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Cut cookies and return to oven for 18 minutes at reduced temperature -- 300°.
- Biscotti will continue to harden as it cools.
MORE ALMOND COOKIES TO TRY:
BISCOTTI Q&A
WHY IS MY BISCOTTI DOUGH SO STICKY?
Biscotti dough is sticky by nature, but if you add melted butter to the mix while it is still warm, you'll really have a sticky situation on your hands. For a dough that's easier to work with, don't start the baking process until the butter has cooled.
Also, remember to dampen your hands before working with the dough. This makes molding and shaping Almond Biscotti much, much easier.
WHY IS MY BISCOTTI SOFT?
If your biscotti is soft after cooling, it is likely because it has not baked long enough. Remember, biscotti bakes twice. With its first stint in the oven, it is baking at a higher temperature, then, the biscotti is removed, cut into cookies, and returned to the oven to continue baking at a lower temperature. This is when the biscotti should crisp up and harder.
Note, biscotti will continue to harden as it cools.
HOW DO YOU CUT ALMOND BISCOTTI WITHOUT BREAKING IT?
Use a sharp bread knife and a slow sawing back and forth motion when you cut Biscotti Cookies to ensure they stay intact.
HOW THICK SHOULD BISCOTTI BE?
Biscotti Cookies should be about 1" thick.
HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE BISCOTTI LAST?
Keep Homemade Biscotti for up to 4 weeks in a sealed, airtight container away from direct sunlight. If you'd like to keep your biscotti for longer than this, consider freezing it!
HOW TO FREEZE ALMOND BISCOTTI
If you are planning on dishing Almond Biscotti out this Christmas, note that this cookie freezes beautifully, meaning you can make it well before the Christmas crazy begins, and pull it out just before you intend to pass it along.
To freeze Almond Biscotti, place it in a freezer-safe, airtight storage container (without too much wiggle room -- air equals freezer burn) or a freezer-safe, ziptop bag, seal, and freeze for up to 4 months without losing any quality or freshness!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST ALMOND BISCOTTI:
- It is important that the eggs and sugar have noticeably thickened before you stream in the butter.
- The melted butter should not be hot when added to the egg and sugar mixture. If you do not let it cool, the dough will not hold its shape well and you'll find it difficult to work with.
- Use damp hands when shaping the biscotti dough on the baking mats.
- Having a kitchen ruler on hand will be very handy for this recipe.
- Don't forget to lower the oven temperature when the cookies go for their second go-round in the oven.
- Know the cookies will harden a bit more during the cooling process.
5 MORE NUTTY DESSERT RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE!
- Fudgy Walnut Brownies are the perfect fudgy brownie! Bite-sized, with a quick-fix topping consisting of melted chocolate and chopped walnuts. The best chocolate treat for snacking, potluck parties, and giving as gifts!
- Mexican Wedding Cookies with Pecans are a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie rolled in powdered sugar. Famously popular come Christmastime!
- Maple Glazed Sugar Cookies with Pecans feature a sweet and soft sugar cookie studded with pecans and drizzled with a maple glaze.
- Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies are sprinkled with chopped peanuts and make for one decadent snack! Best of all, they are the all-time, ultimate homemade gift for the peanut butter lover!
- Cowboy Cookies are an addictively yummy chocolate chip cookie with a perfectly moist, thick and chewy center, loaded with extras like coconut, pecans, and old-fashioned oats!
Almond Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (do NOT use salted butter)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups raw whole almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and have ready a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside until ready to use. Melt butter and set aside to cool.
- In the meantime, combine eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix on medium-high speed, until the mixture is noticeably thicker and pale yellow in color, 3-4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and drizzle in cooled butter with the mixer running. Add in both the almond and vanilla extract, and mix once more. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Stir in the almonds.
- Divide the dough in half and scoop each half on the baking sheet with ample room (with at least 3-4 inches) between them. Dough will be wet and sticky. Using damp hands, form each dough mound into a rectangle about 3 ½” wide x 81/2” long x ¾” deep. Bake for about 24-26 minutes, or until just golden in color.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°.
- Working with one log at a time, use a large spatula to assist you in transferring to a cutting board. Using a large knife, slice across the short side into 8 equal pieces, about 1” thick. Repeat with the other log. Place cookies back onto the baking sheet and bake for an additional 18-20 minutes, just until the cookie feels firm in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Biscotti will harden slightly during cooling process.
Notes
Nutrition
Demeter says
Coffee and biscotti are like a match made in heaven! Love all of your tips to ensure we get it just right!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Demeter! I completely agree!
Zeina says
Came out of the oven a half an hour ago...they’re the best I’ve made... they were a bit sticky but followed your suggestion of shaping them with wet hands ...Thanks for a great recipe
Kelly Anthony says
You're welcome! Thanks for your comment, Zeina!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Love biscotti and these look absolutely perfect! And perfect for dunkin' in a big cup o coffee! These would make a lovely foodie gift too 🙂
Sara says
This looks wonderful! I love biscotti but have never tried making my own!
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says
This biscotti looks perfect! I love the almonds in it and agree, this is perfect o have with a hot cup of coffee - what a treat!
Julia says
I looove biscotti! Didn't know you can easily freeze them so thanks for the info 🙂
Tony says
I just made them and they are burnt, is the baking time wrong?
Kelly Anthony says
No, Tony, I'm sorry it's not. I had others test it before publishing, so I'm sure the recipe is right! I'm so sorry your batch didn't turn out. Did you remember to reduce the oven temperature before putting them back into the oven for the second bake? That would absolutely cause them to burn 🙁
Rosemary Grech says
I left them to cool for 15 mins before cutting them into slices but a lot had crumbled. Any suggestions why
Kelly Anthony says
Biscotti is by nature a crunchy, crumbly cookie, so you really want to be gentle when your cutting through them. I use a sharp bread knife and a sawing back and forth motion when I cut mine to ensure they all stay in tact 😉
Alivia says
Hi depends on the knife it has to be a saw it bred cutting knife hope this help
Alicia Marquez
trishann perez says
I just made these and the dough is so gooey it will not hold its shape.
Kelly Anthony says
The only time I've ever had that happen is when I accidentally used 1 cup (two sticks of butter) rather than a 1/2 cup (which is only one stick of butter). Could that have been the culprit?
Eeling says
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
This is the first biscotti recipe that I have tried and I love it so much!
I have baked it twice in two weeks!
Kelly Anthony says
That's awesome, Eeling! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Stacie says
I have mixed emotions about this recipe. Don't get me wrong, we ate all of it but,they were more salty than sweet. I'm giving it another shot with reduced salt this time. Fingers crossed...to be continued.
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Stacie! What brand/type of salt are you using? Your cookies should not have turned out more salty than sweet by any means. This recipe needs fine sea salt. If you were to use regular iodized salt, I imagine your biscotti would be far too salty. Different salts have different levels of sharpness. Better luck next time!
Stacie says
Totally my fault. First I misread the amount then I used salted butter. Kind of overkill. I've made these 4 times now. My husband loves them. Thank you.
Kelly Anthony says
I'm so glad you guys are enjoying them so much! This is one of my personal favorites too 🙂 Unsalted butter is definitely key 😉
Doug says
what do you have as the topping. It looks like a glaze or something.
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Doug! There's no topping needed on these. It's just how they bake up 🙂
Maryanna says
I have tried many almond biscotti recipes, this by far is the best! Biscotti was delicious! Thank you!
Danielle says
Flavor is good but I think the whole almonds are problematic and what cause crumbling when cutting. Someone else I know uses sliced and they said theirs don’t crumble during the cutting. Flavor was good though.
Yolanda says
These were so easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly... the only thing I did different is double the recipe to get more cookies. Trickiest part is that the dough is sticky but if you follow the instructions and wet your fingers when you’re trying to manipulate the dough it works perfectly. Wow
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Yolanda! 🙂
Vivian says
Easy to follow and delicious! What some people
Probably do Is skip to the recipe but I read all of your directions and tips first and it turned out perfect! I read the timing wrong and first baked for 20 mins at 350 and then 24 at 300 but cranked it up a little at the end but it turned out great! Gonna drizzle a little chocolate on top and eat the whole thing during quarantine! Thanks so much! Gonna try more of your recipes!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Vivian! I'm so glad you like it and happy future baking! You'll probably like these Almond Cookies if you're a fan of biscotti! https://www.theanthonykitchen.com/almond-cookies/
Vivian says
I don’t know why my post didn’t have the 5 star attached but I’ll do another 🙂
Mona says
What can you use instead of fine sea salt? Will fine pink Himalayan salt work?
Kelly Anthony says
Yes, that will work, Mona!
Kathleen says
Made this recipe today and it came out perfect! I used half teaspoon of table salt since that’s what I had and I used slivered almonds for ease of cutting. Very happy with the outcome.
S Stokes says
This recipe is a keeper! The biscotti is perfect. Thank you!
Barb Browning says
After first bake,should the biscotti be cut when hot or cooled down.
Kelly Anthony says
It should still be warm, but definitely not so hot that it burns your hands! 😉
Laura says
Wow! These are amazing, and so easy to make! I only had salted butter and salted roasted almonds, so that’s what I used and just added a pinch of sea salt - and it worked really well. I also cut the recipe in half, and that worked nicely too. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Donna Babineau says
I never made biscottis before and not sure why! This recipe is wonderful/ Mine came out perfect the first time~ Made two batches for my tea party themed bridal shower! Im sure they will be a hit. Thanks for all the tips along the way. The pictures were so helpful. And the wet hands? Genius!
Kelly Anthony says
That's awesome! Thank you, Donna!
Jessica says
Holy Mackerel!!!!! I am not a baker, but these were amazing! The right amount of sweet, salty, and almond! The only adjustment I made was that I used one cup of sliced almonds, because that's what I had. I'm eating them instead of dinner, and I can't wait to dunk them in a cup of coffee tomorrow! Thanks for this easy, delicious recipe!
Kelly Anthony says
Ha! That's amazing! Thank you, Jessica!
Carolyn Lee says
I LOVE this recipe and I can't stop baking it!! But I now need a dairy-free option. Could I use equal amount of unsalted margarine in lieu of butter and get similar results?
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Carolyn! I've not experimented with margarine and can't really say. Sorry I can't be of more help to you, but would hate to lead you down the wrong path!
Deni says
Good morning! Just wanted to pass along a handy tip for cutting biscotti. I’ve made biscotti for years and the best way to cut them is with an electric carving knife. I’ve never used my knife for meat, but it sure does a great job on biscotti!
Althea says
Electric knife is the answer for cutting biscottie
Dolores says
I make my Italian grandmothers biscotti all the time. When I saw your recipe I wanted to try it for something different. Everyone loves it and in fact I’m making a double batch today. Thank you for the delicious recipe Kelly.