Have you ever wondered how to make biscotti at home? The good news is these classic, twice-baked Italian cookies are incredibly easy to make and can be customized with your favorite add-ins. Today we’re using mini chocolate chips and slivered almonds, but feel free to substitute your favorite fillers!
Oh, Biscotti.
It’s classified as a cookie even though it couldn’t be any more different than the majority of the soft, chewy cookies that I usually share around here. If you’ve ever had biscotti before, you already know that it’s not soft at all; instead it’s hard and crunchy, and despite these two characteristics that I usually avoid like the plague when developing cookies, it’s ridiculously delicious and just as addictive as, say, a big soft oatmeal cookie.
Plus biscotti is basically designed specifically for dipping in your coffee, which means starting your day off with biscotti for breakfast is totally acceptable, right?
Anything that gives me an excuse to eat cookies for breakfast 😉
I used to think that biscotti was difficult and challenging to make, but it’s actually not, not even a little bit.
Biscotti is made with a simple dough that you can customize with your favorite extracts and add-ins, and it is different from most cookies because you’ll break the dough into two pieces and form each one into a “log”, which you will then bake, allow to cool completely, slice, bake again, flip, and then bake again. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious you’ll also dip or drizzle it with chocolate, but that’s totally your call.
Let’s break down how to make this simple Italian cookie, and please check out my most recent video at the bottom of the post, just above the recipe.
Tips for Making Biscotti
- If you have a stand mixer, use it! While you can get away with using an electric hand mixer, this dough gets pretty stiff and difficult to mix, so save yourself some effort and use a stand mixer.
- While I use chocolate chips and slivered almonds here, you can substitute your preferred add-ins. You can use about 1 ⅓- 1 ½ cups of your favorite add-in. Raisins, craisins, white chocolate chips, pistachios, all are popular choices.
- Make sure your biscotti cools completely before cutting into it.
- Use care when flipping your biscotti out of the oven, as they are much more fragile and likely to break while they are warm. I recommend using tongs and a gentle hand to turn them.
Is Biscotti Supposed to be hard?
Yes! Because it is baked twice, biscotti is hard and crisp. It’s great for dunking in a hot cup of coffee!
How do you cut biscotti?
I always cut my biscotti on a slight angle for a traditional biscotti appearance (see photo above) but this is not required. I recommend using a serrated bread knife for best results.
How long can I keep biscotti
Since biscotti is already pretty hard and dry (I promise, it’s delicious and supposed to be that way!), it doesn’t go stale fast at all. Once your biscotti is cooked and cooled it will keep for at least several weeks if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Enjoy!
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How to Make Biscotti:
Biscotti Recipe
Recipe from SugarSpunRun.com
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar (265g)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose cups flour (406g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup slivered almonds
- ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup dark chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamy and well-combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture, stirring until completely combined.
- Stir in mini chocolate chips and almonds.
- Using lightly floured hands, divide dough into two equal pieces and place on prepared baking sheet. Form dough into two separate logs approximately 10-12" long by 2-3" wide, and be sure to space them at least 4" apart as biscotti will spread (you may use separate cookie sheets to bake, if needed). If dough is too sticky, lightly dust with additional flour and lightly powder your hands with a thin layer of flour.
- Bake 30 minutes on 350F (175C), or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow biscotti to cool completely.
- Once cooled, slice loaves diagonally into slices about 1 ½" thick (I recommend using a bread knife for this). Place biscotti cut-side down on parchment paper lined cookie sheet..
- Return to 350F (175C)oven and bake for 10 minutes. Flip each biscotti over gently, and then bake another 10 minutes on 350F (175C). Biscotti should be lightly golden brown when finished baking.
- Allow to cool completely.
- If desired, melt chocolate in 20 second increments (stirring in between) until melted and use a spoon to drizzle over cooled biscotti. Allow chocolate to harden before serving (this will take much longer with chocolate chips than with melting wafers).
- Biscotti should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and will keep for several weeks.
Nutrition
Petra
Can I use other extracts inplace of vanilla (coconut, almond, etc)?
Should vanilla be completely replaced or only half?
I’m making for a cookie table at a wedding!
Sam
Hi Petra! You could use other extracts, but you’ll want to be careful as many other extracts are a bit more potent than vanilla. 🙂
Jamie
I’ve tried a few other recipes since I tried this one, and here I am again. This is the best recipe for perfect biscotti.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jamie! 🙂
Frances
I am looking for a biscotti recipe that you can bite/chew without dunking (even if it is crunchy). Is this recipe the one? 😊
Sam
Hi Frances! I often enjoy this biscotti without dunking, but it is very crisp as biscotti ought to be. I hope that helps!
Johnessa Heller
These biscotti are amazing!! I’ve switched up flavor combinations with these and they always come out delicious
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Johnessa! 🙂
Carolyn
I found this recipe very
easy and turned out as good as those at my local coffee shop. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Carolyn! 🙂
Lia
Hi! Is this a hard biscotti or somewhat soft? I know they are meant to be hard but I know some recipes can be made soft!
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Lia! It’s a crisp biscotti. 🙂
Rick
Perfect and easy recipe! Thanks!
I love biscotti from my trips to Italy, and with all this time on my hands these days… I thought I’d give it a try.
So I made it with hazelnuts and (dried) blueberries, then almonds and goji berries, walnuts and sultanas… each time they came out great. My permitted social contacts love them!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Rick! 🙂
Adriana Tobio Silvestre
Turned out beautifully the first time I made them. So good!! Thank you for sharing the recipe 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Adriana! 🙂
Emily Smith
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times. I add some amaretto and bake a little longer, 15 on each side because I like them a bit crispier. All of my friends and family LOVE them. Thanks for making an intimidating item so easy!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone has enjoyed it so much, Emily! 🙂
Penny
They came out amazing! The whole family loved them! My teens loved to dunk them in milk too! Thanks!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was a hit, Penny! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Ruth
3 1/4 c flour is 544 g but the recipe says 406 which is correct?
Sam
Hi Ruth! 3 1/4 of flour is 406g. (standardized on my site 125g = 1c of flour)
Jamie
Ruth is pretty close with her mass. If you weigh 3 1/2 cups of flour it’s over 500g. Obviously it depends upon the flour you use. I’m going to opt for the 3 1/2 cups and give it a go. Excited to try this recipe. Thanks again for sharing!
Sam
Unfortunately if it is weighing higher than the amount listed it’s being over-measured. This post on how to measure flour might be helpful in explaining why. I hope you love the biscotti! 🙂
Carmen
Really enjoyed making this recipe and we’ll be making it again
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Carmen! 🙂
Cat
Amazing recipe, easy to make and absolutely delicious.
However the real Italian biscottis aren’t that thick and big, my suggestion is to break the dough into 4-6 logs depending on the size and preference. 2 logs is just too thick and long of a cookie.
Karli S
Followed the recipe exactly except for substituting sliced almonds for slivered because I was out. Thank you for having the flour and sugar weighed out in grams, it’s one of my “tricks” for achieving perfect bakes. This recipe was no exception. Thank you!
Sam
You’re very welcome, Karli! I’m so glad to hear the recipe was such a success for you! Thank you for commenting, I appreciate it!
Kathleen
I made these with cranberries and slivered toasted almonds. Incredible flavor.
The logs cracked on the first bake. After cooling, I had difficulty cutting them. Very crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed. The cracking on top is normal. For the crumbling, did you cut the slices really thin, or the flour could have been over-measured. I hope this helps. 🙂
Mike Ravalin
Sam,
If I want to make this recipe mocha , chocolate , and almond flavored; how much instant coffee, cocoa powder and almonds would you suggest to add in? Would you make any other amendments.
Thanks, Mike
Sam
Hi Mike! Ooh, it’s honestly hard for me to say without having experimented myself, unfortunately. I’d reduce the flour a bit and add cocoa powder to make up or it (somewhere around 1/4-1/3 cup for each of these), about a teaspoon of instant coffee (depending on how strong you want the flavor to be, maybe a bit more) and of course you can just add chopped or slivered almonds as desired. But without having explicitly tried these modifications in my own kitchen it’s just too tricky for me to say and I don’t like to recommend anything I haven’t tried (just in case the results are disastrous 😉)