Biscotti
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Have you ever wondered how to make Biscotti at home? These classic, twice-baked Italian cookies are incredibly easy to make and can be customized with your favorite add-ins. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Perfect Italian Cookie, Made Easy
These super easy Italian biscotti couldn’t be more different from the soft and chewy cookies that I usually share with you. If you’ve ever had biscotti before, you already know they’re not soft at all. Instead they’re hard and crunchy, and despite the fact that I usually avoid these two characteristics like the plague when it comes to cookies, I love these biscotti. In fact, I think they’re ridiculously delicious. But then again, aren’t all Italian desserts?
I used to think that biscotti were challenging to make (kind of like cannoli), but they’re actually not–not even a little bit. Biscotti are made with a very simple dough that you can customize with your favorite extracts and add-ins. They’re different from most cookies, because instead of scooping the dough, you’ll form it into two logs, bake them, let them cool completely, and then slice and them bake again. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can also dip or drizzle your biscotti with chocolate, but that’s totally your call (obviously, I’m team chocolate 🙋🏼♀️).
Let’s dive right in!
What You Need
Prepare yourself: these ingredients are SUPER basic, but they yield amazingly crisp and flavorful cookies. Here are the stars of today’s recipe:
- Butter. While some recipes use oil, I like to use butter for a better flavor and texture. Use unsalted, softened (not melty!) butter.
- Sugar. Since they are cookies, biscotti should be sweet! Stick with granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Eggs. We’ll add these one at a time and will mix the batter thoroughly after each addition. If you can remember, set your eggs out beforehand so they’re room temperature–they’ll incorporate better that way!
- Vanilla. Two teaspoons will give us a lovely vanilla flavor. If you like your biscotti to taste more traditional (think pizzelle cookies), you can always reduce your vanilla to 1½ teaspoons and add a splash of anise extract (I’ve included instructions in the notes).
- Flour. All-purpose flour works best here. If you have trouble with the dough sticking while trying to form it, feel free to flour your hands.
- Almonds and chocolate chips. While I use chocolate chips and slivered almonds here, you can substitute whatever you like. You can use about 1⅓-1½ cups of your favorite add-ins; raisins, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and pistachios, all are popular choices!
- Chocolate. This is optional, but if you’d like to either dip or drizzle your biscotti with extra chocolate (who doesn’t?!) melting wafers work well. You could also use chocolate chips.
SAM’S TIP: 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.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Biscotti
- Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until well incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them into the wet ingredients.
- Stir in your add-ins.
- Divide the dough into equal pieces and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Form the dough into logs with lightly floured hands.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350F, then cool completely.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally. Place the biscotti cut side down onto your baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove your biscotti from the oven, flip them over, and bake for another 10 minutes. Allow the biscotti to cool completely before dipping or drizzling with chocolate.
SAM’S TIP: Use care when flipping your biscotti as they come out of the oven; they are much more fragile and likely to break while they are warm. I recommend using tongs and a gentle hand to turn them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Because they are baked twice, biscotti are hard and crisp. They’re great for dunking in a hot cup of coffee (cookies for breakfast ❤).
Since they’re are already pretty hard and dry (I promise, they’re delicious and supposed to be that way!), they don’t go stale fast at all. Biscotti will keep for least several weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Shallow cracks on the surface are normal and nothing to be worried about. You can always dip them in melted chocolate to cover them up.
Enjoy! And if you’re looking for a chocolate version, be sure to check out my chocolate biscotti!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Biscotti Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ⅓ cups (265 g) sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, (see note if you would like to use anise extract)
- 3 ¼ cups (406 g) all-purpose cups flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ⅔ cup (66 g) slivered almonds
- ⅔ cup (113 g) mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup (170 g) dark chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips for dipping biscotti, 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.10 tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter, 1 ⅓ cups (265 g) sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.3 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.3 ¼ cups (406 g) all-purpose cups flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture, stirring until completely combined.
- Stir in mini chocolate chips and almonds.⅔ cup (66 g) slivered almonds, ⅔ cup (113 g) mini chocolate chips
- 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. (Note that you will need to return the biscotti to the oven after it has cooled and you have sliced it, so you may wish to leave your oven on while the biscotti cools or set yourself a reminder to turn it back on).
- 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).½ cup (170 g) dark chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips for dipping biscotti
Notes
Add-Ins
Feel free to substitute the almonds and/or the chocolate chips with an equal amount of your favorite add-ins, or leave them out entirely!Anise Extract
Classic Italian biscotti are often made with anise extract. Feel free to add 1-2 teaspoons of anise extract or 2 teaspoons of anise seed (in addition to the vanilla extract) if you so desire.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Biscotti will keep for at least two weeks. Biscotti may also be frozen in an airtight container for several months.Chocolate Version
See my chocolate biscotti recipe.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Perfect on my first try! Great recipe,
Thanks for trying our recipe, Monica! We’re so happy it was a hit for you ❤️
I never made biscotti before. Actually, I never ATE biscotti before. I felt like this would be a good recipe to make gifts for my coffee drinking friends and it was right on point! I’m not a baker but these were so easy! I used Heath English Toffee chips instead of chocolate chips and 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract. I am so glad the recipe made enough for me to be generous with my gift giving and enough for ME! Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe that I’m sure I will use again and again!
Fabulous! My first time making biscotti (I wanted something to round out my holiday cookie gifts), and the only thing I did different was substitute some local macadamia nuts for the almonds. Wow! Proud to give it away, and maybe sneak a few. 🙂 Thanks for helping me start a new tradition.
This was my first time making biscotti and I am so happy with the results! This recipe is so easy to follow and the biscotti is so delicious. I did dried cherries and dark chocolate for mix-ins and can’t wait to try my next batch with pistachios, cranberries, white chocolate chips and orange zest. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much for the feedback, and for trying my recipe, Erin! I really appreciate it!
My biscotti are in the oven. They are not drying out. Help!
How did they turn out, Susan?
They are done and wrapped as they are a Christmas present for my mom. I know I freaked out. However I just tasted one and it was delicious! Thank you🎄
So glad to hear it 🙂
It was the first time I have made Biscotti. I really liked the flavor, but it they broke apart when I sliced them. Anyone know what I did wrong?
Hi Teresa! You just have to be careful when slicing and use a serrated knife so you can saw through the biscotti. I demonstrate how to do this in my video, if that is helpful.
You might also try an electric knife. I use one all the time and they turn out perfect. By the way, this is the very best bisotti recipe I’ve found. They have perfect texture a wonderful flavor. Thank you, Sam.
Hello, I love this recipe and have made it for years. I use anise oil and anise seed together and my family loves them. I never used vanilla before and am curious how the addition of it along with the anise oil and seeds will taste. I use 2 teaspoons of anise oil and add seeds to my liking. If I also add vanilla, how much do you think I should use? Thank you
Hi Denis! I would personally use a teaspoon of vanilla.
As others have mentioned, I have always shied away from making biscotti because I thought it would be difficult. This recipe was so easy, and best of all, the biscotti was delicious!
I made it last year for the first time, and am making it again this year. I add chopped pistachios and dried cranberries, then drizzle the finished cookies with melted white and dark chocolates. They make nice gifts, and the reviews from the recipients, even the non-biscotti fans, have been great!
This is an amazingly good and simple biscotti recipe. I use it all the time, a batch makes a great Christmas Gift with within some almond bark and sprinkles!
Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Susan, thank you so much for trying my recipe!
Love this recipe and it’s so easy!! I added Craisin with mini chocolate chips. Since my husband can’t eat nuts, I added some almond extract for nut flavor… oh so good! I made another batch- pumpkin and Heath bar bits. I added a half can of pumpkin purée (after removing about half the moisture by squeezing it with paper towels) and 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. I also increased the flour by half a cup. Omgosh!.. so good!!
I love biscotti, but always thought it was too involved to make. I was so wrong!! This recipe turned out so perfectly I can’t wait to try putting in different things.
Biscotti now joins granola and refried beans on the list of loved things I will always make from scratch from now on!
a brilliant foolproof recipe.
If I wanted to add almond extract, do I leave out the vanilla?
Hi Elizabeth! Personally, I would leave the vanilla and add the almond extract. Almond extract is pretty potent so I would probably start at 1/2 teaspoon and increase according to preference. 🙂
Any ideas on a tasty way to make these nut free?
I actually cover this in the post where I list out what different ingredients we are going to use. 🙂
Try eliminating nuts completely and use raisins or dried cranberries. Delish!
Put in cranberries, chocolate chips, sour cherries, apricots, skor pieces or any other small treat you think would taste yummy. This is a great recipe to get creative with, as it’s pretty much impossible to fail if you are adding items you or the person you are making them for enjoy.
So helpful!! Thank you for the great ideas Suzanne!!
I gave it 5 stars because of the simplicity of the recipe, however mine keep coming out kinda soft. Any help would be great. Also my dough isn’t as cohesive as what the video shows. Thanks again.
Hi Shimon! A few things to check here, if your dough wasn’t cohesive enough you may have had a bit too much flour. If it’s too soft it could potentially just need more time in the oven. I hope that helps. 🙂