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
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
Recommended Equipment
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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Clara
Can we use honey instead of sugar
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Clara! I do not recommend it. 🙁
Susan
Thanks for a great recipe! I have made biscotti for years now and have found that putting flour on them actually makes the task harder…I read in an Italian cookbook some time ago that if the batter is sticky, drop the batter by large spoonfuls that approximate each other…then take damp hands (not wet) and form the dough. If you get more water than necessary on the dough, make sure to blot it dry with paper towels. They come out perfect every time. The parchment paper is also key. After I have my two loaves on the parchment, I cut the parchment down the middle. This makes it very easy for transporting to the cutting board without breaking the loaf.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Susan! Thank you for sharing your helpful tips. 🙂
KC
Hope to try again. First batch I used parchment paper and cut baking time and bottom came out black! So disappointed…
Sugar Spun Run
Oh, no! I am so sorry to hear that the bottom burnt, KC. You may need to adjust the placement of them in your oven. I typically bake mine in the center. I hope that your second batch turns out perfectly. 🙂
Pam
This recipe is delicious. Made them yesterday for my house and for my daughter. She said they were so much better than the batch I made last week(my usual recipe). We both agreed this recipe was SO flavorful. My new forever recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you both enjoyed them and that you now have a new favorite biscotti recipe, Pam! Thanks so much for sharing. I hope that you enjoy my recipe for years to come. 🙂
Joanna
How did the house like them?
Darline
I love Biscotti since l tried one in Seattle Was. I wonder now why haven’t tried baking them. I plan to bake a lot of since I have your recipe. It sounds so good!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Darline! I hope that you enjoy the biscotti recipe. Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Brent
I made these exactly to recipe yesterday evening and had to wait until today to try them with my cappuccino. They are well worth the wait. Gosh are these good! I tried using an electric knife not only succeeded in making crumbs. The serrated bread knife is the only way to go. So easy to make and SO delicious to eat. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the biscotti, Brent! It does require some work, but I couldn’t agree more, worth the wait! Thank you for commenting. I can’t wait to see what you make next! 🙂
Sherry
My first time to make Biscotti and I was so please to use your recipe! Turned out absolutely perfect in every way! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to do another batch & try different flavors!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your biscotti turned out perfectly, Sherry! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. 🙂
Aaron
They taste absolutely wonderful, however my batches always come out cracked on top any advice?
Sam
I’m so glad you are enjoying the biscotti! If the surface is particularly dry (like maybe from being dusted with a lot of flour) this could make it crack.
Rosa-Alba Caputo
Very delicious and easy biscotti cookie to make..
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Margaret
I currently have a double batch of dark chocolate & pistachio in the oven. This recipe is super easy to follow for someone like me who’s baking skills are terrible, tomorrow I plan on doing an orange cranberry. Thanks for sharing your recipe, it definitely is a family favorite!
Sam
Love the sound of the dark chocolate/pistachio, YUM! So glad you are enjoying the biscotti recipe, Margaret. Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it 🙂
Marge
I made this recipe with my daughter over the Christmas holiday. It was an easy recipe to follow & they turned out great! I know she’ll be making them again. I am making 2 batches tomorrow to give as gifts. I will include your recipe in the cellophane bag tied with a ribbon. Happy New Year! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for the 5-star review, Marge! I am so glad that you enjoyed the homemade biscotti and I hope that those you gift it to do as well. Thanks for following my blog and for sharing this recipes with others, I appreciate it! 🙂
Mel
I enjoyed this! My batter was extra sticky and it also came out a bit dark on the bottom. I’ll try pulling it out a bit sooner next time. Fortunately it’s pretty forgiving since it’s supposed to be crunchy lol.
Sugar Spun Run
I am glad that you enjoyed the biscotti, Mel! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Laurie Ray
I have made this recipe about three times and love it. The tops of my biscotti are splitting. Is this something I should be concerned about? Otherwise they taste great.
Sam
Hi Laurie! So long as the biscotti is the right consistency and tastes good then it’s definitely not a problem. It might be that the surface of the biscotti is dry if there’s a lot of flour that’s been worked into the surface from your hands and that’s why its splitting, but again definitely not an issue.
Sophia
I love this recipe and have made them a few times but whenever I bake them the second time whatever side I have facing down gets really dark. Is there anything I can do to pervent that?
Sam
Hi Sophia! Are you baking on parchment paper? That usually helps keep the biscotti from getting too dark. It could also be that your oven temperature is running hotter than it lets on, so you could reduce the baking time by a bit. If you’re using a really dark cookie sheet that could also do it, so I’d recommend the parchment paper and maybe cutting a few minutes off the time in the oven. I hope that helps, and am glad you have otherwise been enjoying the biscotti! 🙂
Cathy
I tried these for the first time yesterday at a baby shower. And they are so good. They were almonds and cranberries I am definitely going to make this recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you were able to try the biscotti at a shower you attended and that you enjoyed them, Cathy! I am excited for you to make your own! 🙂
Michelle
I just made my first batch. It was easy and they taste great. I have a cookie exchange coming up. Can the dough be made ahead of time?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Michelle! I am so glad that you enjoyed the biscotti. It should be fine if you make it in advance. If well-wrapped, it should be good for three to five days before baking. If you want to make it farther in advance, I recommend freezing the dough. I hope that it is a hit at your cookie exchange. 🙂
Vicki Kechekian
I made this recipe for the first time on Sunday, and they came out as if I’ve been making them for years. I put in macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and dried mango for a tropical spin. Compared to a supermarket brand, they have a finer crumb and are much harder, which is perfect for dunking. They’re also sweeter and more buttery. I might use less sugar next time, maybe 1 Cup instead of 1 1/3, do you think that would be ok? I’m so glad I found this recipe and website. Happy Holidays!
Sam
Hi Vicki! I am so glad you enjoyed the biscotti so much! You should be fine to reduce the sugar by 1/3 cup. Happy holidays!! 🙂