How to Make Biscotti

February 7, 2018 By Sam 291 Comments

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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!

Full printable recipe is just below the video, if you enjoy cooking videos, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!