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.
Randy
This is such a great recipie! Every time I make them people loooove them and I have giving this recipie out a few times. For anyone that cares, I add a drop or two of bitter almond extract to the dough, and I always slightly toast the almonds first.
I also have made a great version with lemon and anise seed. I zest 2 lemons and add a drop of lemon extract, and 1 tsp of anise seeds.
Thanks again!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the biscotti so much! The love the sound of those variations. I’ll have to give them a try. 🙂
Renie
So good and easy to make
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it and found it easy, Renie! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Wai Foong
How do you measure 10 tablespoons of butter when it is not softened yet.. can you give an equivalent to weight instead. Tq
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Wai! It will be 5 oz (141.88 grams) of butter that is needed 🙂
Rudo
Hello I made it it’s an amazing recipe only thing I found was that 30 minutes was a little to long the first time I baked it, it burned but the second time when I baked for about 20 minutes it was amazing
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Rudo! I am glad that the second time around they baked perfectly! 🙂
Ellen
I just made these biscotti.. why did mine spread so much and flatten out like a huge cookie?
Sam
Hi Ellen! I have a couple of possible culprits here: you may have needed to add a little bit more flour to dough before baking, or if your baking powder is bad this could also cause the spreading. I am so sorry this happened. 🙁
KAZEM SPAHI
Thank you for the biscotti recipe, it turned out great.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Nadia
Used the same recipe but mine came out salty! Any idea why?
Sugar Spun Run
I have never heard of this being salty before, Nadia! I am so sorry that you have experienced an issue. Did you use salted butter by chance? Or possibly use 3/4 Tablespoons of salt vs. 3/4 teaspoon salt listed? Did you do any other substitutions? I am happy to troubleshoot. 🙂
Joan Onorato
Too wet to pick up. Been making biscotti 40 years. We spoon batter onto baking sheets Bake 30 min. Slice. Turn. Bake about 10
You couldn’t pick up wet dough like this
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing what has worked so well for you, I appreciate it, Joan! 🙂
Meagan
Hi these turned out great! Thank you. Do you know how long they will last? I live by myself and I won’t be able to share with friends! Can I freeze them?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Meagan! I recommend storing them in an airtight container so that they stay crisp. If stored properly, these biscotti will last up to 2 weeks. As far as freezing, I have never tried freezing the cookie themselves, however, you can store the dough and bake at a later time. 🙂
Ben
Hi – do you think I can get away with swapping the AP flour with a gluten free flour? Keeping all other ingredients as is.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ben! I do not have experience baking with gluten-free flour so I can not advise. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out for you. 🙂
Jackie Libertelli
This recipe was delicious! I packed them up and sent them to my son in DC
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Jackie! I hope that your son loves them too! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Rossana
Great easy recipe. The cookies turned out great, crispy on the outside with a bit of softness in the middle.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out perfectly for you, Rossana! Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Rossana
Thank you for sharing it. Do you think they would turn out as good substituting the butter with oil?
Thx!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Rossana! I don’t reccomend it. 🙁
Alma Gray
This recipe looks great!!!
Look forward to making it some time.
Thank you!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Alma! 🙂
Clara
How can I use gluten flour for this recipe what to do
Sam
Hi Clara, this recipe uses all purpose flour 🙂
Barbara
You could use almond flour.
DEB
Can you explain why you use unsalted butter and then add salt to the recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Deb! I tend to use unsalted butter for most of my recipes so that I can control the taste and the amount of salt that is added. If you use salted butter for this recipe, you can, however, you will not add the additional salt that is listed. 🙂