Biscotti are probably the most famous Italian cookie. Our biscotti recipe is easy and made with simple ingredients.
You'll get beautiful, crunchy, and nutty biscotti, perfect to dip in sweet wine or to eat on their own.
We show you how to make 3 types of biscotti: one with almond and hazelnuts, one with dark chocolate chips and cranberries, and another dipped in dark chocolate.
Check out our best plant-based dessert recipes!
What to expect
Growing up in Italy, I still remember how ubiquitous and popular these little cookies were.
I ate so many of them, homemade by my Italian grandmas and aunts, who would come out of the kitchen, after Sunday lunch, with the biggest cookie tray in the world and would proudly keep their biscotti recipe as the most precious secret.
They were delicious, and in Italy, a must after a meal, especially during autumn, and winter.
Biscotti, which in Italian are actually called Cantucci or Tozzetti, are very popular around the Christmas period, and are often served with wine, preferably a sweet one called Vin Santo (which in Italian means "holy wine").
Our recipe is as close as it gets in texture and flavor to the traditional Italian biscotti recipe, also known as Cantucci in Tuscany and Tozzetti in Umbria, which is where I grew up.
Also, we developed this recipe without eggs or butter, so it's suitable for vegans too.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- Almond milk: the best for this recipe because it enhances the nutty flavour in the biscotti. It can be sweetened or unsweetened. You can replace it with any other plant-based milk.
- Vegetable oil: we like to use sunflower oil but you can replace it with other neutral vegetable oils like canola oil. I would not use olive oil.
- Sugar and powdered sugar: they are both recommended in this recipe, however you could also just use sugar. We find that with both the biscotti is crunchier.
- Lemon zest: citrus zest is very popular in Italian cooking. You can replace it with orange zest if you like.
- Vanilla extract: optional, but we find that it complements the other ingredients well.
Dry Ingredients
- Flour: we use all purpose flour. To make them gluten free you can use a pre-made all purpose gluten free four mix.
- Baking powder: it gives a slight rise, crunch, and it makes the biscotti friable in your mouth.
For the flavours
We show you how to make 3 types of biscotti: one with almond and hazelnuts, one with dark chocolate chips and cranberries, and another dipped in dark chocolate.
But honestly, you can use any nuts and dried fruit that you like, such as raisins, pistachios, etc.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 340F or 170C. In a bowl, add the wet ingredients together. Whisk well, until all the ingredients come together into a smooth liquid.
Now add the flavoring ingredients and mix them with the liquid with a spoon. For example:
If you use almonds, add them, whole, and with the peel on. With a spatula, incorporate them into the liquid. Same for hazelnuts and pistachios. You can combine one or more nuts.
If you use dark chocolate chips, or dried fruit like cranberries is the same. Add those to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix them in with a spoon.
TIP: make sure to follow our quantities. If you put too many nuts or other flavorings, the dough won't be able to hold them in and it will fall apart while shaping it.
Add the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and with a spatula mix together until you have a thick paste/dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly dusted worktop and knead with your hands for just a minute. You want to get to a compact dough ball without over-kneading.
Over-kneading will ruin the texture of the biscotti, making them less crunchy and harder to chew. Knead as little as possible and they'll be crunchy and friable.
Cut the dough into two parts, and shape each part into a long, flat, snake-like stripe.
Bake at 340F or 170C for 25 minutes. Then take them out of the oven and let them cool down on the tray for 20 minutes.
With a serrated knife (bread knife) cut the snake diagonally, into 1.5 - 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) long biscotti.
The snakes need to have cooled down for 20 minutes or they'll fall apart when you cut them.
Place the biscotti on the same baking tray, with the cut side facing down, and bake for 10 more minutes, or until golden. The second baking will make them crisp and tasty.
Fun Fact: in the Italian language, the word biscotti literally means "cooked twice" from "bis" (twice) and "cotti" (cooked).
Let cool down, transfer on a serving plate, and enjoy them as they are, or dipped in Italian sweet wine.
How to dip biscotti in chocolate?
First, you need to melt some dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips. I like to add some almond milk (or another plant milk) to make the melted chocolate thinner so that it's easier to dip the biscotti in it.
To melt chocolate, the best way is with a double boiler. You need a pot with some water in it.
Then a heat-resistant bowl (or a second pot) on top of it. The bowl on top should not touch the water in the pot.
Add the dark chocolate chips (or a chopped-up chocolate bar) to the bowl. Also, add the plant milk at this stage.
Turn the heat on so that the water in the pot boils, and the steam heats up the bowl on top, melting the chocolate.
Stir while the chocolate melts. Do not add cold liquids to the hot chocolate. It will clump up.
When the chocolate is fully melted I like to transfer it into a taller and narrower container so that it's easier to dip the biscotti in it.
Then dip the biscotti. I dip them till about half their length. After dipping, place them on a cooling rack, trying not to let the chocolate part touch the rack.
You can put a skewer under the biscotti to keep them lifted.
You can even drizzle the chocolate on the biscotti.
Let the chocolate cool down, then when it hardens, you can transfer the chocolate-covered biscotti to a serving plate.
Serving suggestion
In Italy, biscotti are typically served on a platter with other cookies. In many homes, they are also eaten for breakfast, mid-morning, or as an afternoon snack - basically at any time!
Try making our other delicious cookies, such as Orange Almond Cookies, Amaretti, and Red Wine Cookies.
They are all perfect for the autumn and winter holiday season or at any other time when you feel like a plant-based sweet treat.
Common mistakes & troubleshooting
Adding too many nuts
Adding too much "filling" in the biscotti is problematic because the dough will not be able to hold the nuts (or the chocolate chips, or the cranberries) in, and will "reject" them.
It will be hard for you to knead the dough and shape the biscotti if this happens, so try to stick to our measurements.
FIX: while kneading, the dough will expel the excess nuts. If this happens, just take them away and keep kneading till the dough does not reject any more nuts.
Cooling down after the first bake
If you try to cut the biscotti while they are still hot, the dough will crumble and you won't get clear-cut biscotti.
FIX: simply wait a bit longer, till the biscotti-snake is lukewarm, but not completely cold, or else it'll get too hard to cut.
Storage
Our almond biscotti are best stored in a cool, dry spot for up to 2 weeks.
For storing biscotti, it is best to use a tin box lined with baking paper, a glass jar, or an airtight container. I like to use a glass container with an air-tight lid.
After placing them in the container, you should also add a piece of bread to it. This trick helps absorb the moisture, leaving the cookies crunchy for longer.
Recipe
Italian Biscotti Recipe
Equipment
- serrated knife (bread knife)
Ingredients
FOR THE BISCOTTI DOUGH
Wet ingredients
- ⅓ cup almond milk or other plant milk
- ⅓ cup sunflower oil or other vegetable oil
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ zest of lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
PICK ONE OF THE FLAVOURS BELOW
Almond Biscotti
- ¾ cup almonds
Almond + Hazelnut Biscotti
- ¼ cup almonds
- ½ cup hazelnuts
Chocolate Chip Biscotti
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Cranberries Biscotti
- ½ cup dry cranberries
Chocolate Chip + Cranberries Biscotti
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dry cranberries
For the melted chocolate cover
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chopped
- 3 - 4 tablespoons plant milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340F or 170C. In a bowl, add the wet ingredients together. Whisk well, until all the ingredients come together into a smooth liquid.
- Now add the flavouring ingredients and mix them with the liquid with a spoon. For example:If you use almonds, add them, whole, and with the peel on. With a spatula, incorporate them into the liquid. Same for hazelnuts or pistachios. You can combine one or more nuts.If you use dark chocolate chips, or dried fruit like cranberries is the same process. Add those to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix them in with a spoon.TIP: make sure to follow our quantities. If you put too many nuts or other flavourings, the dough won't be able to hold them in and it will fall apart while shaping it.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and with a spatula mix together until you have a thick paste/dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly dusted worktop and knead with your hands for just a minute. You want to get to a compact dough ball without over-kneading.Over-kneading will ruin the texture of the biscotti, making them less crunchy and harder to chew. Knead as little as possible and they'll be crunchy and friable.
- Cut the dough into two parts, and shape each part into a long, flat, snake-like stripe.
- Bake at 340F or 170C for 25 minutes. Then take them out of the oven and let them cool down on the tray for 20 minutes.
- With a serrated knife (bread knife) cut the snake diagonally, into 1.5 - 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) long biscotti.The snakes need to have cooled down for 20 minutes or they'll fall apart when you cut them.
- Place the biscotti on the same baking tray, with the cut side facing down, and bake for 10 more minutes, or until golden. The second baking will make them crisp and tasty.Fun Fact: in the Italian language, the word biscotti literally means "cooked twice" from "bis" (twice) and "cotti" (cooked).
- Let cool down, transfer on a serving plate, and enjoy them as they are, or dipped in Italian sweet wine.
Video Recipe
Nutritional Values
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Simon
Hey Nico & Louise,
Thanks for this vegan recipe. Love it. I add 75 grams of crystallised ginger to the hazelnut and almond version for a twist. Try it sometime.
Keep well.
Simon
Peppe
Done this recipe so many times now, people I know have started dropping orders 🙂 those cantucci come out better than store bought!!! Niiiiiiiiiiice.
Nico
Ahaha, that's great, so happy to hear you liked the recipe! It's also one of my favorites 🙂 Cheers, Nico
Melissa
Great recipe and very thorough instructions! I made hazelnut and orange biscotti twice. Super simple and delicious!
Nico
Thank you Melissa, for making our recipe and for taking the time to comment. I'm very happy you like you hazel and orange combination, that's also my guilty pleasure! Cheers, Nico
Nadia
I love this recipe and so does all my family. My adult son who is very fussy loves these. Thank you and I’ll keep on making them every fortnight to keep my family happy :))
Nico
I'm so delighted to hear, Nadia! I wish I had biscotti in my home that often, it sounds like a good life! Cheers, Nico
Yulia
very easy, tasty and now is my favourite recipe! Thank you a lot for it!
Nico
Thank you so much Yulia, we are happy you like the recipe 🙂
Emma
Beautiful recipe!! Yes to leaving it quite some time before cutting to avoid the crumbles 🙂 Excited to share these for christmas. Thank you.
Nico
Thank you, Emma! Oh yes, my patience is always tested when I make biscotti, and I just wanna eat them straight out off the oven!! Best, Nico
Luisa
They were delicious! I made cranberry almond (1/2 cup almonds & 1/4 dried cranberries)! Ty for the recipe.
Nico
Thanks so much for letting us know Luisa, we are delighted you liked them. Love the cranberry almond mix 🙂
Kay
These look lovely and I will be trying the recipe. A question about this step: "Cut the dough into two parts, and shape each part into a long, flat, snake-like stripe." Roughly how thick (height) should each strip be? I'm assuming not too flat?
Nico
Ciao Kay, thanks for commenting - good question! You are right, they should not be too flat, aim for 1.5-2cm height/0.5-0.8 inch and you should be fine. They will be a bit rugged on top, but that only makes them more rustic and authentic 🙂 if you want, have a look at the YouTube video linked in the blog post, it might give you an indication of height and looks of the “snakes”. Happy baking! Nico
Anonymous
Swapped white with brown sugar and still worked! Super delicious and pretty easy
Chef Nico
Wonderful!! Thanks for making our recipes - and for leaving a comment! Cheers, Nico
Olga
Hi Nico,
Your biscotti are great! Our favorite version is cranberry. I made some alterations on your recipe - decrease amount of sugar by 1/3rd and added anise seeds.
Nico
Hi Olga, I'm so happy you like the biscotti with cranberries! And I'm delighted to hear that you changed the recipe to fit your taste, anise seeds sound like an amazing addition! Have a great day. Cheers, Nico
Anja
I love your recipes. These biscottis are one of the sweets I really missed since I am vegan. Thank you so much! You are a star! When can I expect a recipe for Panettone? 🙈
Nico
Hi Anja, thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot to me! The panettone recipe is in the works, but I will not post it until I am happy with the result- to be continued! ❤️
Lara
I've made these twice now, with almond and hazelnut exactly as per the recipe and also with 75g pistachio and 35g cranberries. Love these with tea or coffee and not too sweet. I find you need more than 10 minutes for the second bake but maybe I slice mine a bit too thick.
Nico
Lara, that’s wonderful- great combination with pistachios and cranberries!!
Thanks for commenting and have a great rest of your day!
Nico
Dalma
Quick question before I ruin my biscottis: can we use self-raising flour or wholemeal flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Nico
Hi Dalma, thanks for commenting! yes you can use whole meal flour for the biscotti- the dough just gets slightly more crumbly 🙂
Anonymous
we enjoyed your lovely biscotti after a very nice family dinner - they were perfect as a little after-dinner-autmn-dessert. I really appreciate the creative energy in your recipes and the love you put into them. And especially the fact that they are vegan! Thank you for posting!!! <3
Nico
Thanks so much for your kind comment- I’m delighted that you and your family shared them! Cheers 🙂
Radha
Yum! They are super crunchy and the flavor is divine! That little bit of lemon zest combined with the vanilla is the most wonderful combination! Will be making these in different flavors 🙂
Romeo Romeo
Just made these today, after I saw your YouTube video. Delicious! I did end up using orange zest instead. I mixed raisin, cranberry mix with some really good chopped chocolate. I added a little bit of almond extract as well. Taste is on point! I did only half the recipe since I’m on a diet 🙁 . But will be a nice little treat with some tea, hopefully we don’t eat the entire batch though in one shot ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄… But a very simple clear recipe that worked out brilliantly. I made one of your pasta recipes too at some point and again clear simple delicious vegan recipes. Thanks!
Nico
Thanks for the message Romeo, so happy you liked them. Orange zest and almond extract sounds so good too 🙂
Stephanie
These were just lovely! Thank you for this great and simple recipe! Even though I already made them (a while ago) - could you clarify wether the second bake is only one 10 minute bake or wether you turn them over and bake them 10 minutes on both sides (20 minutes total)? Thank you!
Nico
hi Stephanie, thanks for your message. so happy you like the biscotti. The second bake is only 10 minutes (or until they are lightly golden on top), no need to turn them around. I updated the post based on your feedback, hopefully it's clearer now 🙂 Thank you!
Julien
Amazing biscotti! You would never know they are vegan. They taste just like "real" biscotti, much more so than many non-vegan biscotti that are commercially made.
Also, I used sliced almonds instead of whole almonds because that's what I had in the house and they turned out great.
Nico
We are so happy you liked the Biscotti Julien 🙂 Thank you for the message.
Palkan
Great recipe! Going to try it out tonight!
And maybe dip in chocolate!
Thank you!
Nico
Thanks Palkan, hope you liked them 🙂 They are delicious dipped in chocolate. We are going to publish that variation soon in an update post 🙂
Anonymous
Made them and let them cool for 20 minutes but they are still falling apart when tring to cut them. What could have gone wrong in the making ?
Nico
What kind of flour did you use? It could be that the flour has a low glute content. In this case you might need to knead the dough a little longer.
Penni Panza
Easy recipe. They looked wet when we removed from the oven. Do they dry out as they cool?
Nico
Hi Penni, yes they will dry quite a bit as they cool. But they should look quite toasty and golden after the second bake 🙂
Anonymous
Perfect little biscotti. I will definitely be making these often.
Nico
Thank you soo much for your comment. We are super happy you like those little vegan biscotti 🙂
Anonymous
I just made them!!! My kids enjoy makeong them,and dipping them i chocolate. We put some walnuts and spinkles on topon them,and they areawesome!!! Thank you for the recipie
Nico
Thank you so much! I am happy your kids enjoyed making them 🙂
Anonymous
What’s the best way to store these?
Nico
Hi there, I always write a "storage" chapter towards the end of the post, just before the recipe box. You can find all information on storage there 🙂