Crunchy Almond Biscotti (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Crunchy almond biscotti that’s studded with chopped almonds, baked till golden brown, and perfect for snacking on with a steeping mug of tea or a big cup of coffee. Make a batch or two of this almond biscotti recipe for homemade gifts or just for enjoying during the Christmas and holiday season! These Italian twice-baked cookies are both gluten-free and dairy-free, but honestly, no one would even know!

What is Biscotti?

Originating from the Italian city of Prato, Tuscany, biscotti (plural for biscotto), also known as cantucci, are basically dry and crunchy almond biscuits. Biscotti dough is usually made with flour, eggs, sugar, and almonds, and do not include neither yeast nor fat (oil or butter).

The word “biscotti” in Italian literally means twice-cooked, and that’s basically the essence of the recipe. The dough is first shaped into an oblong-shaped log that is baked, allowed to cool, and then sliced breadth-wise. The cut pieces are then laid on their sides and baked on both sides until cooked through and crunchy.

One of My Favorite Christmas Cookies

During my childhood back in Singapore, I remember eating plenty of cookies as Christmas and the holiday season drew near. Of all the cookies I ate though, almond biscotti has always been one of my favorites.

In my opinion, the heavenly crunch of the cookies, filled with chopped almonds or other nuts or even raisins, is just delicious.

In fact, when I first started this blog, biscotti was among the first few cookies I experimented with, and till today, this almond biscotti recipe remains high among my favorites.

Why This Recipe Works

Using a mix of almond flour and gluten-free flour to replace normal wheat flour, this almond biscotti recipe is completely gluten-free and dairy-free, and is full of natural almond flavor. If you’re a big fan of almonds like I am, then you’re certainly in for a delicious treat!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Ingredient Notes/Substitutions:

• Almond Flour: I used blanched almond flour in this biscotti recipe, but you can also use homemade almond meal for this. Just bear in mind that almond meal will make the biscotti slighter browner in color as compared to blanched almond flour.

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I like using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch) which results in a lighter texture. I do NOT recommend using a blend made of heavier flours such as garbanzo bean flour as that will result in a denser texture. To make this recipe completely grain-free, you can substitute the GF all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup tapioca starch.

• Sugar: I used light brown sugar in this almond biscotti recipe, but feel free to use normal white sugar or dark brown sugar if you prefer.

• Eggs: Eggs are required as a binder in the recipe, but I believe you should be able to use an egg-replacer or aquafaba to replace the eggs if you cannot eat eggs.

• Chopped Almonds: I wanted to really bring out the taste of almonds so I used chopped almonds for this biscotti recipe, but feel free to replace them with other chopped nuts.

How to Make Almond Biscotti (Step by Step)

1. Preheat and Line

Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

2. Chop Almonds

Roughly chop the almonds in pieces.

3. Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, and light brown sugar until combined.

4. Prepare Dough

Add the beaten eggs to the dry ingredients and mix well until you get a homogeneous and sticky dough.

5. Add Chopped Almonds

Stir in the chopped almonds until they are evenly distributed.

6. Shape Dough into Rectangle Log

Transfer the dough to the silpat-lined/parchment-lined baking sheet and shape it into a rectangle log approximately 5-inches wide. Smooth the top of the dough with a wet spatula.

7. First Bake

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the dough feels firm to the touch, then remove it from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 280F (140C).

8. Cut into Slices

Once the log is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1-inch thick slices.

9. Second Bake

Place the pieces on one side on the silpat-lined/parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the almond biscotti and bake for another 10 minutes on the other side until firm and golden brown.

10. Let Cool

Let the almond biscotti cool completely before serving or storing.

Helpful Tips/Tricks

• Use a Silpat/Parchment Paper: Make sure you use a silpat or parchement paper to line the baking sheet to ensure that the dough doesn’t stick to the baking sheet during the first bake. I personally prefer using a silpat because it’s reusable and the dough never sticks. However, if you only have parchment paper, go ahead and use that.

• Let Dough Cool before Slicing: After the first bake, be patient and allow the log to cool for at least 10 minutes before you slice it into pieces. If the log has not sufficiently cooled down yet, it may break easily when you cut it, so be patient!

• Cut into Thinner or Thicker Slices: I like slicing the dough into 1-inch thick slices, but feel free to cut it into thinner pieces so you get more biscotti, or into thicker pieces if you like your biscotti a little thicker.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:

• Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Easy Coconut Macaroons (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Buckwheat Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Almond Butter Coconut Flour Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Chickpea Flour Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• 8 Amazing Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes

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P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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