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:
To store the biscotti, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Yes, of course! To freeze the biscotti, place the baked and cooled biscotti in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before eating. You can also toast the biscotti for 10 minutes at 300F in the oven to get them to crisp up slightly.
If you prefer to freeze the dough directly, follow the ingredients all the way till before baking, and then store the dough in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough completely overnight in the refrigerator before shaping into a log and then baking, slicing into pieces, and then baking again (as written in the instructions).
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
Holiday Recipes to Indulge In:
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!
PrintAlmond Biscotti Recipe (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 biscotti 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
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!
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour or almond meal
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds
Instructions
- Preheat and Line: Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, and light brown sugar until combined.
- Prepare Dough: Add the beaten eggs and mix well until you get a homogeneous and sticky dough.
- Add Chopped Almonds: Stir in the chopped almonds until they are evenly distributed.
- 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.
- 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).
- Second Bake: Once the log is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1-inch thick slices. Place the pieces on one side on the silpat-lined/parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the biscotti and bake for another 10 minutes on the other side until firm and golden brown.
- Let Cool: Let the biscotti cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
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 in this biscotti recipe so I used chopped almonds, but feel free to replace them with other chopped nuts.
Storing the Biscotti: To store the biscotti, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freezing the Biscotti: To freeze the biscotti, place the baked and cooled biscotti in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before eating. You can also toast the biscotti for 10 minutes at 300F in the oven to get them to crisp up slightly.
Adapted from: London Bakes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: almond biscotti, biscotti recipe
Hi Felicia,
I fully agree with you that these almond biscotti are truly amazing! 🙂
Another good snack to have for my teabreak! I simply love eating them with my coffee and slowly chewing them to enjoy every bite of it.
Great stuff Felicia – I love you !!!
Thank you a nd God Bless,
Mum
★★★★★
Thanks mummy! Remember we used to eat biscotti a long time ago nearing the Christmas season? Biscotti and butter cookies…yum!
Recién los hice con harina de nuez que compré en el Barrio Chino. Les puse chispas de chocolate y trozos de nuez. Solo quiero decirte que son excelentes y si encima tenemos en cuenta que son libres de gluten, son un milagro jajaja
Muchas gracias por la receta <3
Virginia!! Que alegria saber que te salieron ricos! Gracias por contar como te fue!! Que los disfrutes mucho!!! Un beso!
These biscotti look absolutely amazing, Felicia! My nana (very italian) loves biscotti but now has Celiac Disease and I bet she would LOVE these grain free almond biscotti! 😀 I’m going to send her the recipe ASAP!
Jess!! I hope your Nana will like this recipe and that the biscotti passes her Italian taste test!! Tell me how it goes if she gets about to making it!! Sending love! <3