Almond Biscotti
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
A hot cup of coffee just isn’t the same without Almond Biscotti for dunking. Coated in chocolate and loaded with rich nutty flavors, this classic Italian cookie is the ultimate treat to pair with coffee and tea after dinner.
Whether you want to dunk it or crunch it, there’s never a bad time classic Almond Biscotti. This crunchy, twice-baked Italian biscuit is the perfect after-dinner treat and pairs so well with a cup of coffee or tea.
Learning how to make biscotti at home is actually quite simple. A little time-consuming, yes, but the dough is very forgiving and flexible. After being twice-baked in the oven, the biscotti achieves its signature crunchy, dunkable texture.
Looking for the perfect finishing touch? Dip each piece of almond biscotti in melted chocolate and leave it to set. In no time, you’ll have an impressive dessert to serve after dinner or for the cookie exchange!
Oh, and if you love the sound of this recipe, you must check out my almond banana bread and my almond cupcakes — both SO delicious, especially if you love almond-flavored baked goods.
Recipe features
- Most biscotti recipes don’t come with strict rules, making it a great dessert for beginner bakers to play with.
- Each biscuit is dunked in melted chocolate for the perfect finish and a gorgeous presentation.
- It’s the absolute best cookie to dunk in a hot cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate!
Ingredient notes:
- Butter – Not all biscotti recipes use butter but I like how it makes the cookie softer rather than super crunchy.
- Flour – All purpose is best.
- Eggs – Classic Italian biscotti is always made with eggs.
- Almond extract – Just a tiny bit infuses a bright nutty flavor throughout the biscotti. Feel free to look for other kinds of nut extracts while you shop so you can experiment with flavors in new batches.
- Almonds – Nuts are a popular mix-in when it comes to biscotti. Sliced almonds are obviously the best choice for this recipe, but pistachios, pine nuts, and hazelnuts are popular choices as well.
- Chocolate sauce – Melted chocolate chips and coconut oil are mixed together to create the ultimate finishing touch to these twice-baked cookies. You can dunk just one end of the cookie into the chocolate, leave them plain, or drizzle it over top of the batch.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make the dough. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl, then stir in the eggs and almond extract. Carefully stir the wet mixture into the dry, then fold in the almonds.
Step 2: Shape the dough. Use your hands to shape the dough into a large log. Place it on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the outside with more sliced almonds.
Step 3: Bake, then slice. Bake the biscotti log until it’s golden brown and firm. Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing into 1-inch pieces.
Step 4: Bake again! Place the biscotti pieces cut-side down on the baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes.
Step 5: Dunk in chocolate. Dip the baked almond biscotti in the chocolate and coconut oil mixture, then place on a wire rack to set. They should be ready to eat in about 30 minutes!
Expert tips and FAQs
- For an even deeper, richer flavor, toast the sliced almonds beforehand.
- Biscotti dough is quite forgiving. You can add more flour, eggs, or almonds to get the texture just right.
- The dough can be pretty sticky so it may be helpful to coat your hands in flour or water before shaping it into a log.
- Almond, hazelnut, and anise are all classic biscotti flavors. If you really want to get creative, add some cocoa powder, rum and raisins, or pistachios to the dough.
- If you prefer biscotti to be really crunchy, you can omit the butter in the recipe.
Why are biscotti cookies so hard?
Biscotti cookies are twice-baked in the oven to remove most of the moisture from the dough. This leaves them with a dry, crunchy, and dunkable texture.
How do you cut biscotti without breaking them?
It’s important to let the biscotti log cool for about 5 or 10 minutes before slicing. Use a sharp serrated knife to easily slice the 1-inch slices.
When should you eat biscotti?
Having freshly baked chocolate dipped biscotti in the house is the best excuse to make a boozy hot chocolate, a pot of coffee or tea, a dirty chai latte, or homemade cold brew. It’s the ultimate after-dinner cookie to dunk in your drink of choice.
Storage
- Room temperature – There isn’t much moisture in biscotti, meaning they store really well when kept in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. They should stay fresh for about a week or two.
More cookie recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Almond Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds, plus more for on top
for the chocolate:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it with nonstick spray; set aside.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together; add eggs and almond extract to bowl and stir to combine.
- Stir the dry and wet ingredients together, then fold in the almonds.
- Use your hands to shape the dough into a large log (note: the dough will be sticky, so it may be helpful to coat your hands in flour beforehand), then place the log directly onto the baking sheet and sprinkle it with additional sliced almonds.
- Bake biscotti for 30-35 minutes. Then, remove it from the oven and wait 5-10 minutes, then slice it into 1" pieces and place them cut side down onto the baking sheet. Place the biscotti back into the oven and bake it for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Last, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until it's smooth. Dip each piece of biscotti into the chocolate, then place it on a cooling rack. Allow 30 minutes for the chocolate to harden. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in December 2016. It was updated with new text and photos in October 2021.
Good recipe but needs way for favoring. Couldn’t taste the almond extract. Very bland. Next time I’ll add orange and lemon zest and double the extract. But all in all I would use the recipe again. Thx
Absolutely delicious!! I love biscotti, and this recipe did it justice. 10/10 recommend… I could not have found a better recipe!!
Thanks for your comment Samantha — happy to hear you love the biscotti!
I love biscotti! I don’t have any right now, but this is still inspiring me to go get a second cup of coffee haha.
I LOVE a good biscotti and loving the short list of ingredients for this one. That chocolate dipped shot is to die for! And I am frantically running around this week trying to finish up holiday shopping… I always tell myself I’ll start sooner and I ALWAYS end up in this situation… maybe next year!
My college roommate’s mom always made biscotti, and so she’d bring it to share after every trip home. It was so good and prevalent that I never had to make my own. You just made me realize how long it’s been since I’ve had biscotti, so now I absolutely have to make this.
You have to! It’s just as easy as regular cookies.
I love, love, LOVE biscotti! And I’m like Vivian, I have never tried it because I thought it was difficult. But not after reading this recipe. Several batches ARE going to be made in my home this week!! Thanks!
Yessssss do it!
Dipping them in chocolate really makes them over the top. I love the combo of almond and chocolate together. Happy holidays!
Thanks so much Karen!
These biscotti look amazing, Erin!! But I hear you – I’ve hardly done any of my Christmas shopping either and I’m way stressed about it! :O
Right?! Every morning I’m like ‘ok, today’s the day I get my shopping done’, and then it doesn’t happen.. I’m so close too!
I totally need a batch of those and a huge cup of coffee! I love biscotti but have never made them myself, mainly because I was afraid it was difficult 😉 I really hope you get your shopping done in time – we’re actually not doing the Christmas presents this year, so I’ve got one less thing to worry about! I like to bake things for my friends, and these biscottis are definitely going on the list. Have a great week!
We didn’t do presents last year and it was actually kind of nice to take a break (is that wrong to admit?). And Yes you gotta try making biscotti–it’s easier than it looks!