Almond Flour Biscotti

These almond flour biscotti, or cantucci, are the perfect gluten free Italian cookie to pair with a warm cup of coffee or tea in the morning. They are super customizable and bursting with almond flavor.

Biscotti, also known as cantucci, are crunchy, twice baked, long Italian cookies. The batter is typically filled with a variety of nuts and dried fruit. Sometimes they're glazed or even dipped in chocolate, like these Halloween pumpkin biscotti!

Biscotti is the generic term for "cookies" or "biscuits" in Italian, literally meaning twice cooked. In Italy, biscotti are known as "cantucci" or "cantuccini" if they are small. Baking the biscotti twice dries them out and gives them that iconic crispy, crunchy characteristic. Because of the second bake, they also have a very long shelf life!

These cookies are crunchy on the edges and slightly soft in the middle, perfect to dunk in coffee. They are made with almond flour, flavored with almond extract, and even have chopped almonds mixed in. If you couldn't tell, I'm a little obsessed with almond!

If you're looking for a coffee drink to pair these gluten free biscotti with, check out my toasted vanilla shaken espresso! They'd also be delicious served with a creamy espresso martini after dinner. For more almond flour recipes, make my almond flour banana muffins and almond flour pumpkin muffins.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Long, crispy and crunchy cookies- These cookies are twice baked, making them extra crispy and delicious.
• Gluten free- These biscotti are made with almond flour and are suitable for those following a gluten free diet.
• Easy to make- They are made with simple ingredients, require no chill time, and don't require a lot of equipment. No stand mixer or electric hand mixer required!
• Customizable- You can add a variety of things to this recipe, like chocolate chips, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, or orange zest.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.

• Almond flour- Use superfine, blanched almond flour. My favorite is from Bob's Red Mill. Do not use almond meal since the texture will be too thick.
• Coconut sugar- Using coconut sugar will result in a darker colored cookie with deeper flavor. If you don't have coconut sugar, use regular granulated sugar.
• Baking powder- Baking powder helps the biscotti rise. Make sure to use fresh baking powder, not baking soda since it's too strong. Because a leavener is used, it is perfectly normal for the biscotti to crack a bit on the surface while baking.
• Sea salt- Fine salt compliments and balances the sweetness. Adding a pinch keeps baked goods from being cloyingly sweet.
• Coconut oil- Melt the coconut oil and let it come to room temperature before adding it to the recipe so it mixes in evenly. Refined or unrefined coconut oil both work in this recipe.
• Large eggs- 3 eggs help bind the ingredients together, add extra fat for richness, and add a little lift. Pull them out of the refrigerator about an hour before baking to come to room temperature. Room temperature ingredients mix together more evenly than cold ones.
• Vanilla extract- This rounds out the flavor profile and adds a slightly fruity, floral aroma.
• Almond extract- This adds a sweet, pure almond flavor similar to amaretto.
• Chopped almonds- Nuts compliment the flavors of almond flour and almond extract while adding extra crunch. I recommend using raw, unsalted and unroasted almonds.

Substitutions

• Coconut sugar: Granulated sugar, brown sugar, or turbinado sugar can be substituted.
• Sea salt: Use finely ground Kosher or pink Himalayan salt if needed. If your salt isn't finely ground, add an additional ¼ teaspoon.
• Coconut oil: A neutral oil like avocado, grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil can be substituted.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla bean paste can be substituted in at a 1:1 ratio.
• Chopped almonds: Use a different chopped nut if desired, like pecans, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, or macadamia nuts.

Helpful Equipment and Tools

• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Large mixing bowl.
• Whisk and rubber spatula for different phases of mixing.

Step by Step Instructions

Here's how to make almond flour biscotti from scratch! Before you start, preheat the oven to 350°/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

STEP 1: Sift the almond flour and mix the dry ingredients. First, sift the almond flour with a mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Then, whisk the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

STEP 2: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Pour the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the dry ingredient mixture. Then, mix with a rubber spatula until just combined, avoiding over-mixing.

STEP 3: Fold in the slivered almonds and other add-ins. With the rubber spatula, slowly fold in the chopped almonds and other add-ins. I suggest chopped pistachios, dried cherries, or dried cranberries.

STEP 4: Shape the dough into logs and bake. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, split the dough into two balls. Shape each ball into long logs that are no more that ½ inch thick. Then, place each log on the baking sheet with ample space between each other. The dough will be rough and very sticky! Bake at 350°C/180°C for 28-32 minutes.

STEP 5: Slice the biscotti logs. Remove the biscotti from the oven and lower the temperature to 300F. Let the logs cool completely. On a cutting board with a sharp, serrated knife, slice the logs into 1 inch thick pieces, using a sawing motion to keep the cookies from crumbling. Prepare for them to crack a bit though!

STEP 6: Bake again. Arrange the cut biscotti on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then, let the cookies cool completely before dipping in or drizzling with chocolate and serving.

Expert Baking Tips

• Measure the flour correctly. Measure the almond flour correctly in grams with a food scale or by using the spoon and level method. Compacted flour can result in a dry, crumbly cookie.
• Use damp hands. Wet your hands before forming the dough into a log. This helps to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add an extra ¼ cup of almond flour.
• Make the cookies longer. To make longer biscotti, make your logs wider.
• Use the middle rack. Make sure the baking sheet is not too close to the bottom or top of your oven. This will help the biscotti to bake evenly and not burn the bottoms or tops.

Additions and Variations

While almond biscotti is a classic flavor, here are some other flavor variations I suggest.

• Chocolate- Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to the batter and omit the almond extract.
• Chocolate covered- Dip each biscotti in melted white, dark, or milk chocolate. You can also just add a little chocolate drizzle.
• Spiced- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter and omit the almond extract.
• Citrus- Add some lemon or orange zest for an extra pop of flavor.
• Dried fruit- I added dried cherries to the recipe when I was testing it, but you can add any dried fruit like cranberries, apricots, or raisins.

Storage and Freezing

After the biscotti cools completely, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. I don't recommend refrigerating them since a cold environment can make them chewy.

Freezing

First, wrap the biscotti in plastic wrap or place in a freezer-safe airtight container. tore in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

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