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Almond Flour Biscotti is the perfect gluten-free recipe to serve with tea or coffee. This version calls for just 5 simple ingredients, and would make a great DIY gift. There are two flavors to choose from!
Biscotti Ingredients
To make almond flour biscotti, also known as cantucci, you’ll need 5 simple ingredients:
- Blanched almond flour
- Coconut sugar
- Egg (see notes for swaps)
- Baking powder
- Almond extract
I find that blanched almond flour works best for this recipe, since almond meal (which has brown flecks of skin) tends to make more soft, cake-like baked goods. If you can only find almond meal at the store, I think it’s still worth trying, but the biscotti might need to bake a little longer to dry out in the middle.
Can’t find almond flour at the store? You can make homemade almond flour, too!
How to Slice Biscotti
When slicing biscotti, it’s important that the loaf is totally cool before you cut into it. Otherwise, it could mush together, or fall apart as you slice it.
I recommend letting the loaf cool at room temperature briefly, then placing the pan in the fridge or freezer to cool completely before cutting into it.
If this is your first time making biscotti, keep in mind that it’s also easier to make clean slices if you leave out any extra sliced almonds.
Adding sliced almonds looks pretty, but they are trickier to cut through. If your knife isn’t super-sharp, the almonds may not cut cleanly, and can create an uneven look, so this is something to consider.
What Makes Them Crispy?
Just like traditional biscotti, this recipe is twice baked to create extra-crunchy cookies. The thinner you slice the biscotti, the crispier they will be. Thin biscotti are also easier to bite into!
First, you’ll bake the dough as a log at 350ºF, just until it’s lightly golden.
Then, let it cool completely, so it will slice nicely. I recommend placing the loaf in the fridge or freezer, until the bottom of the loaf is cold to the touch.
Slice the log into thin strips, then lay each cookie on its side and bake at a lower oven temperature. This helps them crisp to perfection!
Baking the cookies at 250ºF ensures that they won’t burn, keeping their flavor in tact.
Tip: Don’t try raising the temperature on the second bake– even 300ºF is too much and will leave you with an unappealing taste. The almond flour can take on a slightly-burnt flavor, even without looking burnt.
When the biscotti are done baking, turn off the oven and let them continue to stay in the oven until it’s cool. This will ensure that the cookies totally dry out, creating a crispy texture that is perfect for dunking in coffee or tea.
Need an Egg-Free Version?
I originally planned on making this recipe egg-free, but as it turns out, it’s challenging to get the middles 100% dry without the egg. They are still delicious, but this egg-free biscotti is harder in texture, so be careful with your teeth.
These are definitely the type of cookie you’ll want to soften by dunking in coffee first.
If you’d like to try an egg-free version, replace the egg with:
- 2 tablespoons of arrowroot starch
- 3 tablespoons of water
You’ll bake as directed for the first round, but for the second bake, you’ll add 15 minutes to each side. So, they’ll bake for 45 minutes at 250ºF on one side, then you’ll flip them and bake another 45 minutes.
Turn off the oven and let the biscotti cool in there, if you can. This ensures there will be no “soft spot” in the center of the biscotti, so they’ll be ultra-crispy.
Making Chocolate Biscotti
I’ve included two flavor variations below, for both a classic almond biscotti, and a chocolate peppermint version.
If you’d prefer to leave out the peppermint, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract instead. Either way, it’s delicious!
Ingredients
Almond Biscotti
- 1 3/4 cup blanched almond flour (209 grams)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar (94 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (5 grams)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg (55 grams)
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (10 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (2 grams)
Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (177 grams)
- 1/4 cup cacao powder (25 grams)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar (103 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (5 grams)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg (55 grams)
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (10 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract/flavor
Optional Add-Ins
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips , for topping
- crushed candy cane or nuts , for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including the almond flour, coconut sugar, cacao powder (if making the chocolate version), baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to break up any clumps.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir in the egg, coconut oil, and extract. Mix until a thick, sticky dough is formed. If you want to add in sliced almonds for texture, now is the time to do it.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, and use your hands to press it into a "log" shape, about 8-9 inches long, and around 4 inches wide. You want the loaf to be about 1/2-inch thick. Once it's formed, place it in the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Turn off the oven, remove the pan, and let the loaf cool completely. I recommend letting it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer it to the fridge or freezer for 1 to 2 hours, to cool completely. This will make it easier to slice. Once it's cool, slice the loaf into 1/2-inch pieces, making about 20 to 22 slices.
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF for the second bake. (Do not use a higher oven temp!) Carefully arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the pan, flip the slices, and bake for another 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the biscotti stay in the oven as it cools. This will help them totally crisp up.
- When the biscotti are cool, they should be perfectly crispy and read to serve. Almond flour baked goods will get soft if you store them in an airtight container at room temperature, so I recommend storing these in an open container at room temperature, or in the fridge in an airtight container to keep them crispy. They should last for 3-4 days at room temp, or up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
How to Decorate Them
- If you'd like to dip the biscotti in chocolate to make them look fancier, melt 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips for 1 batch of biscotti. I use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over the top of each biscotti, coating only 1/3 of each piece.
- For the chocolate peppermint biscotti, I like to sprinkle some crushed candy cane on top of the chocolate. (I use YumEarth brand.) For the almond biscotti, you can sprinkle crushed almonds on top, or any other nut you like. (Hazelnuts are really nice, too!) Let the chocolate cool completely until hardened, then serve or store as directed above.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Almond Flour Recipes
Wondering what else you can make with almond flour? Here are some of my favorites to try!
- Almond Flour Pie Crust
- The Best Almond Flour Pizza Crust
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Ginger Cookies
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
- Best Almond Flour Brownies
- Almond Flour Pancakes
- Perfect Almond Flour Cake
If you try this Almond Flour Biscotti recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how they turn out for you! Biscotti can be a bit tricky to get right on your first try, so I hope these step-by-step photos and directions are helpful. If you try anything different, please let me know how that goes, too! We can all learn from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever made biscotti before? Any other flavors I should try?
Do you think I could substitute honey for the sugar? Thanks!
I’m not sure how that would work. I’d probably use half the amount of honey, but I don’t know what the texture will be like. Granulated sugar is what makes things crunchy without breaking your teeth, so the honey version could make them more solid? Let me know if you experiment with it!
I love how the biscotti turned out! I’ve never made biscotti before, but was eager to try after I adopted a cat and named her Lottie Biscotti a couple weeks ago. I made the chocolate peppermint version, and they turned out great! I dipped half in Lily’s sugar-free milk chocolate and half in dark chocolate, and simply crushed up peppermint candies on top.
The recipe was very simple to understand and make into the finished products. And my family all likes them a lot too! ❤️
Thank you so much for the feedback, Laura! I’m glad you enjoyed the biscotti!
I made the chocolate ones with vanilla instead because I didn’t have peppermint. I didn’t think they would work out at first. I was careful with my ingredients and when it was time to make the loaf I busted out the measuring tape to make sure it was perfect but on the first bake, the loaf spread out and I wasn’t sure it would work anymore but I persisted and they turned out AMAZING! I started them too late so had to ask my night owl husband to put them away for me because they were still cooling and I woke up with a text that said “these are top notch!”
Will for sure be making these again and trying the chocolate dip with peppermint!
Ha, I totally had to stay up too late one night while testing these, too. Definitely pays to start them early! I’m so glad they turned out well for you, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of the peppermint version when you get the chance to try that one.
Just made these they were yum! I made the chocolate peppermint ones and then made orange cranberry ones by using the almond version and subbing fresh squeezed clementine for the extract, adding zest of one clementine and folding in craisins. They turned out great!!! I’m going to try a fufetti variation tomorrow. Thanks for another amazing recipe!!
How much of the fresh juice did you use? I assume it was more than 1/2 tsp? I ve been trying to find a good orange one but the 2 I tried were not good at all.
Can I exchange the coconut sugar for stevia?
Ooh, I have no idea how that might work. The granulated sugar contributes to the texture of the biscotti, so I’m not sure how they will work without it. I don’t use stevia myself, so I can’t experiment with it, but please let me know if you give it a try!
Try orange zest and dried cranberries!
Double deelish!
A great recipe!!
FYI, I left mine in an airtight container on the counter overnight and they did not go soft. They were just as crunchy as Day 1!
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for letting me know!
so delicious! both options and super easy to make
Can I use egg egg replacement or flax egg in place of egg in the biscotti recipe
Loved the almond ones! They were so tasty even without being dunked in tea or coffee. I tried the chocolate batch with vanilla extract instead of peppermint and they were a little dry and had less flavor than the almond ones. Perhaps it was a bit too much cocoa powder? I’m freezing this batch and will decorate them for a cookie swap next weekend. Thanks for the fun and easy recipe!
Thanks for the feedback, and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the almond ones! That’s interesting about the chocolate version. I used 1/4 cup because I felt like the peppermint is overpowering without it, but I bet it would be fine to use less cacao when using something more mild, like vanilla. Maybe just try 2 to 3 tablespoons next time? I’ll report back if I end up trying that, too!