Making biscotti from scratch is easier than you may think! This foolproof recipe will teach you how to make perfect dense, crunchy biscotti with pistachios and a hint of warming cardamom.
Biscotti are classic Italian cookies named for the Latin biscoctus, meaning “twice baked”. THe dough is baked, cooled, and baked again for that signature crunch.
My mom’s biscotti, made with anise or orange zest, frankly ruined the packaged kind for me! I wanted to make my own version with a different flavor combo: pistachios and fragrant cardamom for a cozy, warming quality. It’s deliciously dense, rich, and crunchy, but never too hard to bite on.
The recipe makes 24 pieces that keep well, making it perfect for the holidays! I like to serve the cookies with spiked coffee or indulgent Italian hot chocolate for a festive after-dinner treat.
Table of Contents
What is in Biscotti? Ingredients and Substitutions
Traditional biscotti is made from a simple cookie base with flour, sugar, eggs, butter or oil, and baking powder. You can incorporate different seasonings from there, like orange zest, nuts, dried fruit, and beyond. Here’s what I used for this biscotti recipe:
- All-purpose flour: Kate, my right-hand woman, said this about using gluten free flour: “I have made this biscotti with 1:1 gluten free flour a few times and it works very well (and I’m no baker, lol)!”
- Baking powder: Gives the cookies an airy quality.
- Butter: It may surprise you that I prefer a little butter in my biscotti instead of oil. I find it helps the cookies from getting too hard.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cookies just enough.
- Eggs: Binds the biscotti dough together.
- Pistachios: Substitute with other tender chopped nuts, like almonds or walnuts.
- Green cardamom: Swap with other warming spices, like nutmeg or cinnamon.
- Vanilla extract: Adds depth. Swap with rum or almond extract.
How to Make Biscotti
The biggest key to making biscotti is to chill the dough for 10-20 minutes after the first bake. Set a timer! If you leave it too long, the dough will be too hard to cut into. But if you begin to slice while the dough is quite hot, they will crumble. Here’s how it’s done:
Make and Chill the Biscotti Dough
- Get ready. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Set aside for now.
- Combine the butter and sugar. To a separate large mixing bowl, add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) and 3/4 cup sugar. Use a hand mixer at medium-high speed to beat until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating gently until combined.
- Finish and chill the dough. Add 3/4 cup chopped salted pistachios, 3/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon until combined, then stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Spoon the dough on top of the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, get ready to bake. Set a rack near the middle of your oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Shape the dough. When the dough has chilled, remove from the fridge and transfer to a large cutting board. Using floured hands, form a log that’s about 12 inches long (it doesn’t need to be perfect. The dough will spread during baking).
Bake, Slice, and Bake Again
- Bake the dough. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
- Chill, then slice into cookies. At this point, the dough should still be quite soft. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 20 minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut the log into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the biscotti slices flat in one layer on the baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart.
- Twice-bake the biscotti. Reduce the oven heat to 275°F. Bake for another 30-35 minutes, turning the biscotti cookies over halfway through until crisp. Remove from the heat and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled completely, store the biscotti in a loosely covered glass jar or container. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Biscotti
You can certainly wrap up homemade biscotti as gifts, but they’re also great to keep on-hand for entertaining. Serve:
- As part of an Italian-style cookie tray with Baci Di Dama (Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies) and Pizzicati (Italian Pinch Cookies)
- As a side to cozy drinks: Italian hot chocolate, espresso, or mint tea.
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Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup chopped salted pistachios
- 3/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Get ready. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside for now.
- Combine the butter and sugar. To a separate large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar. Use a hand mixer at medium-high speed to beat until light and fluffy, then reduce the speed to low and add one egg at a time, beating gently until combined.
- Finish the dough. Add the pistachios, cardamom, and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon until combined, then stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Chill the dough. Spoon the dough on top of the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, get ready to bake. Set a rack near the middle of your oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Shape the dough. When the dough has chilled, remove from the fridge and transfer to a large cutting board. Using floured hands, form a log that's about 12 inches long (it doesn't need to be perfect. The dough will spread during baking).
- Bake the dough. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
- Slice into cookies. At this point, the dough should still be quite soft. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 20 minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut the log into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the biscotti slices flat in one layer on the baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart.
- Twice bake the biscotti. Reduce the oven heat to 275°F. Bake for another 30-35 minutes, turning the biscotti cookies over halfway through until crisp. Remove from the heat and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled completely, store the biscotti in a loosely covered glass jar or container. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the cardamom used in this recipe.
- Storage: Biscotti will last anywhere for 10 days to 2 weeks when stored properly. Cool completely on a wire rack, then store biscotti in a loosely covered glass jar or tin lined with a paper towel.
- To recrisp: Heat the oven to 300°F. Stand up the biscotti on your baking sheet so the cut sides are fully exposed to the hot air. Bake for 3-5 minutes.
- Mix it up:
- Use a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon in place of the cardamom.
- Replace the pistachios with blanched almonds.
- Fold in a handful of dried cranberries.
Nutrition
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*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
Tasty. Thanks for recipe.
Can’t be more thankful! 😊
Hi Becky!
Can I make these with gluten free flour? If so, what type? They look delicious!!
Thanks!
Hi, Michelle! This is Kate, the gluten free member of the TMD team. I have made this biscotti with 1:1 gluten free flour a few times and it works very well (and I’m no baker, lol)! My favorite brands are King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill.
Can you use alternative flours successfully? Like almond flour or do you have a suggestion?
Ty! I love sooo many of your recipes!
Hi, Laura!This is Kate, the gluten free member of the TMD team. While I’ve never tried this with almond flour, I have made it with 1:1 gluten free flour a few times and it works very well. My favorite brands are King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill.
These were excellent and very easy to make.
Thanks
WHERE IS THE VIDEO ??
I keep clicking on “go to the video”, and nothing happens.
Hi, Sam. Unfortunately, some web browsers block pop ups which, for some reason, also blocks instructional videos. You may need to adjust your browser settings, or try a different browser on your end in order to see them.
I use an old electric serrated knife and no crumbling , maybe a touch … no really it is the best.
This is great to hear, Becky! Thank you!
Love this recipe! They always come out great and they are delicious.
For a little variation, I sometimes add orange zest, or almonds & lemon zest.
A new favorite for the Holidays.
Love those ideas! Thanks for sharing!