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.
More Italian Cookie Recipes
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
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
The Mediterranean Diet Starter Kit
The vibrant pantry essentials you need to start cooking the Mediterranean way.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
Have you a riecipe for Greek Brandy cake? We had a family friend from Greece who gave us a recipe for Greek Brandy Cake. It had sour cream in it and Brandy, of course. Made it in a large sheet pan and when warm, but not too hot. Poured a glaze of sugar melted in water over the cake, after pricking the cake with a toothpick so that the “glaze” make the crake very moist. Then , when cool, cut into small rectangular pieces. Everyone. Loved this cake! I have the recipe on a disc stored with other ethnic, Christmas recipes, but the disc is in storage. I am 79 and don’t have the energy to find it among my many other items in storage. My Mother, who made this cake, is long deceased. So that source is long gone.
You have such a wonderful collection of recipes on this special post ! I really would like to bake again, but don’t have the energy and with this pandemic, we are in lock down in California, so no visiting with friends to share baked Christmas specialties. Thank you forgiving us so many great recipes…
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Jeanette
Hello, Jeanette! Unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe for that cake at the moment, but thanks you so much for the idea! Merry Christmas to you and yours, as well!!!
First time making biscotti and they are sooo delish! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Adrienne! So glad you enjoyed them!
Typo.. long should be log
THanks for catching, Ann!
Turned out great! Looking forward to trying it again with a variation like you recommended. I will probably try next with nutmeg! Thanks Suzy!
Thanks.
Awesome recipe! I followed exact measurements except for the cardamom. I used only 1/4 tsp of freshly ground cardamom pods. Thank you! This recipe is for keeps. 🙂
Thanks, Jhing! So glad you liked it!
These turned out amazing! Thank you. If I wanted to make chocolate hazelnut – do you think I can swap a small amount of the flour for coco and replace pistachios with hazelnuts?
I haven’t tried that in the past, but if you’re a great baker (which you sound like you are) this may very well work and taste great!
Hi I have ground cardamom, is this the same as green ground cardamom? I am going to bake these for the holidays!
Thsnks
Yes, ground green cardamom is what is used here. Enjoy
Thank you for posting this recipe, I could not find link to the video, can you send please?
Hi Jen, if you hit the “jump to video” button, it will take you to the bottom of the page where the video is embedded (right above the actual recipe card.) If you don’t see it, it could be your browser settings as some browsers do not allow pop ups…and for some reason, that also affects videos.
Hello:
Congratulation on your website.It’s very interesting and educational.
A question about the traditional biscotti,without oil or butter.Will you be so kind to publish a basic recipe of the
original/traditional recipe?I understand that it was brought to america first by Cristobal Colon because they,the
bisquits would last for ever.Many thanks in advance for your kind reply,Dante.
Thank you! Appreciate your comment. We will keep this request in mind for future sharing 🙂
Wondering why my dough is more crumbly prior to The 30 min refrigeration?
I am not sure I have a full answer for you not being there in person to see what took place.
Hi Suzy,
Lovely recipe and pictures, can’t wait to try to make them. I was wondering if it’s possible to use brown sugar instead of white and would it be the same measurement? Thank you.
Hey Irina, thanks so much for the kind note. I’ve not tried brown sugar in this recipe, so I can not advice you with confidence
Absolutely delicious. My new favorite biscotti recipe. Thank you!!!! The cardamom takes them to a new level.
Maianna, I’m so glad to hear it.
Hello:
I enjoy your website very much!
May I use whole wheat flour instead of regular ??????
Many thanks for your reply,araucano.
Hi. Recipe looks like that which I’m seeking. Could you clarify your tip on adding butter? You say adding a small amount of butter helps the texture. Do you mean butter or olive oil or something? It isn’t clear since the recipe is basically butter, sugar, flour, eggs, baking soda.
Thanks!
The recipe has a little butter, which is not traditional to Biscotti, but I find it helps the texture
Hey, have made this recipe twice now! However the dough after the first bake is always super soft and the middle a bit raw. Have tried using a serrated knife to cut but it’s not the best. Have tried lower temperature for a little longer on the first bake but still no luck… what’s the dough supposed to be like?
Made these last night and they are delicious. I was reading another recipe for Biscotti and it suggests spraying the loaf with a fine mist of water before slicing for the second bake. After finding the loaf crumbled easily, I covered it with a wet paper towel for about 30-45 seconds and then they cut more precisely. Love this recipe!
Caroline
PS if this a a duplicate sorry ?
Thanks so much for sharing this great tip, Caroline! And so glad the recipe worked out for you!
I am going to give these a fly tomorrow .
Just one comment though , it would be really helpful if you were to give temperatures in Centigrade as well as Fahrenheit . At least half the world uses Centigrade these days & it is such a turnoff to making a recipe if you have to go make a conversion every time