I’m sure we all know by now that making coffee at home instead of hitting the drive-through can save you a TON of money over time, but those little side treats and baked goods also add up! So let’s make some homemade biscotti to elevate your entire homemade coffee experience and squash that temptation to go to the drive-through once and for all. They can be made into a million different flavors, they’re super easy, and freezer-friendly so you can work your way through a batch over time. Budget WIN!
What is Biscotti?
Biscotti, also known as cantucci, are Italian biscuits (or cookies) that are baked twice to yield a deliciously crunchy texture that is perfect for dunking into your favorite hot beverage. The American versions are typically slightly softer and sweeter than traditional Italian recipes; they come in a variety of flavors and are often dipped in chocolate. The recipe we have here today is definitely American-style, similar to what you’d find in coffee shops across the U.S.
Ingredients for Biscotti
You really don’t need much to make this recipe, just a few pantry staples, which means they’re typically going to be very budget-friendly (about $0.20 each!). To make a simple homemade biscotti you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Flour: the base for any biscuit or cookie! We used all-purpose flour to keep the recipe simple. If you experiment with a different type of flour, keep in mind that you may need to adjust the amount of flour to keep the same moisture ratio in the dough.
- Baking Powder: this is the leavening agent for the dough. They’re not a super light and airy cookie, so not a lot of leavening is needed.
- Sugar: American biscotti are a little on the sweet side, but not quite as sweet as a typical cookie. We use white granulated sugar to provide sweetness and keep a crispy texture.
- Butter: using butter as the fat provides a lot of flavor and helps keep the texture nice and crispy.
- Eggs: eggs act as a binder and provide a little moisture to the dough, so they stay just a little bit soft in the center.
- Vanilla or Almond Extract: a little bit of extract gives the dough just a hint of flavor. Almond is typical, but we’ve used vanilla which goes nicely with the white chocolate we used for decorating.
What Else Can I Add?
This is where things get FUN. You can add so many different ingredients and make a million different fun flavor combinations. Here are some of my favorite additions:
- Chocolate chips or cocoa powder (stir into the flour)
- Dried fruit
- Chopped nuts
- Cinnamon, cardamom, or other ground spices
- Citrus zest
- Instant coffee
- Matcha
- Other flavor extracts (lemon, orange, peppermint, etc.)
- Dip each cookie into melted chocolate or drizzle with a flavored icing
Need some flavor combination ideas? Try Almond Apricot Biscotti, Cinnamon Spice Biscotti, Cranberry Almond Biscotti, double chocolate (cocoa dough with chocolate chips), cranberry pecan, dark chocolate orange, coconut matcha, pumpkin spice, white chocolate cranberry, or chocolate peppermint. You could also take inspiration from other cookie recipes (like snickerdoodles or gingerbread) for more flavor ideas.
Storage Instructions
Allow your homemade biscotti to cool completely to room temperature before storing to avoid trapping any steam or moisture. Once cooled, store them in an air-tight container for up to two weeks. They can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for longer storage. Thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
Homemade Biscotti
Servings 18 biscottiIngredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.28)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.06)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
- 1 cup granulated sugar ($0.39)
- 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature ($0.62)
- 2 large eggs ($0.78)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract ($0.29)
- 1/4 lb. white chocolate (optional for decorating) ($1.00)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract with a mixer until mostly smooth (a few small lumps of butter is okay).
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir together until it forms a ball of dough.
- Divide the dough into two and shape each one into a flattened log about eight inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Place the logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges and there are a few cracks in the top of the dough.
- Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a cutting board. Use a finely serrated bread knife to slice the biscotti, on a diagonal, into ½-inch wide slices.
- Place the slices back onto the baking sheet, laying flat, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, flip them over, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely before decorating with melted chocolate (if desired). Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Nutrition
How to Make Biscotti – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir until well combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, add 1 cup sugar, 4 Tbsp room temperature butter, 2 large eggs, and ½ tsp vanilla extract.
Use a mixer to combine the wet ingredients until mostly smooth (there may still be a few small pieces of butter).
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir until it forms a ball of dough.
Divide the dough in half and form each half into a flattened log about 8 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Place the logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or just until the edges are slightly golden brown and the tops have small cracks.
Carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board and use a finely serrated bread knife to slice the biscotti on a diagonal into ½-inch wide pieces.
Place the slices back on the baking sheet, laying flat, and place it back into the oven for five minutes.
Remove them from the oven, flip them over to the other side, and then bake for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
Allow them to cool completely, decorate with melted chocolate or icing if desired, then serve with a hot cup of coffee!
I just love this recipe!!!! It is very to add whatever your taste buds desire. Weather you want the taste of vanilla,coconut,toffee,carmel,cinnamon,chocolate,cranberry or nuts,the possibilities are endless!!! I’ve made this recipe with my best friend and just myself and they all have turned out so full of deliciousness!! Well I’m making toffee coconut biscotti now, so back to my favorite dessert. Enjoy!!
Absolutely a great recipe. I used applesauce in place of eggs. I also Did the second half of the baking in my air fryer so there was no having to turn them over.
Thank you.
This recipe is exceptional! Do not hesitate to make these. I was so pleased with the outcome. I used organic whole white flour and organic cane sugar and semi sweet chocolate for the drizzle and they turned out fantastic. I think they are better than cookies, not overly sweet, very satisfying! The whole family loved them. Will add to my regular rotation. Appreciate the simplicity. Thank you!
I like how you kept the recipe simple. The ingredients were all basic staples (except for the optional chocolate), so I didn’t have to go out and buy anything else. It’s recipes like this that help me stick to a budget and eat healthier. I know this is a dessert, but if I’m going to have a treat I feel like it’s healthier to have a homemade one vs highly processed.
Beth, I made this recipe using Splenda instead of sugar and they were somewhat smaller than I expected. My loaves were about 5 inches long. I cut them lengthwise rather than diagonally across. they are VERY dense. any ideas?
Hmm, I wish I had some insight, but unfortunately I’ve never baked with Splenda! Since it has a different chemical structure from sugar it will act differently when you cook with it.
Hello,
How do you measure your flour? I found mine didn’t look like yours. I know some people have different methods of measuring with cups (spoon/scoop/sift)
I would also love recipes by weight if possible (or use both metric/imperial), especially baking ones. My recipes always turn out better that way.
Scoop and level. :)
I buy the almond biscotti from Trader Joe’s and it comes from Italy and seems to me to be harder than the softer ones I find in coffee shops which I prefer. If I want to make it harder can I just bake it longer ?
I can’t comment on this recipe, as I have not tried it. But here’s a recipe for Italian cantucci that you could use as reference :) :
https://memoriediangelina.com/2017/02/10/cantucci-tuscan-almond-cookies/
Hello Beth,
Do you wait to cool the biscotti before to slice it? or just cut warm from the oven?
Ruth
Hi Ruth! You cut it while it’s still warm from the oven. :)
Hi Beth! Do you leave the biscotti on the cookie sheet to cool, or transfer them to a wire rack? Thanks so much!
You can do it either way. :) I usually leave it on the sheet because I’m a little lazy. ;)