Enjoy almond flour biscotti so crunchy and delicious, no one will suspect it’s gluten-free! This simple recipe is versatile for a variety of flavors, and is so good, people ooohh and ahhhh about how they prefer it over traditional recipes. What’s the secret? There’s an easy ingredient you have right in your panty to help bind the ingredients. Let’s get baking!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get affordable and easy gluten-free recipes delivered each week!
My Favorite Almond Flour Biscotti Recipe!
Start your day with a gluten-free biscotti recipe made with almond flour dunked in coffee or enjoy as a dessert cookie. With a light, crispy texture, rich almond flavor, and hint of sweetness, my Italian grandmother would approve of these as much as she does my gluten-free recipe for savoiardi.
In Italian “biscotti” means twice baked, which is an apropos name for these decadent crunchy cookies. After the mixing the dough together, it is shaped into a log and baked. Once cooled, the biscotti is sliced and baked again till toasty and crispy.
When dunked into a steaming cup of coffee or tea, the texture softens into a saturated cookie. But using almond flour in homemade biscotti adds a special type of magic. It has this incredibly sweet, nutty flavor and makes the texture slightly chewy. Just like these fudgy almond flour brownies, I actually prefer this version over the traditional ones. And I’m not the only one…
I made this recipe last week and ate the whole thing in 2 days, I’m making it again today. It’s so easy to make and is so tender and flavorful. I absolutely love it and don’t think I will ever try another biscotti recipe in my life.
—Jodie
Ingredient Tid Bits
- Almond flour – Use blanched almond flour, not almond meal for this recipe, which works better in baking recipes like this and almond flour banana bread.
- Cornstarch – Helps bind the ingredients since almond flour is gluten-free and lacks binding. Instead of cornstarch, arrowroot powder, coconut flour, or tapioca starch may also be used for a completely grain-free recipe. This trick works especially well with homemade almond flour cake as well.
- Sugar – The recipe calls for granulated sugar, but light brown sugar or coconut sugar may be used. If you’d like to try a sugar-free substitute, read through the comments below. Many readers have shared how they’ve done it with success!
- Butter – Use softened butter to cream with the sugar. I have not personally tried this, but I believe soft coconut oil (not melted) or vegan butter sticks would work for a dairy-free recipe.
- Optional toppings – Drizzle with melted white chocolate or chocolate chips. If desired, top with additional topped nuts. Go to “Additions and Modifications” for more mix-in ideas
Free Guide! Receive a Free Almond Flour Cookbook
TOP 5 Highest Rated Recipes!
Make The Recipe
Let’s Make This Together!
This almond biscotti recipe makes an easy treat that is completely adaptable. Use the dough to make many versions, such as chocolate, cranberry, orange, or pistachio to name a few!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Mix up the dough.
This part is easy peasy. Well, it all is, but this part is especially. First cream together the butter and sugar, mixing about 3 minutes. Add in the egg and extracts. Once that’s nice a smooth, add in the dry ingredients. That’s it. You will have a thick dough, ready to be shaped.
Time to shape and bake.
Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Turn the dough out and shape into a thick log, about 9 inches by 2-3 inches wide. I found that popping it in the freezer for 15 minutes helps hold the biscotti together. Then bake in a 350ºF oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cutting tips and double bake.
Once it finishes its first bake, let it cool for before cutting. The longer you let it cool, the easier it will be to slice without falling apart. Use a serrated knife and very gently slice back and forth diagonally in 1 inch thick slices.
These slices are put back on the baking sheet to bake again. As you can see from the pic it will be a little underbaked, which is fine. Once you bake the slices again everything will be toasty and golden brown.
Fancy and delish drizzle.
At this point you have some straight-up delish biscotti. Dunk and enjoy. BUT if you really want to up your almond biscotti game a little chocolate drizzle on top is chef’s kiss.
On the same baking sheet, push the slices together. Don’t worry about the order, you just need to see the tops. Melt white, dark, or milk chocolate and add a little oil to thin it out enough to drizzle. Use a spoon to drizzle over the top, and if you’d like, sprinkle on more chopped almonds or chopped pistachios.
Additions and Modifications
The basic recipe can be modified into several different versions. To boost the almond flavor, mix in 1/3 cup sliced, slivered almonds, or any preferred nuts.
- White Chocolate – Melt white chocolate chips and drizzle on top or dip one end in. If desired, sprinkle with extra nuts, such as almonds, macadamias, or pistachios.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti – Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds. If desired, drizzle with a lemon glaze.
- Chocolate Biscotti – Stir in 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips or dip one end in melted dark chocolate chips.
- Pistachio Cranberry – Mix in 1/3 cup chopped pistachios and add 1/3 cup dried cranberries.
- Orange Almond Biscotti – Add 2 teaspoons orange zest and if desired, 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for the first bake. This prevents the dough from sticking.
- For a shiny biscotti, brush on an egg wash before baking the first time (egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water).
- To prevent crumbling, cool the biscotti completely before slicing and use a quality serrated knife (this one is my fave and really affordable!) in a gentle sawing motion. If the slices do fall apart, gently push back together and they will fuse together when it’s baked a second time.
- After the initial bake, the biscotti will look slightly underdone when sliced into. It will finish baking during the second bake.
- To make sure the biscotti is completely toasted and not soft, turn off the oven after baking and let it sit for 10 minutes before pulling out.
- If drizzling with chocolate, stand up the cooled biscotti and push together in the center of the baking sheet. Melt white or dark chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. If desired, sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Save this recipe to your pinterest board!
Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Crunchy Almond Flour Biscotti (Easy, Failproof Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) softened unsalted butter, see recipe notes for dairy-free
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup (212 g) blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) cornstarch, see recipe notes for substitutions
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (optional mix-ins / toppings) white chocolate chips, chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, slivered almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat together the softened butter with sugar for three minutes, or until light and creamy.4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract to the creamed mixture. Beat well to combine. Add the dry ingredients – almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until it comes together into a thick dough. Then stir in any optional mix-ins.1 large egg, ½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 ¼ cup blanched almond flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking tray and shape into a long log, about 9 inches by 2-3 inches wide. I recommend freezing the log for 15 minutes before baking to prevent spreading during baking.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. (TIP: Almond flour baked goods "appear" done before they are. They contain a lot of moisture, so it's best to leave them in slightly longer if you are questioning if it's done. The internal temp should be 195℉.)
- Cool first on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool completely. Heat the oven to 325ºF. Gently make 1-inch diagonal slices with a serrated knife using a sawing motion. (TIP: The slices may be slightly crumbly when slicing. Shape any cracked or broken slices back together and as they bake a second time, they fuse together.) Place the slices back on the lined baking tray, cut side up. The biscotti may look slightly underbaked, which is fine because it will finish baking when toasted.
- Bake for 20-25 more minutes, flipping halfway through. Turn off the oven and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes longer before pulling out to cool completely.
- If drizzling with chocolate, stand up the cooled biscotti and push together in the center of the baking sheet. Melt white or dark chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. If desired, sprinkle with chopped nuts. Let the chocolate harden slightly before gently pulling apart and laying on its side to cool completely.
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Cornstarch – Replace with arrowroot powder, coconut flour, or tapioca starch for a completely grain-free recipe.
- Butter – I have not personally tried this, but I believe soft coconut oil (not melted) or vegan butter sticks would work for a dairy-free recipe.
storing and freezing
To store, place in an airtight container or tin at room temperature up to 3 weeks. Avoid refrigerating biscotti. To store longer, almond flour biscotti may also be frozen. If it is chocolate-dipped place strips of wax paper between stacks of two or three. Wrap the stacks in plastic wrap and transfer to a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze up to three months. The biscotti can be dipped into coffee while still frozen or sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before enjoying.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
I love this recipe. I compared it to one I made with flour and this is much better. I am wondering if I can just double the recipe to make more? With the ingredients the same amount? It’s so good!
Appreciate this, Rita! Yes, as long as your mixer can handle it, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Best,
Melissa
Made this recipe. Will definitely make it again. Simple and very tasty.
Awesome, Ed! Thanks for commenting.
Best,
Melissa
These were perfect! I had to use dairy free butter and the person was sure I made a mistake and used real butter! Also- I like a bit of zest so I added some, and left out salt for health issues. Everyone loves them. Not a ‘granite-like’ as I normally prefer but the taste made up for it!
Ha! Too funny that they though you used real butter! Happy everyone enjoyed them. Thanks for the note, Janet!
Best,
Melissa
I HAVE MADE this recipe 3 times now. I used coconut sugar instead of white sugar.
It is difficult to tell when it is done because the dough is brown from the coconut sugar. The 35 minute baking time seems to be too long. I usually do not bake my biscotti twice, yet when I make the biscotti with almond flour i do bake twice need to slice and toast them a second time or they more easily fall apart. The lower temperature at the second bake helps. First two batches I felt were over done. Trying this last batch baking less time on first bake to see how they slice after completely cool.
Overall I love the texture of the dough very easy to handle and shape into loaf on cookie sheet.
Hi Joanne,
I’m thinking the coconut sugar has less moisture then white sugar, which could be why the 35 minutes might be too long. You can try a lower oven temp for the first bake as well and see if that helps. Thanks for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Love this recipe
Thank you
Thank you!
Best,
Melissa
Love this recipe! Added almonds and orange rind. Came out perfect.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
Best,
Melissa
I am diabetic, so am always looking for recipes without flour. Thank you for posting this! I made mine subbing the sugar with allulose which looks and tastes like white sugar but with no glucose spikes. I used what I had already “on hand” which meant slivered almonds with almond and vanilla flavoring. I wanted to top mine with dark chocolate, but “somebody” got into the bar and there’s not enough. But the biscotti are delicious even without it. My oven runs a bit cooler than normal, so I upped the temp and baked it a bit longer. I did brush the egg wash over the loaf and did not have the problem of crumbling as some stated. (The egg wash might have helped in that). Can’t
wait to try other flavors!
Thank you for all of this! I’m glad you were able to adapt the recipe for sugar-free. That is so helpful for others!
Best,
Melissa
Disappointing. I appreciate your posting this recipe, but I think it needs some work. There are so many steps for so few cookies. You shouldn’t have to be a surgeon and have to cut biscotti so carefully for the second bake. Following the recipe precisely, many fell apart and had to be pieced back together. This should not occur with tried and true recipe. I couldn’t flip them after ten minutes–much more falling apart. As an American with an Italian background, these do not have the look, feel, or taste of any biscotti that I know. Maybe biscotti are just not cut out for almond flour.
Sorry to hear this, Meri. Yes, almond flour will behave differently than traditional wheat flour recipes, both in taste and texture. It’s just ground nuts and there is no gluten to bind things together. Ironically, as an Italian American myself, I personally love the taste and texture of this biscotti over the versions my Italian mother and grandmother made. I like how it has the nuttiness with hints of chewy edges. It may not be a traditionalist take, but I find it delicious. You’re right, it does have a tendency to fall apart a bit more, but if it fell apart that much, it may not have had enough almond flour or baked enough on the first round. Regardless, I always love hearing from people who made the recipes and I appreciate the time you took to write.
Best,
Melissa
The best biscotti I’ve ever baked
I used orange zest from my Seville orange tree, lightly toasted sliced almonds, vanilla and almond extract. I giggle every time I take a bite
I love that you can use zest from your own orange tree. Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
Best,
Melissa
Easy to follow recipe and we found the biscotti to be delicious. I added cranberries and pistachios – yum!
Love the add-ins! Thanks for sharing, Susan.
Best,
Melissa
We LOVE this recipe and will make many times over. We used 1 teaspoon vanilla extract because we didn’t have almond extract and the biscotti tastes delicious. We mixed into the batter sliced almonds and applied dark and white chocolate on the sides of each piece instead of on the top using the blunt edge of a butter knife because we don’t like too much candied topping. Perfectly yummy. Look and taste just as delicious as those purchased from the Italian market!
That’s high praise, Al! Thank you for sharing and commenting.
Best,
Melissa
Thank you! I’ve been missing biscotti since having to go gluten free. I am so happy I found this recipe! I am always wary about trying new recipes (especially gluten free ones) because it can be hit or miss whether they come out the way you expect, and then you waste money on the more expensive gluten free ingredients. But you can trust this easy recipe. I would adjust the first and second baking time slightly if you live at high altitude (a few minutes less time in the oven). This biscotti is better than ANY biscotti ‘ve ever had. It must be the almond flour that makes it just the right consistency. You don’t have to dunk it in coffee to enjoy. It’s sublime either way.
Yes! Love all this, Ramona! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. It’s appreciated!
Best,
Melissa
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Fran, appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa
Hi Mary: this recipe looks good. Question, can i substitut the sugar for dates?
Hello,
Do you mean using date sugar? I haven’t tried it, but coconut sugar works in it so I don’t think it should be a problem!
Best,
Melissa
i am making your flour biscotti. can i substitue extra virgin olive oil for the coconut oil
Yes Mary, but it will change the taste slightly.
Best,
Melissa
Hi! This is hecka good ! Tho I did it with almond ground instead of flour (yes, i read your notes! 😂) but it tasted so so good nonetheless, albeit a little crumbly.
Can I check though – its 193kcal per recipe??? Or per serving? If its per serving, what would be the qty please? Thank you !
I’m gonna be making another batch soon!
Thank you! If you cut the biscotti is cut in 12 slices, then each slice is 193 calories. Hopefully that makes sense!
Best,
Melissa
Oh, right! I missed out the servings portion. I was hoping it’d be 193kcal for entire loaf so i can eat guilt free 😂 although that wont make sense. Thank you!
I made this recipe last week and ate the whole thing in 2 days, I’m making it again today. It’s so easy to make and is so tender and flavorful. I absolutely love it and don’t think I will ever try another biscotti recipe in my life.
Hi Jodie,
Thank you so much! This makes me so happy!
Best,
Melissa
This is the best biscotti! Everyone loves it and I passed along the website many times.
I’m so grateful, Candace! Thank you SO MUCH!
Best,
Melissa
Divine!
Thanks so much!
Best,
Melissa
I’ve made a couple of batches with your recipe – thanks so much! In my most recent batch I used coconut oil rather than butter. They turned out fine texture-wise. Flavor-wise the coconut is more noticeable than butter to me, so I’d use more extract and stronger flavors next time.
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe. Yes, that is the drawback, or sometimes advantage, of using coconut oil.
Best,
Melissa
I love this recipe! I made the pistachio cranberry version with coconut flour subbed in for cornstarch. I made 2 small logs to make smaller biscotti ( maybe they would last longer:). They have a nice crunch but won’t break your teeth like some biscotti. I’ll definitely be making these again. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Perfect! I used Splenda instead of sugar and added ground pecans to the dough. I made at least 4 batches over the Christmas holiday. I did drizzle dark chocolate over them after baking. I found that I really needed to beat butter and sweetener until it was creamy and after egg was added. Thank you for a great cookie!
I appreciate the feedback, Kristine! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
at the 2nd bake, when turning them over they all fill apart. great flavor, but all i had was chunks.i wanted to drizzle chocolate and almonds on top, but couldn’t, what happened?
Hi Beverly,
Oh, I’m so sorry this happened! How frustrating. 🙁 It sounds like the initial bake wasn’t long enough. Almond flour is a little tricky because it browns quicker and looks “done” on the outside, but still needs additional time inside (almond flour contains a lot of moisture!) I like to error on the side of overbaking. Unfortunately not everyone’s ovens perform the same, so maybe yours runs a little cooler?
Best,
Melissa
These turned out splendidly! Did not crumble at cutting even with adding some silvered almonds to the batter. Drizzled chocolate over. Will make again. Thanks!!
Thanks, Becky! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Best,
Melissa