She loves biscotti you say…more specifically Almond Biscotti.
My whole biscotti obsession started with this family recipe for Italian Almond Biscotti. Simple and great tasting -it will quickly become one of your favorites.
This recipe was originally published on September 28, 2014 and re-published on October 12, 2017 with updated content and photos.
Born to Italian immigrants, growing up in Montreal, my definition of biscotti refers to a variety of cookies, which include the twice baked cookie.
As a kid I thought this cookie was too hard and looked boring. Whenever I opened the pantry door, there they were again, almond biscotti. I remember thinking why can’t we be like the other kids and have store bought cookies. It was only as an adult that I came to appreciate this simple cookie which was absolutely created to be dunked.
If you have never ventured into the world of biscotti…you should. They are truly simple to make, do not require any special cooking equipment (that means manual labor i.e. mixing by hand) and you can easily control the amount of sugar and the flavors (for example, the anise flavor found in this anise biscotti recipe can easily be replaced with vanilla flavoring).
Once you have combined the ingredients, it’s time to shape this mixture into logs. My method is definitely unconventional, but it works for me. I will use a large serving spoon to scoop out the dough and place it on the parchment lined cookie sheet. I will then add another scoop adjacent to the batter on the cookie sheet and keep going until I have formed my two logs.
As far as the size of the log is concerned, you can make them as wide or as narrow as you want. I will usually make 3-3½ inch wide logs. Once I have placed the batter on the cookie sheets, I will gently “press” and shape the dough mixture into logs with my damp fingers. Like I mentioned, unconventional and amateurish…but hey, it works!
Once baked, allow them to cool off before attempting to slice them.
Biscotti, as you may know, is Italian for “twice-cooked” – so if you like a bit of a crunch, put those biscotti back in the oven again for a second round of baking. The longer these Italian biscotti stay in the oven, the crispier they will get. Although it is a well known practice to bake these biscotti cookies twice, personnel preference should dictate for how long, if at all. These Almond Biscotti are fantastic even without the second baking.
Another well known fact is that biscotti will last forever! Well, maybe not forever… but you get my point. Because they are baked twice, there is little moisture in the dough. Since biscotti are a low moisture cookie, this will allow you to store them at room temperature, where they will keep for a few weeks. It is best to keep them in an air tight container.
Origins of the recipe for Almond Biscotti:
As you can well imagine, every Italian family has “their” biscotti recipe and I have collected quite a few over the years. This is one of my personal favorites. In fact, my whole biscotti obsession started with this Almond Biscotti recipe. As you may have guessed, this was one of my mom’s recipes.
A simple and great tasting biscotti -I am sure they will quickly become one of your favorites!
I hope you enjoy these Almond Biscotti with some Vin Santo, coffee, tea or even milk!
Don’t forget to dunk 🙂
Thanks for dropping by,
Ciao for now!
Maria 🙂
Almond Biscotti
My whole biscotti obsession started with this family recipe for Italian Almond Biscotti. Simple and great tasting -it will quickly become one of your favorites.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Position rack in the center.
- Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast in oven for about 12-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and sugars).
In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add olive oil, extracts, and zest. Whisk lightly together.
- When almonds are toasted, remove from oven and coarsely chop.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture; stir with wooden spoon until just incorporated.
- Fold in chopped almonds (make sure they have cooled off before incorporating in the batter).
Divide dough into half. Place each half on a large cookie sheet. With damp fingers, shape into a log shape.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown in colour and firm. Let cool slightly.
- Remove from baking sheet and transfer to cutting board.
- Using a serrated knife, slice cookies at an angle about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick.
Place slices (standing up) back on the baking sheets, and return them to the oven for about another 15 - 20 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get).
Place on a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Notes
Note: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.
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Antonella says
Good Job Zia!!!! I’m sooo looking forward to following your blog, and making biscotti. xo
Maria says
Thanks for your support Antonella!
xo
Mary says
Good job!! Love it. 🙂
Maria says
😉 Thanks mar!
Veronica says
Love this recipe! Definetly 5 stars!! My family devoured them in 2 days.
Maria says
Hi Veronica,
So glad you and your family enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
I never ever, ever, ever, forget to dunk! I love biscotti, especially almond biscotti! In fact, it’s one of the flavors my grandmother used to make the most! I can not wait to try your recipe as it looks fabulous!
Maria says
Thanks Elaine! It never seizes to amaze me that despite all the wonderful and creative biscotti recipes, I always go back to my true love… almond biscotti. Thanks so much for dropping by 🙂
Paula Barbarito Levitt says
We had the same experience growing up, I wondered why we just could have Oreos as a staple like all of the other kids. Your unconventional method for shaping the biscotti is actually rather clever, thank you for sharing it. I am intrigued but the addition of brown sugar and will have to try this soon.
Maria says
If you do try the recipe, you will find there is a “yielding” crunch… no doubt caused by the brown sugar and the oil. Not really sure if my mom “modified” this biscotti recipe … the only thing I know for sure is that as much as I did not like these almond biscotti as a kid… I crave them as an adult. Thanks for dropping by Paula ♥♥♥
Marisa says
I have an ongoing love affair with biscotti and am actually working on a new flavour combination coming up very soon. Almond biscotti are a true classic and these look delicious Maria! I don’t believe I’ve ever used oil in biscotti before but I’m so looking forward to trying your version…..beautifully done!
Maria says
Thank you Marisa ♥ I absolutely understand your love of biscotti 😉 Looking forward to your recipe! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
Diane says
I made my first biscotti ever! These are delicious! So easy! Thank you!
Maria says
Fantastic Diane! I’m doing a little happy dance, lol ♥ Thanks so much for taking the time and letting me know 🙂
Ellie says
Me too!! I’m a first timer and they were delicious!! Very easy to follow recipe—thank you!!
Maria says
My pleasure Diane ♥ have a great week-end and thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Karen K says
I just got back from Italy and what was my favorite dessert? Almond Biscotti from Nannini in Siena. I brought home a bag and am rationing myself and was wondering NOW what do i do when I polish these off? WHY bake some yourself! So I am eager to try this recipe to keep the memories alive and my taste buds satisfied.
Thank you for sharing!
Maria says
Oh my, I can only imagine how wonderful… they probably use fresh almonds! Sounds like you had a wonderful time in Italy. These biscotti are very popular in my household… hopefully you will like them Karen. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Have a great week ♥♥♥
Karen says
The best biscotti recipe, thank you for sharing❤️So glad I found this, have made them twice so far, and are a big hit!
Maria says
I’m so glad you are enjoying them Karen! Appreciate you taking the time to let me know ♥
Janis says
I want to make this recipe but I don’t have olive oil. Can I substitute vegetable oil or real butter. I’ve never made these. Please reply soon 😊. Thank you
Maria says
Hi Janis, I would use vegetable oil. Enjoy 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Carol says
Hi all. I would say no as the olive oil is very different from the veg. Or butter.
I make a pizzelli and it calls for LL marg. I have tried substiting butter and forget it they were terrible. But that is only me. I think most biscotti come out best with olive oil.
This is only my feeling and experience this biscotti.
All Marie’s recipe are wonderful. At least those I have made.
Lori Martin says
I tried a couple of biscotti recipes this Christmas. Your’s was by far my favorite! Easy, delicious, and the perfect texture!
Maria says
Fantastic Lori, glad you liked them! Appreciate you taking the time to comment. Best wishes to you and yours for a happy holiday season 🙂
Molly Vogel says
Hi Maria,
Thank you for sharing your biscotti recipe for so many to enjoy. My friend made me some biscotti from her family recipe years ago and promised to share the recipe but for whatever reason didn’t. I’ve been trying to find a recipe for years that I loved. I made it yesterday and just enjoyed two with my coffee for my quiet Christmas morning in front of the fire. 💕 One was your original recipe and the other I had coated the top with chocolate. I love this recipe! 💕 I will definitely keep this in my favorites.
Merry Christmas!
Maria says
How wonderful Molly! Now you know why I have a biscotti obsession that I am so happy to share 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas ♥♥♥
Carolyn says
I made these for Christmas gifts at work. Everyone loved rhem so much I’m making another batch today (snow day) to share tomorrow
Maria says
Snow days are the best for baking 🙂 Carolyn, how wonderful to hear you liked these almond biscotti! Appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Happy baking ♥♥♥
thefolia says
My little ones love biscotti, I’m going to have to try these one day soon.
Maria says
Fantastic! Hope your `little bears`like this biscotti recipe. Thanks for stopping by:)
Marlene Battiste says
My favorite. Love all your recipies. I am Italian.
Maria says
Thanks so much Marlene 🙂 Although I love all biscotti recipes, like you, these almond biscotti are one of my favorites. Appreciate your comment. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Gabrielle says
I really want to make this but where do I buy almond extract? And if I can’t find it, will it dramatically affect the final result?
Maria says
You can buy it at any grocery store; it is also available online. As an option, you can increase the amount of vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon -the texture will be the same but the taste will be a little different. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Christy says
Do you mean olive oil or extra virgin olive oil?
Maria says
Any type of olive oil works in this recipe… I will use extra virgin because it is what I usually have on hand. Thanks for stopping by Christy 🙂
Josh says
Looking fwd to trying this recipe, thanks! I am on a perennial search for biscotti recipes. Ages ago, I had the fortune to live near a bakery in Rome that made biscotti that were a revelation to me. Not dry & crumbly…but a perfect amount of ‘crunch’ on the outside and ‘chew’ in the middle. Heaven!
Maria says
My pleasure Josh 🙂
I can only imagine what a wonderful experience living in Rome must have been… I totally understand your quest.
You have in fact, just described the perfect biscotti… keeping my fingers crossed 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment 🙂
Pat Zanto says
I was looking forward to trying this recipe as I find the store bought are, tasteless and too dried out. I loved using olive oil, which is different from other recipes I looked at. They are delicious and the best part? The cook gets to sample the “ends” while the cookies go in for the second bake. Yum!
Maria says
lol… that is also my favorite part!
I am thrilled to hear you like the recipe Pat. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it.
Have a wonderful week-end 🙂
Katie says
This is a great recipe! Easy, fast, delicious. I experiment often with biscotti and have never used brown sugar. It adds a nice caramel note. I love using olive oil in this recipe as my standard go-to favorite recipe contains butter at room temperature. So with these, there’s no waiting for the butter to soften & no mixer which feels more gratifying, right? It’s definitely adaptable to other flavor and nut combinations too. Thank you! Made them last night. Will definitely bake them again soon!
Maria says
Amazing Katie! Yes, there are infinite variables with this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with making these almond biscotti, truly appreciate it ♥
Terry says
I have a few friends who cannot eat nuts, how can the same good almond flavor without them, almond flour was too pricey to buy
Maria says
Hi Terry, Unfortunately almond flour is made by grinding almonds and I have not tested the recipe without the almonds.
I can suggest this recipe for anise biscotti as they are totally nut free. I made them for a colleague of mine and she just loved them! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Shannon says
I tried the recipe and it is delicious! Mine came out super crumbly so I’m not sure what happened! This is my first try though so I’m happy with them! So delicious!!!!
Maria says
Thanks Shannon 🙂 It really is a great biscotti recipe. It took me a couple of test runs before I got the dough right. Remember to always fluff the flour before measuring it. Also, the oven temperature might be another factor. I just recently was having problems with my mom’s recipe for ciambella (Italian ring cake)… it just would not rise… Now, this is a cake I make once a week, so I could not understand this. The date on my baking powder was good -still I went out to buy another one… and still my cake did not rise. Then I bought an oven thermometer… would you believe my oven was off by almost 25 degrees? So, needless to say, the oven might be a factor. I would try decreasing the amount of time in the oven of the first bake. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with these biscotti, appreciate it!
Becky says
I made these this weekend and they came out perfect! It’s my first time using olive oil in a recipe and initially I thought I’d miss butter but these have a warm, rich flavor. Thanks for sharing! xo Becky
Maria says
You made my day Becky! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe for almond biscotti. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it ♥
Bill says
This recipe worked really well; I did make a few slight modifications though. I was making this for a friend and she is allergic to almonds. Instead of almonds I used pistachios and instead of almond extract I used 1 Tblsp. of Anise extract. I also added 3/4 C. chopped dried cherries. Everything else I followed exact and they came out great. The anise flavor wasn’t too strong, so if anybody likes a strong anise taste, I would add more than the 1 Tblsp.
Thanks for posting this recipe, it seems pretty versatile; I plan on making several varieties for the upcoming holidays.
Maria says
Hi Bill, I am thrilled to hear your enjoyed this biscotti recipe. I love the combination you tried. As you say, it really is a great basic dough to work with. Appreciate your comment. Thanks so much for taking the time to share 🙂
Ann says
I followed the recipe as written but I didn’t like it. The biscotti are edible, but not great. I don’t like the almond extract in there, olive oil gives them a funny taste, and I don’t care for brown sugar in biscotti. That’s just my opinion. Our tastes differ, so I would encourage others to try them for themselves.
Maria says
Appreciate your comment Ann, thank you. I am truly sorry to hear you did not like them… as you say, our tastes are different.
It has been my experience that most recipes can be modified to suit personal preferences… it does however take a little tweaking. Take for example this recipe… you can replace the brown sugar with white granulated sugar, the almond extract can be eliminated, and you can replace the olive oil with a neutral tasting oil or even butter (with a little tweaking as to the total amount).
Thanks for trying this family recipe for almond biscotti. Hope you are able to find a biscotti recipe that suits your personal tastes.