Homemade Almond Biscotti (Crunchy, No Mixer & Perfect for Coffee!)
HOMEMADE ALMOND BISCOTTI are crispy twice-baked cookies that are made by baking a log of dough, cutting it into slices and then baking again until crunchy. They’re great for dunking in coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
These crunchy almond cookies are easy to make with pantry staples like flour, sugar, eggs and butter along with lots of whole almonds for texture.
The lemon zest lends a fresh bakery-style scent, so you’ll bite into nothing but bright and clean vibrancy.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Sour and full of crunch for dunking
- Stuffed with whole almonds in every slice
- Simple dough (no mixer, though you only live once)
- Excellent cookies to make ahead for the week.
- Stores well, crunchy for days
Ingredients
Dough
Butter (softened) – 5 tbsp / 70 g
⅔ cup (135 g) Granulated sugar
Eggs: 2 large
All-purpose flour: 2 2/3 cups (335 g)
Baking powder: 1/2 tsp
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Salt: a pinch
Zest of 1 lemon to taste (or more if you like)
Almonds: 1 cup (135 g)
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Butter: Use unsalted if possible. If you’re going with salted butter, do make the additional salt nothing more a pinch!
- Almonds: Whole almonds add the traditional look. Roasted almonds will work, but don’t use heavily salted.
- Lemon zest: Fresh is best in this ingredient. If you don’t have lemon, you can omit it or substitute orange zest for a different note.
- Flour: Lightly spoon and level your flour (no packed) so your dough doesn’t go dry.
- Baking powder + baking soda: This is the combination that’s going to help all of those logs rise and bake evenly — do not switch amounts.
How to Make HOMEMADE ALMOND BISCOTTI
- Cream butter + sugar. In a large mixing bowl cream (or whip) the softened butter with granulated sugar until well blended.
- Add eggs. Whisk in the eggs and continue whisking until they have lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
- Add zest + dry ingredients. Add the lemon zest, followed by the flour, baking powder and soda as well as salt; mix to create a dough.
- Fold in almonds. Stir in the almonds just until evenly distributed.
- Shape logs. Divide the dough and mould into logs .
- First bake. Arrange logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and set.
- Cool and slice. Cool the logs briefly, then slice them on a diagonal into strips of biscotti.
- Second bake (drying). Arrange slices cut side down on baking sheet and bake again to dry and crisp out.
- Cool completely. Allow biscotti to cool completely — they’ll get crispy as they cool.
- Serve. Eat as is, or dip in coffee or tea.
Expert Tips
- Pull the butter out a couple of hours ahead so you don’t have to wait for it to reach room temperature before creaming with the sugar.
- If the dough is sticky, dust your hands with flour, as needed, when rolling logs.
- Form logs uniform thickness so that biscotti will bake evenly.
- Allow logs to cool 10–15 minutes for a cleaner slice.
- You will need a sharp serrated knife and very light sawing strokes to cut without crumbling.
- Bake the second time until they feel dry and firm; they also crisp a little more as they sit.
- For added crunch, leave biscotti in the turned-off oven with the door ajar for a few minutes.
Storage & Freezing
- Room temperature: In an airtight container for up to 10–14 days.
- Fridge: No (it can dilute the crunch).
- Freezer: Freeze biscotti in a zipper-lock freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Thawing: Thaw at room temperature. Re-crisp in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–7 minutes if necessary.
HOMEMADE ALMOND BISCOTTI
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Softened butter: 5 tbsp (70 g)
- Granulated sugar: 2/3 cup (135 g)
- Eggs: 2
- Raw all-purpose flour: 2 2/3 cups (335 g)
- Baking powder: 1/2 tsp
- Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
- Salt: a pinch
- Lemon zest: (to taste)
- Almonds: 1 cup (135 g)
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Orange zest can replace lemon zest.
- For easier slicing, cool logs briefly before cutting and use a serrated knife.
- Biscotti crisp as they cool; if they soften, re-crisp at 300°F (150°C) for 5–7 minutes.
- Avoid storing in the fridge (it can soften the crunch).
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Variations
- Add mini chocolate chips (to be folded in with almonds).
- Trade orange zest for lemon zest.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with the wet ingredients.
- Add some dried cranberries or diced dry apricots.
- After peering it let it cool and dip one side in melted chocolate.
FAQs
They tend to require a longer second bake or additional cooling time. Biscotti will harden as they cool.
Yes, but the whole almonds provide that classic look and crunch. Sliced almonds help make things more sliceable.
I like a good, classic thickness of about 1/2 inch here.
Yes. Form logs, wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bake.
Cool logs on a cutting board for 10–15 minutes, then slice with a serrated knife, drawing back and forth in an arching motion.
Yes — biscotti get their distinctive crunch from being double baked.
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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
