Italian Almond Biscotti (Gluten-Free Option)
Classic Italian almond biscotti — crunchy, twice-baked cookies with toasted almonds and almond extract. No butter or oil, so they keep for weeks. Works with regular or gluten-free flour.
Ingredients
- ½ cup blanched slivered almonds toasted
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour OR gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toast the slivered almonds on a dry baking sheet for 8–10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat the sugar and eggs for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and thickened. Add the almond extract.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in the toasted almonds.
- Form the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 to 1½ inches high on the prepared sheet.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the log is firm and lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes — not longer, or the log will shatter when you slice it.
- Using a serrated bread knife, slice the log into ½ to ¾ inch slices. Place cut side down back on the baking sheet.
- Bake about 10 minutes per side, until golden. The longer you bake, the crisper and less chewy they become.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Gluten-free swap: Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour substitutes equally for the all-purpose. The gluten-free version comes out slightly crisper; the regular flour version slightly chewier.
- Toasting the almonds is not optional. Untoasted almonds contribute almost no flavor to a twice-baked cookie.
- The 10-minute cooling window matters. Too hot and the log crumbles; fully cooled and it cracks.
- You control the texture with the second bake. Eight minutes a side for softer, 15 for a proper Tuscan crunch.
- Naturally dairy-free — there's no butter or oil in the recipe.
- Yield: 18 to 20 biscotti, depending on slice thickness.
- Contains tree nuts. Not suitable for almond or tree nut allergies.
- Recipe adapted from Italian Dessert Recipes.
Nutrition (per biscotto, approximate, based on 18)
Calories ~95 | Protein ~2.5g | Total Fat ~2.1g | Saturated Fat ~0.2g | Carbohydrates ~17g | Fiber ~1g | Sugar ~7.4g | Sodium ~91mg This makes 18 to 20 biscotti depending on how thick you slice the log. Nutrition is approximate and calculated for 18. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central.