Gluten-Free Almond Biscotti

close up of almond biscotti drizzled with chocolate

5 from 2 votes

These gluten-free biscotti are crisp, buttery, and perfect with a cup of coffee. Filled with toasted almonds and topped with dark chocolate, these biscotti are sure to impress. Plus they're gluten and dairy-free.

Prep Time40

Cook Time1

Cooling Time25

Total Time2 5

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: pieces

Calories: 166kcal

Author: Olivia Parsons

Ingredients

1 cup (140g) whole raw almonds
½ cup salted butter, melted use dairy-free if preferred. If using unsalted, add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt.
½ cup (120g) packed brown sugar
2 eggs room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
2 cups (300g) gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt add an extra ¼ teaspoon if using unsalted butter
1 cup (150g) 60-70% dark chocolate, finely chopped use dairy-free if preferred. Avoid chocolate chips as they don't melt as well.

Instructions

Make the biscotti dough

Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the almonds across the baking sheet in 1 layer. Bake for about 10 minutes, shaking halfway through. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning. They will be darker in colour and smell toasty when done. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then roughly chop. Don't chop too small or you won't see pieces of almond in the biscotti slices. You can leave the oven on while you prepare the dough.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to lightly mix the dry ingredients together on top, then fold the dry into the wet to create a homogenous dough. Fold in the chopped almonds evenly. Allow the dough to sit and hydrate for 10 minutes.

Bake the biscotti

Prepare a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller ones) with parchment paper. Lightly flour your hands and divide the dough in half. If you have a kitchen scale, each half should be approximately 387g. Place the dough on the parchment paper and use your hands to shape into 2 logs (see images in the blog post). My logs are approximately 10x20cm and 1.5 cm thick (3"x11" and ⅝" thick). If you want thicker biscotti, make the logs slightly taller height-wise and shorter length-wise. If you want shorter pieces, make the logs longer and more narrow. Changing the shape may affect the baking time slightly.
Bake at 350ºF for 28-30 minutes, until dry to the touch. Remove the baking sheet(s) from the oven and allow the logs to cool for 20-25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 285ºF. It is important to let the logs cool, but not too much, before cutting. They can crumble if too hot, and also if too cool.
Gently transfer 1 log to a cutting board if preferred. Use a large, sharp, serrated knife to cut the biscotti log into 1.5cm width slices (⅝"). I like to cut parallel to the short side, down the log. For longer biscotti, you can also cut diagonally. To cut, gently saw through the log. If I reach a stubborn almond, I will sometimes slice right through. You'll get the hang of it. Don't worry, some breakage if normal. You should get approximately 24-30 biscotti total, depending on thickness and slicing direction.
Place the biscotti slices, cut side down, back on the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other log. Bake at 285ºF for 15-20 minutes, until the top feels dry to the touch. Then flip all of the biscotti pieces so the bottom side is now on the top. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until dry to the touch. They will be crisp and slightly golden. The biscotti will also dry out more as they cool.
Allow the biscotti to cool on the baking sheet until you are able to handle them, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

Temper the chocolate

Once the biscotti are fully cooled, you can prepare the chocolate for drizzling or dipping. It is important to temper the chocolate, as this will ensure the chocolate is dry at room temperature and not sticky. If you are familiar with tempering chocolate, use the method you are most comfortable with. This easy microwave tempering method was learned from Sugar Geek Show (see link in blog post).
Place the chopped dark chocolate in a plastic or silicone bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well with a spoon or rubber spatula. Microwave for another 30 seconds, then 15, then 10, then 10 seconds, stirring well in between each heating. The most important thing is that the chocolate does not go above 90ºF. Use a candy or probe thermometer to check the temperature of the middle of the melted chocolate. If it is ever too hot, keep stirring to incorporate air, and add a few pieces of un-melted chocolate to cool it down. If necessary, continue with 10 second intervals, stirring and checking the temperature, until smooth. Use the back of your spoon or spatula to spread some melted chocolate on a piece of parchment paper. If it starts to solidify in a few minutes, then your chocolate is good to use.
Place the wire rack of biscotti over a piece of parchment paper to catch the drips. Use your spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscotti. I like to drizzle over half of each piece, so there is a plain side to grab the biscotti. You can also dip the biscotti in the chocolate, but I find this can end up too thick sometimes. If you have extra chocolate at the end, spread it thin on a piece of parchment paper, wait for it to solidify, then store for future use. Allow the drizzled biscotti to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes for the chocolate to solidify.
Then you are ready to enjoy your homemade gluten-free almond biscotti! Eat as is for a dessert cookie, or dip in a cup of coffee or tea for a sweet snack. See storage instructions below.

Notes

Dairy-Free: To make these biscotti dairy-free, use your favourite plant-based butter.
Add other mix-ins. Use an equal quantity of hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, or your favourite nut! Dried fruits are also great in biscotti. Dried cranberries, apricots, etc!
Chocolate: I use dark chocolate in this recipe, but feel free to use semi-sweet, milk, or white chocolate.
Extracts: Instead of almond extract, try using orange extract, or a light amount of peppermint extract. Start with ¼ tsp.
Try a new shape. Instead of cutting parallel to the short side of the log, cut diagonally for longer, larger biscotti pieces.
Storage: Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
Freezing: Finished biscotti can be frozen in an airtight container for 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours. Note that the texture may change slightly.

Nutrition facts are an estimation of one biscotti piece.

Nutrition