Easy Traditional Italian Almond Biscotti Recipe - Simple Italian Cooking (2024)

Welcome! Here’s an Italian almond biscotti recipe from my family that is so simple and easy to make. If you’re looking for a recipe for biscotti with almonds that is quick and takes 30 minutes start to finish, this is not that recipe.

But, if you’re looking for a traditional almond biscotti that is tried and true and produces an authentic biscotti cookie that is perfect for dipping in your espresso or coffee, you’ve come to the right place.

About this Almond Biscotti Recipe

The Italian word for biscotti, is literally cookie. But most people use the word biscotti to refer to the long slices of dry cookies which are perfect for dunking in coffee.

Although this recipe uses almonds which provide the right balance of almond flavor without becoming overbearing, it isn’t required. I offer some substitutions towards the end of this post if you fall into this category.

My family’s almond biscotti recipe uses what is called a double-bake process. That means that the biscotti is baked twice at two different temperatures.

This extra step is what turns a subpar biscotti recipe into the classic crunchy and hard biscuit that softens instantly as you dip it in your espresso or coffee of choice.

The secret to any biscotti recipe is to achieve that dry texture and keep to traditional ingredients – almonds, sugar, eggs, flour, and well… keep reading I’ll just show you.

Recommended Baking Equipment

You don’t need much to bake these biscotti. Here’s some kitchen baking supplies that you’ll need.

• Mixing bowls This is for mixing the dry and wet ingredients.
• Baking sheets This is for baking the biscotti.
• Electric mixer This is for mixing the dough. You can use a stand mixer too.

A Traditional Almond Biscotti Recipe

This traditional almond biscotti recipe comes from my Italian in-laws. It’s their original recipe, so it’s the real deal.

I’ll be honest here, I’ve never made another person’s biscotti recipe.I should for comparison reasons, but this one is one that I love and I’m not sure it can be improved upon.

This recipe will come out perfect for you as long as you follow the instructions (which are very easy!).

About the Almond Biscotti Dough

As you can see in the image, the batter used in this recipe for almond biscotti is very sticky and wet. It is not runny, it is just sticky and wet, unlike other Italian cookies such as my Italian chocolate toto cookies or my Italian anginetti lemon cookies recipe.

I originally didn’t talk about this when I first posted this recipe. But as more people commented on this issue I’ve updated this post with actual dough images and a video.

They thought the dough was wrong and I must have messed up the portions, but that is not the case.

The sticky batter will make it difficult to work with if you’re expecting the batter to have the consistency and feel of bread or pizza dough or cookie dough. I give tips later on for how to deal with this.

The biscotti dough will turn into a very wet ball which you drop on a cookie sheet and shape into your two logs which I explain below.

Here’s a video to show it in action:

Recipe Ingredients

Here is the list of simple ingredients that you’ll need. Specific measurements are provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Eggs. Large eggs will work great.
• Sugar.Use white or raw sugar.
• Vanilla extract. We do not use almond extract because we have the almonds themselves. The vanilla adds a nice balanced flavor.
• All purpose flour. This should be sifted for best results. If you don’t have a sifter, beat it with a whisk.
• Baking powder.
• Baking soda.
• Salt.
• Almonds. You need sliced or slivered almonds. I’ve used both and either way it turns out great so don’t stress over this.

Step by Step Recipe Instructions

Here are the steps I follow every time I make these classic almond biscotti.

Step 1. To get started, preheat the oven to 325F.

Step 2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until they are creamy and fluffy. Use an electric mixer or hand held mixer.

Step 3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. These are your dry ingredients. We’ll add the almonds shortly.

Step 4. Next, add in the egg mixture along with the almonds to the flour mixture. Knead or mix the dough until it is well incorporated. I use my hands – remember the picture above?

PRO TIP: Remember that the dough is very wet and sticky! If it’s too sticky for the mixer, then do it manually.

Step 5. Once your biscotti dough is mixed, you will want to make two narrow logs with it. Since this recipe for almond biscotti uses very sticky dough, we literally just drop it on the cookie sheet as best you can.

You can also use parchment paper which I try to remember to use – it makes for easier clean up!

PRO TIP: To shape the biscotti dough into logs, use either a wet spatula or wet hands and just have fun with it.At this point you’ll be doubting the recipe. Don’t! This is normal.

See my picture below.

Do not attempt to use a single log, it will not cook evenly. Two smaller logs come out much better.

Here’s a picture of my attempt to cut corners and create a single log. It did not turn out well at all, and did not cook evenly. You can from the image how wet the biscotti dough is.

Don’t make the almond biscotti logs high in height. If you look at an authentic biscotti cookie, they are not big and tall.

Here’s a picture of a spoon right next to the log – as you can see it’s not much higher.

Step 6. After shaping the biscotti dough into logs, we bake them in the oven twice. These are twice-baked cookies. Do not skip this step, follow all the almond biscotti recipe instructions below.

First Biscotti Bake

Step 7. Bake the biscotti logs at 325F for 30 minutes. This allows the biscotti dough to harden enough so you can slice them.

Step 8. Remove them from the oven and using a sharp serrated knife, slice the logs into thick slices. About 1 inch in width. I do not use a cutting board, I cut them right on the baking sheet.

PRO TIP: If you wait until after the second bake to slice the biscotti, they will be too hard to slice and will crumble. It is critical to slice them after the first 30 minutes.

Step 9. Once you have finished slicing the biscotti, place them back in the oven and bake them for another 30 minutes.

Second Biscotti Bake

Step 10. After the 2^nd 30 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 275F and bake for a second time for the final 30 minutes.

This lower temperature is crucial for ensuring the biscotti aren’t over-baked and have very little remaining moisture.

Remember, traditional biscotti are meant to be dry!

The above picture is the biscotti in the oven after they are fully baked. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to wire racks to cool at room temperature.

Benefits of Homemade Almond Biscotti

The bottom line with any recipe is that when you make it at home you have full control over the quality of ingredients.It is no different when you choose to make these lovely classic almond biscotti.

You don’t have to worry about high fructose corn syrup, GMO soybean oil (thanks Monsanto – you suck), invert sugar, or other crazy stuff.

You can even go organic with most, if not all, of the ingredients. From organic flour to organic slivered almonds you can take this Italian almond biscotti recipe and bring it into the 21st century.

In addition, you can also use these homemade treats for making a homemade Italian gift basket for Christmas or other gift giving occasion or as an Italian breakfast idea along with some delicious Italian coffee.

So if you have ever wondered how to make traditional Italian biscotti, now you know. 🙂

Italian Almond Biscotti Recipe Tips

Here are some tips for making this classic almond biscotti recipe.

Use store-bought slivered almonds, not chopped

I’ve made this recipe enough to know what works and what doesn’t.

First, always use store-bought slivered (or sliced) almonds and never try chopping the almonds.

Trying to slice whole almonds by hand is nearly impossible and does not produce consistent widths of the almond slivers. I tried this once and it was a big fail.

This negatively impacts cooking and achieving your desired result.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations

Even though the almonds provide extra depth to the flavor and taste, there may be reasons you want to omit them. Here are some options for substituting almonds from your biscotti.

1. For a nut-free variation, try turning half the batch into dipped chocolate biscotti which I explain below how to do.
2. Add in a handful of chopped cranberries to the dough.
3. Substitute pistachios, pine nuts or pecans for the almonds.

How to Store Italian Almond Biscotti?

These can be made in advance and are easily stored. The biscotti can be kept in an air tight container on a countertop, and don’t need to be kept in the fridge.

For long term storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months in air-tight containers.

Easy Recipe, but not Quick

This recipe uses simple ingredients and the most challenging to find is probably the almonds. If you’re not sure if your local grocery store has them, you can easily purchase organic slivered almonds through online stores and have the ingredients delivered to your home.

But is this Italian recipe for almond biscotti a fast recipe?My answer is no, but it is easy and very simple. Recipes that only require a single baking period create more of a cookie texture.

A true authentic Italian biscotti is always twice-baked so they have very little remaining moisture. The outside is crunchy, just like the inside. But once you dip it in your favorite coffee, it softens immediately.

So this recipe isn’t the quickest dessert in the world, I understand. It takes time, but it is so well worth it!

Warn Guests Biscotti are Meant for Dipping

Just remember to tell people who aren’t familiar with biscotti to dip them in their coffee, otherwise they may be surprised when they try to take a bit and it’s super hard!

I had this happen at a party with guests that were not Italian. I learned later that they complained about how hard they were. I felt so bad and I wish I had a little sign that said – “these are made for dipping in coffee and will soften”.

How to Make Almond Biscotti Dipped in Chocolate

If you’d like to make your presentation fancier and even more impressive, try dipping half of your almond biscotti into chocolate.

The best way to do this by purchasing chocolate dipping sauce at the store. I simply dipped each biscotti and let them dry on a drying rack with wax paper or parchment underneath to catch the drippings.

Once dried, serve on a nice plate.

Other Italian Dessert Recipes

Here are some additional recipes for Italian cookies and desserts you may also like.

Try this recipe for Italian pecan butterball cookies. They can be made in 20 minutes, plus cooling.

Italian Ricotta Pie is a delightful dessert for any holiday.

If you like lemon, try my Italian Lemon Cake recipe.

I hope you enjoy this traditional Italian almond biscotti recipe. It’s my favorite version and I hope it becomes yours too. Let me know in the comments beneath the recipe card!

This recipe was originally posted on May 28th, 2016 and updated December 9th, 2022.