Gluten Free Classic Biscotti

Gluten Free Classic Biscotti with the perfect crunch and a hint of sweetness. This makes them the right cookie for dunking in coffee, hot chocolate, or sweet dessert wine. Biscotti are twice-baked - once as a log and then again cut into slices. The second bake is what makes them crunchy. They are definitely not "melt in your mouth" style cookies but delicious.

Gluten Free Biscotti are made with simple ingredients which most likely can already be found in your pantry and fridge. Use your favorite add-ins such as nuts and chocolate or leave them plain. Either way, they will be delicious.

Serve your biscotti with a cup of the Best Hot Chocolate you ever made at home.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this recipe for classic biscotti with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob's Red Mill and my own Gluten Free Flour Blend. The biscotti cookies made with Bob's Red Mill were dry and crumbly compared to the other flour blends used. The blends used for testing this biscotti recipe do contain xanthan gum.

Almond Flour: The addition of almond flour eliminates the very sandy texture when making this recipe with only gluten-free flour. To keep this recipe nut-free, substitute the almond flour with gluten-free flour. Be aware the cookies will be crumbly if you omit the almond flour.

Butter: I use unsalted butter at room temperature in this recipe for Gluten Free Classic Biscotti. The ideal temperature for butter is 65F which is a lot colder than many of us consider room temperature. To test if your butter is at room temperature nudge it with your finger. You should see an indent but the butter should not feel like you can poke right through it. 

Add-Ins: I recommend only adding around 100 grams of add-ins total to the dough. I am using finely chopped cranberries and roasted, salted pumpkin seeds

What are Classic Biscotti?

Biscotti is the Italian term for cookies (in the US) and biscuits (in the United Kingdom). It means twice baked - 'twice' (bis) 'cooked' (cotti). Italian biscotti come in a variety of flavors and are baked, sliced, and dried out in an oven at a low temperature. Traditionally they are served with coffee and meant to be dunked.

The first biscotti, also known as Biscotti di Prato, was created in 14th century in the city of Prato (Italy). Those biscotti were made of almonds which were abundant in the region.

British hardtack and German zwieback are both spinoffs of the Classic Italian Biscotti.

What is the secret to making biscotti?

It is important to mention that Biscotti need some time to make. The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator before shaping and again baking. Once the logs are baked, they need to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and being baked the second time. Baking them twice is the secret to making the best gluten free classic biscotti there are.

How do you make Gluten Free Biscotti Dough?

If you have ever made biscotti before (gluten-free or "regular") you will be aware of the fact that the logs can be tricky to shape.

Step 1: In a small bowl sift or whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt and set aside. Sifting will ensure no lumps of almond flour in your dry ingredients.

Step 2: Combine your add-ins of choice and set them aside. If you like, give the dried fruit and nuts a quick chop.

Step 3: In the bowl of the stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, and vanilla extract. At a medium speed, mix until light and fluffy. This will take around 2-3 minutes. Creaming butter and sugar isn’t about combining the two ingredients, it’s about aerating them. The creaming will generate small air bubbles which will help raise your cookies and baked goods.

Step 4: Once the butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Without scraping down the sides, butter/sugar builds up on the sides of the bowl. When you add the flour, that film of butter will create random streaks of fat in your dough and will cause your Gluten Free Biscotti logs to leak.

Step 5: At a low speed, add the large eggs. One at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated. The mixture may look curdled/broken but will come back together once one adds the dry ingredient.

Step 6: After a good scrape of the bowl, add the dry ingredients and add-ins. Mix until fully combined. The dough will be very soft and may look sticky. At this point, cover your mixing bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. This quick chill will help the dough to become easier to shape into logs.

How to shape gluten free classic biscotti logs

Step 1: Once the gluten free biscotti dough has chilled for at least 15-20 minutes, transfer it to a lightly floured sheet tray. To cut down on the stickiness, lightly wet your hands with cold water and shape the gluten-free biscotti dough into two same-sized logs (around 8" x 2.5" and around 1" tall). The wider your logs are, the longer and more fragile the biscotti will be.

Step 2: Lightly wet your hands again and smooth out the top of your biscotti logs.

Step 3: At this point place your baking sheets back in the refrigerator and allow the biscotti dough to rest for an additional 30 minutes (up to 2 days). The second chill will help to reduce spreading and keep the biscotti logs in a nice shape.

How to bake Gluten Free Biscotti

Step 1: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F.

Step 2: Remove the biscotti logs from the refrigerator and sprinkle them with some coarse sugar such as turbinado sugar. This will give them a little extra crunch.

Step 3: Bake the gluten free biscotti logs at 350F for 25-26 minutes. The logs will be golden brown around the edges and may have some cracks on their surfaces.

Step 4: Remove the logs from the oven and allow them to cool for around 10-15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325F

Step 5: When ready to slice the biscotti, carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board. We will reuse the same sheet tray, no need to change the parchment paper.

Step 6: Lightly spritz the logs with some water. This will help to keep the biscotti in shape and reduce the chances of them crumbling. If you don't have a water spray bottle, you can just use your hands or a brush to very lightly moisturize the crust of the logs.

Step 7: Using a sharp knife, preferably a serrated knife, cut the biscotti on an angle into ½" wide slices. Cut them in a sawing motion. Depending on how thick you cut them, you should get around 15-16 biscotti from each log

Step 8: Place the cut biscotti cut side down on the sheet tray, the cookies can be close together since they won't be spreading anymore at this point.

Step 9: Bake the gluten-free biscotti at 325F for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet tray from the oven and carefully turn over each cookie. Return them to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. If the cookies are too hot to turn over, allow them to cool for 10 minutes before turning them over.

Remove the biscotti from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Storage & Freezing

Place your gluten free biscotti in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. Store them in a cool and dry place for up to 3 weeks. Do not refrigerate.

Baked biscotti can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once cooled completely, freeze them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. I have never frozen unbaked biscotti dough.

Gluten Free Biscotti Flavors and Add-In Ideas

There are many ways to flavor and spice up this classic biscotti recipe. Here are a few flavor combo ideas. I recommend only adding around 100 grams of add-ins total to the dough.

Almond Orange Biscotti: 100 grams of chopped whole almonds + 2 teaspoons of orange zest and a ⅛th of a teaspoon of almond extract
Vanilla Bean Biscotti: 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or vanilla paste
Pecan Cherry: 50 grams of chopped pecans, 50 grams of dried, chopped cherries
Hazelnut Chocolate Chip: 50 grams chopped hazelnuts, 50 grams MINI milk chocolate chips
Chocolate Chip: 100 grams of mini chocolate chips
Cranberry White Chocolate: 50 grams of high-quality white chocolate, 50 grams of dried chopped cranberries
Pistachio Cherry: 50 grams chopped pistachios, 50 grams dried chopped cherries

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Be also prepared that the convection oven can cause your baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Be aware that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.