Who doesn't love biscotti?? Biscotti are the perfect cookies to enjoy with your morning coffee or tea, as a snack throughout the day, dipped in some sweet Italian Vin Santo wine or chocolate sauce as a dessert. These Italian crunchy cookies are called cantucci in Italy, but are widely called biscotti in the United States. Biscotti are very easy to make, and require just a few ingredients that you likely already have at home or can easily find in your local grocery store. We’ve been making cantucci for years and now we are sharing our version of Homemade Almond Biscotti (Italian Cantucci) with you! Our version of an Italian Biscotti recipe includes a few different ingredients that make them stand out as our go-to biscotti, and we know you will love them too!
What is Cantucci?
Biscotti is generally used to refer to any twice-baked cookie or bread. The word biscotti is, in fact, derived from Latin and actually means “twice cooked.” Cantucci is the correct term for what we see in the United States as biscotti. Italian cantucci is a twice-baked, dry and hard cookie that originated in Tuscany. Traditionally these classic Italian cookies contain almonds but you can find many variations now.
You can find cantucci on many restaurant dessert menus throughout Tuscany especially served with Vin Santo, which is a sweet dessert wine that is amber-colored from Tuscany. In this application, the cantucci are dipped in the wine to soften them and give a big flavor boost. We absolutely love enjoying our almond biscotti with Vin Santo, and if you haven't tried this dessert yet, we highly recommend you do so when you make this almond biscotti recipe!
Fun Fact: The singular of biscotti is biscotto and the singular of cantucci is cantuccio. In Italian, these words ending in "i" are already plural, so no need to add an "s" to the end of these Italian words as we do in English with plurals.
Call these delicious Italian almond cookies cantucci or biscotti; either way they are so tasty!
For more Classic Italian desserts, check out our Homemade Lemon Cream Gelato (which is also great with biscotti)!
Jump to:
- What is Cantucci?
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to Make Homemade Almond Biscotti (Italian Cantucci)
- Equipment
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Variations
- Storage
- Top tip
- Troubleshooting
- What to eat or drink with biscotti?
- Almond Biscotti and Cantucci Wine Pairings
- Looking for more Italian cooking recipes?
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- 📖 Recipe
- Food safety
Ingredients
These twice baked Italian cookies are so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
- Roasted almonds: Whole almonds, preferably with little to no salt added are best. This is one of the foundations of the recipe.
- Flour: We have used all purpose flour and it works perfectly, but Tipo “00” is traditional and if you have it on hand, go with it!
- Sugar: Not too much sugar is used in this recipe as biscotti are not meant to very sweet.
- Orange Zest: This is a spectacular addition to biscotti, which is also traditional, and complements the almonds.
- Baking Powder: The baking powder is for a little leavening, which helps it rise.
- Kosher Salt: A little salt in the recipe goes a long way and helps with overall flavor enhancement.
- Egg: The egg helps bring the dough together, and helps in lightening the biscotti.
- Honey: Another sweetener that deepens the flavor.
- Vanilla: Also a great addition to these cantucci and a natural friend to almonds.
- Unsalted butter: We use unsalted butter since we add salt to the recipe. The butter should be very soft or even melted and cooled, but it should not be hot butter. This enhances the flavor and texture of the biscotti.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions for the ingredients in this Almond Biscotti recipe:
- Orange Zest: You can substitute lemon zest and also get tremendous results. Any citrus zest will work, but it should complement the almond flavor and not dominate the biscotti.
- Vanilla: Although we prefer vanilla, we also love to replace it with almond extract to really provide an almond-forward version of biscotti.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter instead, but you should remove the kosher salt if using salted butter. If you need to substitute the butter completely, use the same amount of vegetable shorting in place of the butter.
How to Make Homemade Almond Biscotti (Italian Cantucci)
Italian Cantucci or Biscotti is also super simple to make at home. Here is what you need:
Equipment
- A large bowl to mix the dough
- A cutting board or other clean work surface to prepare the biscotti “loaf”
- A sheet tray or cookie sheet large enough to hold the “loaves” or “logs”
- Parchment paper is not required but it is very helpful and we always cook our biscotti on a parchment lined baking sheet (we like the precut sheets linked here).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and mix with a spatula
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the zest, egg, honey, vanilla extract, and with a fork, stir until the dry ingredients have combined with the wet ingredients. Then using a spatula, combine thoroughly. Mix in the almonds until they are incorporated into the dough
Step 3: Form the dough into a log/loaf
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Divide the dough in half and form it into two cylindrical logs or loaves, then move to the parchment lined baking tray (they will spread some while cooking so do not place them right next to each other). Flatten the logs gently so they are just under 2” wide and about 1" to 1.5" thick.
Step 2: First bake
- Bake the loaves in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20-22 minutes. Remove the loaf to cool and turn the oven down to 300°F.
Step 2: Cool and cut
- Let the biscotti loaf cool for 10 minutes (it will still be warm), then gently move the dough logs to a cutting board and slice into pieces that are about ¾” wide. Replace the parchment on the sheet tray, then move the cantucci onto the sheet tray.
Step 2: Second Bake
- Place the cantucci in the oven for about 11-12 minutes. Remove the tray and put the biscotti on a wire rack to cool.
Variations
Looking for ways to change up this recipe? Here are a few options:
- Use a different nut: Although not always traditional, there are several different nuts that work well. Pistachio, pecan, walnut, macadamia nut, and hazelnut are all great options. You can also use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or any seed instead that will provide a crunchy texture and good flavor
- Switch up the citrus: Lemon is brilliant in this recipe as well, but bergamot, tangerine, grapefruit, lime or even kumquat would be an interesting change. It should be a subtle flavor addition, so keep that in mind when swapping citrus zests
- Add dried fruit: Any dried fruit in moderation can really add an interesting flavor to cantucci. We have used dried cranberries, raisins, golden raisins, apricots and blueberries with success, but the sky's the limit. Too much fruit can add too much moisture to the dough so about ¾ cup (100g) is as much as you want to use.
- Dip in chocolate: A drizzle or thin layer of chocolate on half of the finished biscotti is a nice touch, not to mention quite tasty! It can be dark, white, or milk chocolate based as long as it hardens and isn’t too thick
- Add additional flavor: Add some cinnamon or even a little anise if you like that flavor profile. We have had this type in Italy and it is delicious. You could also add a little almond liqueur or even hazelnut liqueur to the recipe to give it some deeper flavor.
Storage
How to store Homemade Almond Biscotti
Once they have cooked both times and have cooled completely, the biscotti can be stored in an airtight container such as a cookie jar, a plastic container, or other tin with a tight fitting lid. No need to refrigerate.
How long do almond biscotti last?
Cooking baked goods twice goes back hundreds of years and is a natural way to preserve them. Without moisture, any baked good will last much longer. We have kept these biscotti for about 3 weeks and they were still great, but theoretically they could last longer if butter is omitted from the recipe, they are stored properly and humidity is not extremely high.
Can you freeze homemade biscotti?
You can if you wish or if you made too many. As with almost anything short of ice, you will lose some quality, but it isn’t much. Use within a few months.
Top tip
You can make smaller “logs” to yield smaller, nearly bite-sized cantucci - called cantuccini toscani. The first cook time will be shorter by about 5 minutes. They are great as little gifts, especially around the holidays.
Troubleshooting
The two most common issues with homemade biscotti are the following:
- Having trouble cutting the “log” into the cantucci without breaking, or tearing the pieces? Use a sharp knife, sharper the better. If you have just marginally sharp knives, a sharp serrated knife (like a bread knife) will work best, but either way, use a sawing motion to cut the log. Also, be sure to cool the log for an adequate amount of time (we suggest 10 minutes) before cutting so it doesn’t tear.
- Why is the bottom of my biscotti log getting too dark during the first cook?? This can be more of an issue in gas ovens or older, less efficient ovens. If the heat source is only at the bottom of an oven, move the cooking rack higher up in the oven. Otherwise, it is best to position your cooking rack in the middle of the oven or even slightly higher up for even baking. Additionally, you may need to turn your oven down slightly and cook the biscotti a bit longer at this lower temp.
What to eat or drink with biscotti?
Traditionally, in Tuscany, Italians serve almond biscotti with Vin Santo. This sweet wine is by far the most common accompaniment to cantucci. However, you could certainly serve with coffee, hot cocoa, or a different sweet wine for dunking. We love these things so much that we have tried them with chocolate sauce and caramel sauce! This is entirely untraditional, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good!
Almond Biscotti and Cantucci Wine Pairings
Cantucci are served as a Tuscan dessert with a small glass of Vin Santo in Tuscany and surrounding regions as well as other parts of Italy. Harder versions of cantucci are designed to be dunked in the wine, which softens them and adds flavor. Any dessert wine will be a good pairing with biscotti, so use what you have or like, or experiment. You can certainly serve them alongside an affogato or with a cup of coffee (or espresso) as well.
Looking for more Italian cooking recipes?
If you love Italian recipes as much as we do, check out more of our versions of Classic Italian Recipes. Or you can find 60 delicious Italian recipes in our cookbook, Mangiamo, including classic Italian desserts such as gelato and tiramisù!
FAQ
Biscotti is a generic term used to describe cookies in Italy. Cantucci is the specific term for these, twice baked, almond studded biscotti. So, when in Italy, cantucci is what you will find, but in most of the rest of the world, they are called biscotti.
There are copious amounts of almonds in these cookies. The rest is made up of basic ingredients, such as sugar, flour, egg, butter, salt and flavorings. Here we use orange zest, honey, and vanilla extract for the primary flavorings.
There could be a few reasons why this might happen. If you haven’t cooled them long enough they could tear as you cut them. But that brings us to the most common reason, you are using a dull knife! You can use a serrated knife and “saw cut” the biscotti with good results. If you have a normal knife that is sharp you can cut them just as well, also using a saw cut. It is possible that you added too many things into your biscotti as well, so be careful if adding extra ingredients. This recipe has about as many almonds in it as possible without causing the loaf to lose its cohesiveness.
Butter is the way to go here. If you aren’t using butter, use vegetable shortening. Butter tastes better but, obviously, makes the biscotti somewhat more perishable. You can omit the fat altogether, but you will most certainly get an extremely hard final product. That’s fine as long as you are dunking the biscotti in something and don’t mind a very hard texture.
Related
Looking for more desserts? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite Italian dishes to enjoy before a nice Homemade Almond Biscotti dessert:
📖 Recipe
Homemade Almond Biscotti (Italian Cantucci)
Equipment
- 1 sheet tray or cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) Tipo “00” flour (or all purpose flour)
- ½ cup (100g) white sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 3 tablespoon (45g) unsalted butter, very soft or melted and cooled
- ¾ cup (110g) roasted almonds (unblanched)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and mix with a spatula.
- Make a well in the center and add the zest, egg, honey, vanilla extract, and with a fork, stir until the dry ingredients have combined with the wet ingredients. Then using a spatula, combine thoroughly. Mix in the almonds until they are incorporated into the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Form the dough into two cylindrical logs, then move to the parchment lined sheet tray (they will spread some while cooking so do not place them right next to each other). Flatten the logs gently so they are just under 2” wide and about 1" to 1.5" thick.
- Bake the loaves/logs at 350°F for 20-22 minutes. Remove the loaf to cool and turn the oven down to 300°F. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes (they will still be warm), then gently move it to a cutting board and slice into pieces ¾” wide. Replace the parchment on the sheet tray with a new piece, then move the cut biscotti onto the sheet tray.
- Place the biscotti in the oven for about 11-12 minutes, they should look golden brown at this point. Remove the tray and put the biscotti on a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Angela says
These taste just like the ones I had in Italy and I can’t believe how easy they are to make!