Incredibly tasty and super easy small batch almond biscotti are crunchy, crumbly and packed with almonds. They are the perfect cookie for dunking into a hot cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. AND they are also surprisingly so easy to make. The only downside is that they are quite crave-worthy… so you might want to make a double batch and hope that there will be some leftovers.
What is in Almond Biscotti?
- almonds - slivered or roughly chopped whole almonds. You can use regular almonds or ones with the skin removed. The almonds need to be toasted on a skillet for a few minutes until golden brown. Do not skip this test, it gives such incredible flavour to the biscotti.
- eggs - leave them out on the counter to get them to warm up to room temperature.
- brown sugar
- almond oil - or you can use a combination of olive oil and almond extract. If you don't have almond extract, you could even leave this out. The biscotti won't have as intense of an almond flavour but you will still get loads of flavour from the almonds.
- vanilla extract
- lemon zest - give a subtle hint of citrus flavour that pairs so well with the nutty almonds.
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- almond flour - or ground almonds. You can even make your own by putting almonds into the blender and grinding them up.
You can also melt some chocolate and dip half the biscotti into it, or drizzle it on top.
How to Make the Best Small Batch Almond Biscotti
Biscotti is almost a one-bowl type of recipe. The prep is quite minimal and it is just so easy to to make.
- Roast the almonds. Add almonds to a large non-stick skillet, and heat over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown and toasted. Keep an eye on them because they can burn quickly once they start to brown.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, add eggs and brown sugar. Use an electric mixer on medium speed, to beat together until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add in oil, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat together for another minute.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift flour and baking powder together. Add almond flour and stir to combine. Gradually stir in the wet ingredients, until just combined. Fold in the toasted almonds and bring the dough together with your hands. The dough should be able to hold together but will still be slightly sticky.
- Shape the dough. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangle log. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 10x6 inches, and ½-inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake and slice. Bake in a 375 F preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow it to cool down in the pan until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Transfer log to a cutting board and use a knife to cut into 1-inch slices, crosswise. You should get about 10-12 slices, depending on how thick you rolled out the log.
- Bake for the second time. Place the biscotti (standing up) back on the lined baking tray and bake for 8 minutes. Then remove from oven and flip the biscotti over. Bake for another 6-7 minutes until crisp and golden. Allow biscotti to cool before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions about Almond Biscotti
- Why is my biscotti so hard? Biscotti is meant to be hard. The ideal texture is dry and crunchy. This is the perfect texture for dunking into tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
- Do I have to bake these twice? You actually don't have to bake these twice. You can slice them up and enjoy after the first bake. They will be a lot softer and fluffy. But when you bake for the second time, the biscotti becomes crunchy and crumbly. Bake them to the texture that you like. For extra crunchy and dry biscotti, bake them longer, for softer ones, then bake them for less time.
- I don't have almond oil or extract, can I use something else? If you don't have either almond oil or extract, then you can leave it out and just use olive oil. The biscotti won't have as intense of an almond flavour but you will still get loads of flavour from the crushed almonds and almond flour.
- How long does biscotti last? Biscotti can last for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Can I freeze them? Absolutely. Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Coffee Time Recipes
- Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze (Starbucks Copycat)
- Cranberry Sauce Oat Bars
- Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies
- Glazed Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies
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Recipe
Easy Small Batch Almond Biscotti
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 biscotti
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Small batch almond biscotti are crunchy, crumbly and packed with almonds, perfect for dunking into tea or coffee, and they are super easy to make.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup almonds, slivered or roughly chopped
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup almond oil (or ¼ cup olive oil and 1 and ½ teaspoons almond extract)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (approximately ½ lemon)
- 1 + ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup almond flour (or ground almonds)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add almonds in a large non-stick skillet, and heat over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown and toasted. Keep an eye on them because they can burn quickly once they start to brown.
- In a medium bowl, add eggs and brown sugar. Use an electric mixer on medium speed, to beat together until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add in oil, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat together for another minute.
- In a large bowl, sift flour and baking powder together. Add almond flour and stir to combine. Gradually stir in the wet ingredients, until just combined. Fold in the toasted almonds and bring the dough together with your hands. The dough should be able to hold together but will still be slightly sticky.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangle log. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 10x6 inches, and ½-inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow it to cool down in the pan until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Transfer log to a cutting board and use a knife to cut into 1-inch slices, crosswise. You should get about 10-12 slices, depending on how thick you rolled out the log.
- Place the biscotti (standing up) back on the lined baking tray and bake for 8 minutes. Then remove from oven and flip the biscotti over. Bake for another 6-7 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Allow biscotti to cool before serving.
Notes
The texture. Biscotti is meant to be hard. The ideal texture is dry and crunchy. This is the perfect texture for dunking into tea, coffee and hot chocolate. For an even crispier biscotti, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes at step 7, until desired crispiness is achieved.
Baking twice. When you bake twice, your biscotti becomes crunchy and crumbly. Bake them to the texture that you like. For extra crunchy and dry biscotti, bake them longer, for softer ones, then bake them for less time. In fact, you don't have to bake these twice and can just slice them up and enjoy after the first bake. They will be a lot softer and fluffy.
How to store biscotti. Store almond biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Cookie
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
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Sue says
First time making biscotti and they were a HIT!!! Gone in 30 min!! Will def be making them again tmrw but i will double the recipe.
Thank you very much
reni says
if i could give this more stars, i would! the crunch was perfect, adding to my favourites.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Reni! So happy you liked the recipe!! 🙂
Garima Agarwal says
Can u suggest a substitute for eggs ?
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Hi Garima, you could try a flax egg or applesauce but I have not tested this recipe with any of those substitutes so I cannot comment on how it will turn out.
Chrissy Adams says
I just tried this biscotti, it turned out perfect! I didn't have almond oil so I used your suggestion of olive oil and almond extract. Amazing!