Gingerbread Biscotti is the perfect way to enjoy the flavors of gingerbread cookies alongside your morning coffee. These sweet, but not-too-sweet crisp biscuits are the perfect anytime snack. Made with almond flour and candied ginger, the biscotti is crisp, not hard. Plus, with all the same spices as would be in a gingerbread cookie, I can guarantee the spice level is on point!
What to Love About Gingerbread Biscotti
- Two Classic in One: combine two great baked goods into one with gingerbread biscotti! Biscotti is a relatively easy cookie to make. And while it does require two stints in the oven, the prepping of the dough is simple and easy.
- Full of Flavor: I use the same ratio of spices in this recipe as I do in my Gingerbread Cookie Recipe, so you know the flavor will be front and center.
- Crisp, Not Hard: To make the biscotti crisp, not hard, I add a bit of almond flour in addition to the all-purpose flour. Plus I add small chunks of candied ginger that adds chew without making the biscotti “chewy.” Instead, it creates a perfectly crisp baked good.
Ingredients Needed for Gingerbread Biscotti
- Granulated sugar: nothing special here, you just need ¾ cup granulated sugar. I don’t recommend decreasing the sugar as that will impact the texture. If you want to leave the turbinado sugar off the top, feel free to do so.
- Unsalted butter: I always recommend baking with unsalted butter so you can control the seasoning. You’ll need 8 tablespoons.
- Eggs: Use eggs labeled as large—you’ll need two.
- Molasses: every good gingerbread recipe needs some molasses. But with biscotti you need to be careful about adding too much moisture. You’ll need 2 tablespoons. I recommend using a mild molasses.
- Vanilla extract: just a couple teaspoons round out the flavors.
- All-purpose flour: you’ll need 2 cup + 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Almond flour: adding just a but of almond flour makes for tender, crisp biscotti!
- Baking powder: biscotti need just a bit of lift so it’s light and crunchy, not hard.
- Spices: you will need ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, black pepper and kosher salt.
- Candied ginger: I recommend using the large chunks of candied ginger instead of thin slices. I like Trader Joe’s Uncrystallized Candied Ginger best for this recipe.
- Turbinado sugar: this is just used for sprinkling over top right before baking. Yes, it adds sweetness, but more importantly it adds a nice texture to the biscotti.
How to Make Biscotti
- Cream the Butter and Sugar
- Add the Wet Ingredients
- Add the Dry Ingredients
- Shape and Place in Oven for First Bake
- Slice and Place in Oven for Second Bake
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until it is light in color and fluffy in texture. This will take about 4 minutes total.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment then add in the eggs, molasses and vanilla and beat to combine. The mixture will eventually come together, but may take a minute or two.
Add the flour and spices and mix to combine. Be careful not to over-mix.
Divide the dough in half between two baking sheets and form each into a rectangle. Use moistened hands to make this process easier! Coat the top of each dough rectangle with turbinado sugar and bake until the edges are set and the top offers just a slight resistance.
Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and let cool briefly. Then transfer the baked logs to a cutting board and slice into ½-inch thick slices. Place the slides back on the baking sheets and bake again, making sure to flip the slices halfway through.
Expert Tips
- Biscotti dough is very sticky, so when shaping the dough, use very moist hands. This will make it easier to shape, and, bonus, it will create a nice smooth sheet on top of the biscotti once baked.
- The dough logs spread quite a bit so be sure to either spread them out quite a bit on one half sheet pan or use two quarter sheet pans.
- The biscotti will continue to firm up outside of the oven, so don’t be tempted to keep them in the oven if they still have a slight give in the center. That will dissipate as it cools.
How Long Does Biscotti Last?
Biscotti will last up to 3 weeks at room temperature. For longer storage, place the biscotti in a freezer bag and freeze.
Can I Freeze the Biscotti?
Yes! Once cooled, place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. All the biscotti to thaw at room temperature for a few hours before enjoying.
Can the Dough Be Frozen?
No, I do not recommend freezing the dough. However, you can freeze the baked and cooled biscotti for up to 3 months.
More Cookies to Try
Our Pistachio Shortbread Cookies are the perfect not-too-sweet cookie! They’re buttery, melt in your mouth, and like this biscotti, last for a couple weeks!
If you love a unique biscotti recipe, then you’ve gotta try our Christmas Biscotti! It’s loaded with dried fruit and has a log of almond paste running through each cookie.
One of the more unique cookies on this site, our Halva Cookies are loaded with flavor and studded with chunks of halva and candied orange.
Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe
Description
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs (100g)
- 2 tablespoons (40g) molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (255g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (52g) almond flour
- 2 teaspoons (3g) ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons (7g) baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons (3g) ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon (2g) ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup (80g) diced candied ginger
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325ºF (163ºC) with rack set in upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (I just use two quarter sheet pans).
- With a stand mixer on medium speed, ¾ cup (150g) sugar and ½ cup (113g) butter until combined, 1 minutes. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 3 minutes.
- Add 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons (40g) molasses, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat on medium until smooth and pale in color, abut 2 minutes.
- Whisk together 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (255g) flour, ½ cup (52g) almond flour, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cloves, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add to butter mixture and mix on slow until dough comes together. Add candied ginger and mix just to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into 2 pieces; transfer each half to a prepared baking sheet. Using lightly moistened hands, shape each dough half into a 2 ½-inch x 7 inch flat log.
- Sprinkle dough with turbinado sugar to coat; transfer sheets to oven and bake until lightly browned, the edges are firmly set and the top gives just a light, springly resistance, about 45 minutes, roasting pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through.
- Transfer sheets to a cooling rack and let cool just until cool enough to handle.
- Transfer a log to a cutting board and using a serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces. Place biscotti pieces on baking sheet, cut side down. Repeat with second log.
- Return sheets to oven and bake until lightly browned, 25–30 minutes, flip biscuits and rotate pans top to bottom and front to back, then bake until golden brown and dry, 25–30 minutes more.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool (they will crisp up even more as they cool).
- Store biscotti in an airtight container.
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I’ve wanted to make biscotti for awhile but haven’t found a recipe that was more than a double baked chocolate chip cookie. This one was easy to do (my 7-year-old niece helped me). The candied ginger is a great touch. Can’t wait to make it again.