This post may contain affiliate links. To learn more check my disclosure page.
These gluten-free biscotti are a hit in my house. They are perfectly crisp and crunchy without being too crumbly. They are made with gluten-free flour, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract, giving them a light texture that holds up well to dunking. I like customizing them with chocolate chips, orange zest, or pistachios. The best part? They stay fresh for days in an airtight container—if they last that long.
Gluten-Free Biscotti Recipe
Biscotti is one of my favorite biscuits to make because it’s easy, versatile, and works great with gluten-free flour. I love gifting batches to neighbors and teachers and bringing a batch to holiday parties. I often add nuts or dried fruit to the biscuits and dip half my batch in chocolate. I enjoy a gluten-free biscotti biscuit in the afternoon with tea or coffee.
These Italian biscuits originated in Tuscany. The name ‘biscotti’ means ‘twice baked’. Biscotti require you to bake them once, slice them, and bake again. This process is simple, and it gives biscotti their signature balance of crunchy and soft.
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Flour: I used Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour Blend. It contains xanthan gum, so I didn’t need to add any extra.
- Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum mimics the gases released in gluten to help gluten-free breads and bakes rise. Omit this if your gluten-free flour blend already includes it.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is essential for baking as it helps ‘puff up’ the bakes.
- Ground Cinnamon: I love adding a hint of cinnamon for flavor. Nutmeg is also a great seasoning or both.
- Salt: Salt to balance out the sweet flavors.
- Light Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar in my biscotti because it holds more moisture than white sugar, which helps keep the inside of the biscotti soft and crumby. If you prefer extra crunchy edges, use half the amount of brown sugar and replace the other half with white sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter in baking is important, as it requires more precise ingredients.
- Eggs: Eggs at room temperature act as binding agents for the biscotti biscuits.
- Vanilla Extract: I used vanilla extract to make simple vanilla biscotti.
Tips and Suggestions
- Remember to read the cross-contamination warnings on packages. This is particularly important when dealing with allergies. Some gluten-free products have trace amounts of gluten.
- I love using a kitchen scale for baking. Weighing the ingredients is much more accurate, and baking requires accuracy. It’s a good investment if you bake often.
- The dough will be sticky, so it’s important to chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before shaping into a loaf.
- If the dough sticks to your hands, wet your hands slightly when shaping into a loaf. Don’t add too much water—you don’t want to add moisture to the dough.
Serving Suggestions
For an evening treat, I usually pair homemade gluten-free biscotti with freshly brewed coffee, cappuccino, or a cup of tea; the flavors complement the biscotti perfectly and make dunking feel just a bit luxurious. I love dipping half the biscotti in dark chocolate and leaving half plain for a nice mix.
More Gluten-Free Bakes
- Gluten-Free Ladyfingers
- Gluten-Free Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Gluten-Free Brioche
- Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Biscuits
Gluten-Free Biscotti
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups 280 grams gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, unless your flour blend already includes it
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup 150 grams light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup 76 grams unsalted butter, melted but not hot
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum (if needed), baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Set aside for now.
- In a large bowl, whisk together light brown sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Make sure all big lumps of brown sugar are broken up.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with spatula until well combined. Make sure all dry ingredients are combined into the wet ingredients.
- Cover bowl with plastic food-safe wrap and place into fridge to let chill for 20 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Shape the biscotti dough into a log shape about 9” long, 4” wide and ¾” thick.
- Place in oven for 28 to 30 minutes until top is set and loaf is firm.
- Remove biscotti from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing. It’s important to allow the loaf to cool for 20 minutes before slicing or the loaf will break apart too easily.
- Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F.
- Slice into 1” thick slices. Use a sharp serrated knife and cut lightly in a sawing motion to avoid breaking the loaf apart.
- Place slices cut sides down on the baking sheet.
- Place into the oven for 10 minutes then flip slices over and bake for an additional 10 minutes (20 minutes total).
- Remove from oven, place slices on a baking rack to let cool completely.
- Store leftovers in a sealed food-safe container and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Remember to read the cross-contamination warnings on packages. This is particularly important when dealing with allergies. Some gluten-free products have trace amounts of gluten.
- I love using a kitchen scale for baking. Weighing the ingredients is much more accurate, and baking requires accuracy. It’s a good investment if you bake often.
- The dough will be sticky, so it’s important to chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before shaping into a loaf.
- If the dough sticks to your hands, wet your hands slightly when shaping into a loaf. Don’t add too much water—you don’t want to add moisture to the dough.
- Store leftovers in a sealed food-safe container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to make Gluten-Free Biscotti Step-by-Step
Grab a medium-sized bowl and whisk together 2 cups gluten-free flour, 1 tsp xanthan gum (if needed), 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp salt. Put to the side.
In a larger bowl, whisk together ¾ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup cool melted butter, 2 eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir using a spatula until fully combined. Make sure all dry ingredients are mixed with the wet ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
While chilling, prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take the chilled dough from the fridge and shape it into a wide log on the lined baking sheet. The log should be about 9” long x 4” wide x ¾” thick.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 28-30 minutes, until the top is set and the log is firm to the touch. Remove the biscotti log from the oven and set aside. To prevent breaking, let the log cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Reduce the oven heat to 300 degrees F.
Once cooled, slice into 1-inch-thick slices. It’s best to use a serrated bread knife and cut each piece in a sawing motion. Flip each slice on its side on the baking sheet. Put back in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place each slice of biscotti on a cooling rack. Cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
