These very festive, nutty White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Biscotti are not too sweet, a little tart, and have the perfect amount of crunch without being hard. So easy to throw together, they are excellent for gifting.

Baked White chocolate cranberry Almond biscotti on plate

Dotted with melty puddles of white chocolate, sweet-tart cranberries, and crunchy almonds, these classic Italian biscotti are über-festive and absolutely irresistible. Though I already have a much loved biscotti recipe here, this one takes on a bit of a different approach. It eliminates the need of a mixer, or having to remember to soften the butter in advance, making an already easy process, easier still (happy dance!).

I also added some dried cranberries and white chocolate to make them a little more festive for the holidays.

Table of Contents[Hide]

What Is Biscotti?
Ingredients And Notes For White Chocolate Almond Cranberry Biscotti
How To Make White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Biscotti
How To Slice Biscotti So They Don’t Crumble
Biscotti FAQ’s
Tips To Make The Best Biscotti
More Cookies To Try
White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Biscotti

If you haven’t baked biscotti before, you will be surprised at how quickly they come together and how much fun you can have with all sorts of variations. You just need a good base recipe, then you can go wild from there. Each year, as I enjoy batches and batches of biscotti over the holidays, I kick myself for forgetting to bake them the rest of the year. This year, I won’t forget.

What Is Biscotti?

Biscotti are the Italian cookies that get their signature crunchiness from being baked twice. During the first round in the oven, the log-shaped dough is cooked until just shy of done. The second bake happens after you slice the logs into cookies and line them back up on the sheet pan. During this second bake the cookies firm up and set into their signature dry, crispy texture.

Given their sturdy texture, biscotti stand up well to gifting, or to bring along your travels for snacking.

In Italy, the cookies are usually baked without fat. In other words, with no butter or oil. The lack of fat means the biscotti will last longer but it also means they will require a dunk in coffee or a sweet wine before biting into. Failing to dunk this hard biscotti could risk chipping a tooth, or two.

I prefer a softer cookie that is a little more tooth-friendly so I always add some butter to the dough. It reduces the longevity of the biscotti, somewhat, but then again, they don’t last long in our home anyway.

Baked White chocolate cranberry almond biscotti assembled on baking sheet with ribbon spool

Ingredients And Notes For White Chocolate Almond Cranberry Biscotti

The few ingredients required to make biscotti are legit pantry staples. So because the add-ins are optional, you would likely be able to whip up these biscotti anytime the craving hits, without having to venture out to buy any ingredients.

We really enjoy the almond, white chocolate, and dried cranberry combo which makes the biscotti deliciously festive. But feel free to play around with your favourite flavours. Add lemon or orange zest. Chocolate chips instead of white. Dried cherries or apricots instead of cranberries. The variations are truly endless.

Flour – I used all-purpose flour and have not tried substitute flours yet.
Baking powder – This will make the biscotti dough spread and rise.
Salt – Just a teaspoon for flavour.
Butter – Adding some fat to the biscotti dough creates a spongier cookie that isn’t super hard or dry. For this recipe we are adding melted butter to the batter.
Eggs – You will need two large eggs at room temperature to make the biscotti plus one more for an egg wash.
Sugar – I add 3/4 cup sugar and find the biscotti are plenty sweet. Especially if adding white chocolate. In fact, if I wasn’t worried it would compromise the structure of the dough, I would likely reduce it even more.
Vanilla extract –
Almonds – I love nuts in my biscotti and here I use use whole, toasted almonds. If allergies are a concern, feel free to leave them out. The biscotti will still be delicious. See tips on whether you should chop the almonds before adding them to the dough.
White Chocolate Chips – I find that white chocolate chips are a great combination with dried cranberries. They melt ever so slightly when baked and add just enough sweetness to the cookies.
Dried cranberries – This time of year dried cranberries make everything look and taste a little more festive. You can replace them with dried cherries, dried apricots or even candied ginger, if you wish.

ingredients to make white chocolate cranberry almond biscotti

How To Make White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Biscotti

If you are doubling this recipe, you may want to use a mixer to make things just a little easier. Otherwise, two bowls, a whisk, your hands and a wooden spoon is all you need. Easy peasy.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Stir in the almonds, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, melted (cooled) butter, and vanilla until well blended.

combining wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the mixture until well combined. The mixture will seem a bit hard and dry at first but keep stirring and it will all come together quickly.

On a lightly floured surfaced, and using lightly floured hands, bring the dough together. The dough should be sticky but manageable. If it seems too sticky, just use a little more flour. Divide the dough in two equal pieces.

Form each dough into two separate logs approximately 11-inches long by 2 1/2-inches wide and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet spacing them at least 3-inches apart. Wet your hands lightly and smooth out the tops so you don’t see any big cracks. Brush each log with egg wash (optional) and bake in a 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes or until logs are lightly golden brown. They should still be springy when touched.

biscotti logs formed on baking sheet and getting egg wash

Place the baking sheet in a cool spot and allow the logs to cool for 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully transfer one log at a time to a cutting board. A large fish spatula or similar spatula is helpful for transferring the logs. Using a serrated knife, slice each log into 3/4-inch pieces.

Place the biscotti standing upright on the baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Return to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until biscotti look nicely golden brown on top.

Biscotti lined up on baking sheet ready fro second bake

biscotti on baking sheet after second bake

Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely.

Baked White chocolate cranberry Almond biscotti cooling on wire rack

Cook’s Tip: The second bake time provided in this recipe results in a crispy cookie around the edges with a slightly spongy centre. If you prefer a crispier biscotti, bake them an additional 5 minutes longer. If you prefer an even softer biscotti, bake them for only 8 to 10 minutes on the second time around.

How To Slice Biscotti So They Don’t Crumble

Perhaps the only fussy detail you have to contend with when making biscotti is the slicing.

Here are my best tips to ensure the biscotti won’t crumble to pieces when you slice them:

Chopping the nuts or large dried pieces of fruit will help prevent the biscotti from crumbling when you slice it. This one is tricky because when you use whole almonds they look prettier in the biscotti when sliced. But unless you have some experience with making biscotti, I’d stick to chopping the add-ins as extra insurance.
Make sure to roll and shape your dough tightly so the tops and edges are smooth. In other words, there shouldn’t be any cracks in the logs. Also make sure there aren’t any pieces of nuts or dried fruit sticking out when you go to slice your biscotti after the first bake.
Let the logs cool for at least 12 minutes after the first bake. This one is likely the most important tip of all. If you slice the logs while they are too hot, they will crumble to pieces. Wait too long, and the logs will be impossible to cut into. 15 to 17 minutes has been the sweet spot for me so I make sure to set a timer.
A serrated knife is the only knife that has ever worked for me when slicing biscotti, particularly if the nuts were not chopped into small pieces. Use a quick sawing motion, without pushing too much downward. If you are slicing a piece that has a lot of nuts, switch to a slow, back and forth sawing motion.

white chocolate cranberry biscotti lined on surface; some tied with ribbon

Biscotti FAQ’s

How long will biscotti last?

The beauty of biscotti is that they last longer then most cookies and also hold up well for gifting. The addition of butter in these white chocolate cranberry almond biscotti does shorten their life span a bit. But they will still be perfect for at least 10 days and up to 2 weeks when stored properly.

To store on the countertop: Line a metal tin with paper towels or parchment paper and cover tightly. You can also place the biscotti in a larger glass jar, covered tightly. The biscotti can also be stored in ziplock bags but they will lose some of their crunch (I don’t mind them a bit softer).

How do I keep biscotti crunchy?

If the biscotti got a little too soft after being stored, you can easily bring their crunchiness back.

Place the biscotti standing up on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 300ºF oven for about 7 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes or so.

Can biscotti be frozen?

The baked biscotti will freeze beautifully for up to two months. Allow them to cool completely, then wrap in parchment paper and place them in a freezer bag.

Tips To Make The Best Biscotti

Some of these tips were already discussed but this is a good list to review when making any biscotti.

Room temperature eggs: The standard baking rule of room temperature eggs is a good one to heed here.
Use a scale to weigh the ingredients: Using a digital scale to weigh the ingredients is the best way to avoid a too-dry, or too dense biscotti. If you don’t have a scale, make sure you spoon the flour into the measuring cup so it isn’t too compact.
Toast and chop the nuts: Nuts are the most common addition to biscotti. If using, toasting the nuts enhances their flavour so I highly recommend you don’t skip this step. Coarsely chopping the nuts, as opposed to leaving them whole, will make slicing the biscotti a lot easier.
Do not place the logs too close: The logs will spread a lot when baking so make sure you place them at least 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Bake at a lower temperature: The logs tend to crack on top during the first bake which is not a huge deal, but will crack less if baked at a slightly lower temperature. I find 350º degrees F works well but if your oven runs hot bake at 325ºF.
Allow the logs to cool slightly: If you cut the logs while they are too hot, the slices will crumble. Unfortunately, slicing when the logs have completely cooled, and hardened, will also cause the slices to crumble. I find letting the logs cool 12-15 minutes works perfectly.
Use a serrated knife to slice the logs: A gentle sawing motion with a serrated (bread) knife will cut the smoothest, clean slices. If you don’t have a serrated knife, make sure you use a very sharp knife.
The second bake: Bake the sliced biscotti a second time for about 10-15 minutes. The cookies should look slightly golden-coloured and dry.
If dipping in chocolate: To achieve a shiny appearance with melted chocolate that will stay shiny and flawless after drying, you have to temper it. This means slowly heating and then cooling the chocolate. I am usually a little too impatient to temper chocolate so I just melt it and hope for the best. If you are interested, in properly tempering chocolate, read here for a genius, easy way to do it. Let biscotti cool completely before garnishing with chocolate or icing.

More Cookies To Try

If you give this White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Biscotti recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!

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