I became acquainted with Italian biscotti when I first got a box of biscotti for Christmas. It came in a beautifully packaged box. When you see your mum carrying out such a exotic box you know there must be something good inside. Zoe and I immediately ran to the people staring at the box. What was inside?
As she opened the box, we both gasped as we looked at the beautiful thin biscuits studded with cranberries and pistachio. A good friend of my mum had given us a delicious array of homemade biscotti. One bite into it and I fell in love with this hard biscuit. I was definitely surprised because I absolutely love my thick, buttery, soft English shortbread cookie. This was completely the opposite – it was thin, and crispy.
Ever since I have loved biscotti. But sadly I haven’t had much of a chance to eat it. So today to satisfy my early childhood memory of this Italian biscuit we decided to make our own.
The great thing about biscotti is that it can really be enjoyed any time all day – breakfast, snack , dinner, dessert. You can almost describe a biscotti as a cross between a cookie and a crust french bread. Yes it does sound a little weird, but trust me its delicious. I feel myself being transported to Italy as I take a bite of this delicious cookie. It just adds an extra reason on the list why Italy is one of my dream countries to travel to. Sometimes I shut my eyes and imagine myself sitting outside a local cafe on the narrow streets of Florence, with a cup of warm Italian hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. It has always been my dream to travel the world, especially to Italy. A country so richly filled with history, culture, art and unique architecture and of course with the best Italian pizzas and biscotti. I even heard that you can get the BEST ice-cream/gelato in the world there.
Ok ok, I know I am getting a little carried away with my imagination…
But that is how amazingly delicious this biscotti is.
Let me promise you that this biscotti literally only takes about 5 minutes to put together and even less time to consume it.
It’s super healthy, crunchy and delicious. The pairing of coconut and walnuts was actually an miraculous accident – it just so happened to be the only thing we had in our cupboard. And guess what? It has been one of the most popular combinations amongst friends we have served it to. Usually walnuts can be slightly bitter, which is absolute not detectable in this biscotti. I was definitely “shocked” as I watched my friends just stomach down these little cookie bites (I am not kidding when I say we had 2 friends over and I just sat there in awe watching them down more than 10 pieces in 5 minutes).
We decided to put an American twist to our second biscotti. The second biscotti is an original recreation of the classic “peanut butter and chocolate” combination. Instead of Peanut butter we went for unsalted peanuts which added a nice roasted, salty, crunchy contrast to the gooey dark chocolate morsels.
(Even though the second one is not paleo because of peanuts, for those on a paleo diet you can sub with your favorite nut!)
It was so easy to make and just absolutely a favorite with everyone that we made this 3 times in 2 weeks..and it just disappears. That I can guarantee 🙂
**Check out our newest flavor: Ferrero Rocher Biscotti (Paleo, GF, DF, Vegan, Oil-Free)**
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- Optional: ½ cup unsalted walnuts and ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
- How to Make:
- Preheat oven 350F. Line a large tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients for the biscotti batter.
- Add in maple syrup, chocolate chips and peanuts.
- Using your hand gently mix and knead until just combined.
- Shape into one large log.
- Bake in the oven for 15 mins.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Slice each log into 12 slices. Lay down each slices in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes.
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ tsp GF baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup mini dark chocolate chip
- Optional: ½ cup unsalted peanuts
- How to Make:
- Preheat oven 350F. Line a large tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients for the biscotti batter.
- Add in maple syrup and chocolate chips.
- Using your hand gently mix and knead until just combined.
- Shape into one large log.
- Bake in the oven for 15 mins.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Slice each log into 12 slices. Lay down each slices in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes.
LOVE,
Zoe & Mia
(This post is featured on Two Cup Tuesday, Turn it up Tuesdays, Anything Goes -You’re Gonna Love It, Motivation Mondays, Tuesdays at Our Home, Made By You, Show & Tell, Titus 2 Tuesdays)
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Do they really need to cool for 1 hour??? I love Biscotti. I’m 1/2 Italian and make all different kinds for the Christmas holidays, but I am so excited to try these healthier ones!!! The recipes I’ve used only calls for them to cool 15-20 minutes as they are easier to slice when they are slightly warm.
That is a great question Ann! The reason why you need to cool this long is because the biscotti is much more delicate than your usual biscotti because they are oil-free and paleo. If you cut them too early without allowing them to fully cool them they may crumble a lot more. I would suggest completely cooling them if possible before cutting!
I made the 1st batch but substituted the coconut and walnuts with blanched almonds and dried cranberries
Then I made a second batch but omited the chocolate and coconut and added cashews and cherries.
They are cooling now can’t wait to finish baking and try them
Thank You Pamela! Your combinations sounds incredible!!! Zoe and I will definitely have to try them! We also have a Ferrero Rocher version which includes hazelnuts and melted chocolate! I love how versatile this recipe is!
I hope you know it means a lot to us that you took the time to comment and let us know how it turned out!!!
Because I made them Paleo how many can I have in a day ? At a time ?
I would say that like with any food it is best eaten in moderation. Of course that didn’t stop us from eating more than we should, but it is a healthier, guilt-free alternative made with wholesome ingredients so you don’t feel sick after eating it. I can enjoy dessert now without having stomaches or feeling sluggish 🙂
Hi! I love it and taste good but they are always crumby, i make them with my almond pulp left feom almond milk, is ot because of that? And i do it in my toaster oven but im normally good in baking in it. Let me know any advice! Kisses and again i still love them they just fall apart
Thanks Diana!!! I’m glad you liked it! Thanks so much for giving feedback. Yes since they are oil-free and vegan they will be a little crumbly, but ours did stay together. Zoe and I are going to try making this again this weekend with a few changes to see if it can solve this problem! We will let you know in a couple days! THANK YOU again for stopping by!
Oh by the way we managed to try it again! We will be posting the updated recipe soon! We did find though that adding 1-2 tbsp tapioca starch helps binds it better, as well as full-fat coconut milk (cream part, not the coconut water). Another advice is not to slice too thin because it is still quite fragile! It turned out better this time! It is oil-free and vegan so finding a low-fat binding agent is hard therefore you do have to make compromise and choose between a slightly more crumbly biscotti or adding in a little fat. Thank you for your comment it has helped us fix this recipe!!!!!
I over baked the first batch, I remade them & turned down the oven to 300 degrees for the 2nd 10 minutes of baking! Love the simple recipe with few ingredients!
Thanks Judith! So glad these worked for you? I love it when recipes are so simple and how I can throw this together and it tastes amazing!!!Thank you for taking the time out to let us know! Happy Fall!
We made the chocolate and peanut biscotti. My kids loved it! My mom stole what we had left over…We will make more! Such a great recipe.
Thank you so much for commenting back! It is one of our favorite recipes too! We can’t get enough of it. We are so glad your family and your kids enjoyed it! That really made our day! Let us know about the other recipes you try! We would love to hear feedback! If there is any suggestions or request of recipes we can definitely give it shot!
That sounds wonderful! I’m sure the ones he brings are much more authentic and delicious! What a great memory! if you have any other combination ideas let us know! Thanks for visiting our blog!
I love biscotti! My Italian grandfather used to always bring us some whenever he visited 🙂