This easy Gingerbread Biscotti recipe is the perfect holiday treat that also pairs wonderfully with a cup of coffee. The golden brown, lightly spiced cookie will please all of your senses, from the mouthwatering aroma to the delightfully crunchy texture of every bite. Say hello to your new favorite holiday cookie!
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🍪 The Best Gingerbread Biscotti
This is the best biscotti recipe to enjoy during the holiday season. If you've been a fan of Nonni's Gingerbread Biscotti or Starbucks' Gingerbread Biscotti and never thought to make it yourself, you're in for a treat! This easy homemade recipe tastes so delicious and makes your house smell amazing. You can even dip this Gingerbread Biscotti in chocolate for a richer, more indulgent dessert!
The holiday season is prime time for baking delicious recipes, from Hot Cocoa Cookies to Dulce de Leche Thumbprint Cookies. With its classic molasses flavor paired perfectly with the spices of the season, be prepared to welcome this biscotti into your holiday baking rotation! These baked Gingerbread Biscotti are the best because they bake up quickly and can be enjoyed all week long! Plus, dipped Gingerbread Biscotti make a gorgeous gift for your loved ones!
All the spices in this Gingerbread Biscotti recipe are warm, cozy, and inviting, making these cookies an instant holiday favorite. From the cinnamon heat to the crunchy bake, these cookies flawlessly represent Christmas time bliss. They'll be devoured so fast you'll need to make a double batch!
Why You'll Love It
- Easy to make: Even if this is your first time making biscotti, the process is simple. The dough comes together in just 20 minutes! These holiday-spiced Italian cookies are very easy to mix, shape, and bake.
- Seasonal: If you want a switch from traditional gingerbread cookies, these golden brown crunchy biscotti are the way to go. They complement all the season's flavors and fit into any holiday spread.
- Perfect for any time of day: Cookie recipes are usually reserved for dessert, but this versatile gingerbread cookie can be sensibly enjoyed whenever the craving strikes. Try dipping it in your morning coffee and let the delight carry you throughout your day!
🧂 Ingredients
- Butter: This gives the Gingerbread Biscotti its buttery flavor. Unsalted butter works best for this recipe because it allows you to control the amount of salt that goes into the cookie recipe.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar is slightly less sweet than granulated sugar, but it adds a lot of deep, caramel-like flavor. It also adds moisture to the biscotti dough.
- Unsulphured molasses: This is considered a purer form of molasses since it hasn't been treated with sulfur dioxide as a preservative. This type of molasses is extracted from mature sugar cane and has a naturally warm and slightly sweet taste.
- Eggs: Adds structure to the dough. The egg yolk adds fat that aids in keeping the dough from being overly hard.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla is always a great flavor base that helps enhance the tastes of the other ingredients.
- All purpose flour: Flour is the base for this Gingerbread Biscotti recipe. It holds the gingerbread cookies together and is responsible for this recipe's distinctly crispy texture.
- Baking powder: Baking powder gives the biscotti a nice rise. Make sure you're using baking powder, not baking soda. Also, make sure it's fresh. Even if older baking powder isn't technically expired, it tends to lose its potency after about six months.
- Salt: Salt is important in desserts because it balances the sweetness in the recipe. It also helps enhance the other flavors in the dough.
- Spices: This recipe is flavored with ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, and ground cloves. These spices will add warm comfort to your dough and deliver the classic gingerbread flavor that screams Christmas.
Substitutions & Variations
- Dipped in chocolate: Try dipping one end of these delicious Gingerbread Biscotti in melted chocolate to make a dipped chocolate biscotti recipe. White chocolate traditionally goes with gingerbread flavor but feel free to experiment with milk chocolate or melted dark chocolate. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or some colorful sprinkles to the chocolate before it cools for a pop of color.
- Add icing: Enjoy this Gingerbread Biscotti recipe with icing. Drizzle your favorite icing on top of these biscotti for a fun presentation.
- Use a mix-in: Mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, crystallized ginger, and orange zest are great additions that will complement the flavor of this Gingerbread Biscotti.
👩🏻🍳 How To Make Gingerbread Biscotti
⬇️ Please scroll down to the recipe card to see full ingredient amounts and instructions.
STEP ONE: First, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. I don't recommend foil for this recipe.
Then add room temperature butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Cream together on medium speed until fluffy, about 2-4 minutes.
STEP TWO: Add in the first egg and mix until just incorporated.
STEP THREE: Add in the second egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until homogenous.
STEP FOUR: Next, sift together the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Then spoon into a sifter or colander on top of the mixing bowl. Gradually mix in dry ingredients into the wet in 3 steps, being careful to not over-mix.
STEP FIVE: Transfer the dough onto the lined baking sheet. Shape into rectangles about 1 inch high. The dough may be a little sticky - try not to add too much excess flour. Instead, I recommend wearing food-grade gloves for this step.
Bake for 28-32 minutes until dough looks lightly puffy and cracks start to form at the edges. An inserted toothpick should come out clean in the center.
STEP SIX: Carefully transfer the parchment paper onto a cutting board. Use a knife to cut into ½" thick slices.
Flip the cookies onto its side. Bake for 10 more minutes, flipping halfway. Then let cool completely.
💭 Top Tips
- You should always use room-temperature butter and eggs when making biscotti and any other cookie recipe. Room temp butter and eggs will more easily incorporate into the dough and help avoid over-mixing.
- The gingerbread dough will be quite sticky. Consider wearing gloves to shape the logs or lightly flour your hands to prevent sticking. Wetting your hands with a bit of water or placing plastic wrap/parchment paper on top of the dough and using a rolling pin will also help.
- Most biscotti recipes say you should let the logs cool before slicing them due to crumbling, but I don’t have a problem slicing them hot. Just slide your biscotti onto a cutting board covered in parchment paper and carefully cut it into slices before the second bake.
- For longer biscotti cookies, cut at a diagonal to get the most out of your dough.
- Successful biscotti is the result of two bakes. The first bake structures the cookie, and the second bake is responsible for making it crunchy. Though the second bake is only 10 minutes, this important step is the difference between soft gingerbread cookies and traditional Gingerbread Biscotti.
- This dough will be softer and stickier than traditional biscotti dough because of the added molasses and eggs. It may seem too soft after baking, but let it cool completely, and it’ll become crunchy.
🥡 Storing & Freezing
Storing: Let the Gingerbread Biscotti cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container or zip-top container in a dark and cool area for up to 5 days.
Freezing: To freeze your biscotti, place the baked cookies on a large baking sheet in the freezer for 45 minutes. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe sealable bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To defrost, simply allow them to come to room temperature. You should be aware that freezing biscotti may change the texture and make them less crispy.
Make Ahead: To make the dough ahead of time, shape the dough into logs and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store the logs in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking.
📖 Recipe FAQs
The secret is the double bake! The first bake is to make the cookie and the second bake is to get the characteristic classic crunch that we all love.
This recipe will be crunchy but should not be overly hard. If you prefer your cookies to be soft, feel free to skip the second bake.
Butter is better for biscotti, not only for the taste but because it produces a dry dough. Oil is excellent for recipes like muffins, where moisture is key. For this recipe, butter is better because some moisture evaporates, giving it the classic crunch.
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📋 Recipe
Gingerbread Biscotti
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar tightly packed
- 2 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy, about 2-4 minutes.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time. Then add molasses and vanilla extract, whisking well.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gradually add to bowl of wet ingredients until just-combined.
- Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and divide into two. Shape each into rectangular logs that are about 1 inch high.
- Bake for 28-35 minutes until lightly puffy with cracks at the edges. An inserted toothpick should come out clean but the dough should still be soft and bounce back when pressed with a finger.
- Carefully transfer parchment paper or mat with cookies to a cutting board. Cut into ½" thick slices, then flip each cookie on its side. Bake for 5 minutes, flip, and bake for 5 more minutes. Let cool completely.
Notes
- The gingerbread dough will be quite sticky. Consider wearing gloves to shape the logs or lightly flour your hands to prevent sticking. Wetting your hands with a bit of water or placing plastic wrap/parchment paper on top of the dough and using a rolling pin will also help.
- For longer biscotti cookies, cut at a diagonal to get the most out of your dough.
- To make the dough ahead of time, shape the dough into logs and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store the logs in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking.
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