Wonderfully crisp and crunchy and brimming with nutty flavour, these Keto biscotti are the perfect partner for a hot cup of tea or coffee at any time of year.
Biscotti, also known as cantucci, are twice-baked, oblong Italian almond biscuits that were created in the city of Prato.
While some people associate them with the holiday season and Christmas, they're traditionally enjoyed all year round.
The word biscotto actually originates from the medieval word "biscoctus", which means "twice cooked". This rendered the cookies extra dry and crunchy and they could be stored for long periods of time.
Ingredients
Traditionally, biscotti are made with flour, sugar, eggs and almonds or pine nuts. To lower the carb count, my keto biscotti contain almond flour. I also replaced the sugar with granulated erythritol.
Here are all the ingredients:
- Almond flour - I'm using ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour in the US. If you want to use super-fine almond flour, consider reducing the amount by 1 tablespoon to prevent your dough from becoming dry.
- Sweetener - I recommend erythritol-based sweeteners. Use either pure erythritol, or a monk fruit or stevia blend. They make the crunchiest cookies. Xylitol or allulose won't set as hard.
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Egg - I used a large egg.
- Almond extract - In my opinion, almond extract is essential as it increases the almond flavor. Vanilla extract could be a substitute.
- Nuts - I used pistachios and pecans.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step 1
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl - almond flour, granulated erythritol, baking powder, nuts and the pinch of salt.
Step 2
Add the wet ingredients - beaten egg and almond extract. Stir, then knead until a dough forms.
Step 3
Roll the dough into a log shape and place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Mine was 28 centimetres long.
Step 4
Flatten into an oblong biscotti shape - flat at the bottom, rounded at the top. Bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
Step 5
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Then cut into biscotti slices with a serrated knife.
Step 6
Return to the oven for another 12-15 minutes to allow the biscotti to crisp up. Rotate the baking sheet if you notice that the biscuits at the back brown faster than the ones in the front.
Expert Tips
Biscotti recipes with wheat flour can be rolled into a log and will spread into the oblong shape whilst in the oven. This does not happen with almond flour biscotti. Be sure to flatten your log into the desired shape!
Almond flour lacks gluten and is therefore more fragile. Use the sharpest serrated knife you own for cutting the log. Also, to prevent the cookies from breaking, I pressed the side of the cookie I was cutting against the log to stabilise it.
Recipe FAQs
Reduce the amount of almond flour by 1 tablespoon and add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. You may also need to increase the amount of sweetener by 1-2 tablespoons.
Butter is not an ingredient in traditional biscotti.
If you do, the cookie slices will brown more all over. To prevent this, you could try reducing the oven temperature and leave them in for longer.
I have not tried this myself, but it could work well. Flax is a great binder. I use it in my keto granola and it helps make it super crispy.
Xanthan gum helps to bind and thicken ingredients. However, it makes bakes softer. And we want our biscotti to be crunchy!
Variations
Vary the nuts. I used half pistachios and half pecans. Almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts and pistachios can be used whole. If you're using large nuts such as walnuts or pecans, break them into slightly smaller pieces first so they don't stick out of your log.
Vanilla extract. I think it's the almond extract that makes the recipe taste special. But if you don't have it, vanilla extract or powdered vanilla bean also works.
More Christmas flavor. Add 1 teaspoon of orange extract or 1 teaspoon grated orange zest. Or add winter spices such as 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon crushed cardamom and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg. ¼ cup of sugar free dried cranberries would also work well!
Chocolate. Dip one end of the keto biscotti in sugar free chocolate or drizzle melted dark chocolate (minimum 85% cocoa solids) over them. You could even add ¼ cup sugar free chocolate chips to the dough before baking.
Storage
Low carb biscotti should be stored like any other cookie: In an airtight cookie jar. They stay fresh for several weeks.
You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Keto Cookie Recipes
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Recipe
Extra Crispy Keto Biscotti
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup / 125g almond flour or ground almonds (reduce by 1 tablespoon if using extra-fine almond flour)
- ½ cup / 60g pistachios and pecans almonds and hazelnuts also work
- ¼ cup / 50g granulated erythritol
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F electric or 160C / 320F fan.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl - almond flour, granulated erythritol, baking powder, whole pistachios, crushed pecans and the pinch of salt.
- Add the wet ingredients - beaten egg and almond extract - and stir, then knead until a dough forms.
- Roll the dough into a log shape. Mine was 28 cm long. Flatten into a biscotti shape.
- Bake on the middle shelf for around 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. The log will firm up. Then cut into biscotti with a serrated knife and lay down flat next to each other on the baking sheet. See tips for slicing in the recipe notes.
- Reheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F and return to the oven for another 12-15 minutes to allow the biscotti to crisp up.
MiRai
reminds me of a healthy version of bishop bread 😀 I wonder if anyone who´s not on keto, just like me, tried it with nuts and dried fruit like dates, could be yummy as well
Patty Marks
I was amazed that these held together with just one egg! I’m surprised that there wasn’t any butter in the recipe. Is there a reason for it’s exclusion? So, so good!!
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Patty, I tried to stay as closely as possible to the original recipe, that's the reason for no butter 🙂
Lisa
I substituted with 1/4 cup cranberries and 1/4 pistachios
Delicious and about 13g carbs per piece.
Princess
Could you use coconut flour in this recipe? If, yes what changes needs to be made? I have a lot of coconut flour and want to make use of it.
Katrin Nürnberger
I haven't tried it. But if you want to give it a go, I'd use 1/3 the amount stated for almond flour (maybe an additional 1 tbsp if necessary, you'll have to judge the consistency of your mix). You may also want to add 1 tbsp flax or 1-2 tsp ground chia seeds for a sturdier texture as coconut flour is more brittle. It'll be a bit of an experiment! 🙂
Faith
Succulent. Thanks for sharing. It's a feast of the senses.
Barry
These taste so good but it is very frustrating because I have made this recipe, following everything to the letter, about 6 times, and I have never been able to get crispy biscotti.
I have let them cool by even putting them in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours. I have cooked them at 350 after they've cooled and have also set the oven at 250 and let them cook longer but that didn't work either. It seems I am constantly fighting a battle between soft biscotti and burning them. I have even tried putting in a little cornstarch but that didn't work either. I use unblanched fine almond flour.
Would using less egg decrease the moisture content and possibly help? Thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Barry, it's possible that your egg is way larger than the one I used. So, you could either source smaller eggs or try using only the egg white. I've made these walnut cookies with egg whites only. It's great as a binder and contains no additional fat.
The only issue with using just egg white MAY be that cutting into slices could be more of a challenge (just thinking here). If you try either, please do let me know the result. I'd love to hear.
And make a nice mayonnaise with the leftover yolk!
CIA Grad
Biscotti must be twice baked. First as a log and second after slicing. This is the way traditional biscotti are made to be crisp as well.
It's a must.
Ilya Snowdon
Gluten free biscotti baked with almond flour or other nut flour will naturally rehydrate a day or so after baking (depending on nut oil content in flour)
Leave the biscotti crisp but slightly chewy.
Which I quite like. But if your used to crisp crunchy biscotti I recommend using wheat flour
The advantage with nut flour biscotti is it never really goes stale and can be kept for months not that that’s a problem.
Bev Wright
These are my “go to” recipe when I want something delicious and easy to make.
Love them thank you
Katrin Nürnberger
That's so good to hear!
Susan C.
Delicious! I usually make these with lemon extract, macadamia nuts, and pistachios. Great for an on-the-go sweet snack. They’re a little challenging to cut into slices... just make sure it has fully cooled first, use a freshly sharpened butcher knife, and cut quickly and firmly.
Katrin Nürnberger
I agree, you need a very sharp knife and cut with gusto:)
Curtis Chavira
Just made these today and they came out so scrummy. Easy recipe and delicious- I used swerve brand erythritol . Only had pecans on hand and it was perfect - thanks for the recipe.
Katrin Nürnberger
So glad you liked them!!!
Pinky
Marvellous recipe! Its actually in fact tastier than the normal biscottis. I used Lakanto monkfruit sweetener instead of erythritol and it has a minty aftertaste. I cooled them overnight and only bake again the next morning, and it was easy to slice ! Will try to make with other nuts variants , thanks for sharing!
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Sally, biscotti are supposed to be dry and crunchy. But to me it sounds like you may have used a super-fine almond flour, which means that the flour/fat ratio was off. I always bake with what we here call ground almonds (essentially regular almond flour). If almond flour is very finely milled or even fat-reduced, you need to use much less of it as it absorbs more liquid. Do you think this could have been the issue?
mag
These sound great and I'm looking forward to trying them. Any idea how long they keep?
Katrin Nürnberger
Mine lasted about 1 week, but only because that’s when we finished the last one. I think they last longer than that 🙂