Chocolate Biscotti Recipe
If you love chocolate and good, crunchy biscotti, this Chocolate Biscotti Recipe is for you!
These biscotti are richly flavored with cocoa, chocolate chips, and toasted almonds, plus have the wonderful crunch I love in traditional cantucci. These are perfect for dipping into your morning coffee or a little treat after dinner.
These biscotti are so moreish that it’s hard to stop at one. As I was testing this Chocolate Biscotti Recipe and its variations, everyone said the same thing! Just the right amount of chocolatey goodness, delicious flavor from the toasted almonds, and enough crunch without being too hard. Perfect!
Of course, in Italy I had to check out the chocolate biscotti, and I’m happy to say that my chocolate biscotti recipe is just as delicious. For chocolate lovers who adore my Chocolate Tiramisu or my Chocolate Salami, you’re going to love these double chocolate biscotti. Dip, crunch, and munch your way through the batch. No need to apologise!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: This Chocolate Biscotti recipe is full of delicious chocolate flavor from cocoa powder and chocolate chips, and just a little hint of coffee makes the chocolate flavor even better without an overpowering espresso taste.
- Crunchy and Delicious: Like my Lemon Biscotti, these are twice baked for that wonderful biscotti crunch, with whole toasted almonds adding even more texture and flavor.
- Perfect for Dunking: There’s nothing quite like dipping a crunchy chocolate biscotti into a hot espresso or cappuccino. They’re also delicious with a glass of cold milk! Try my Anise biscotti next!
- Great for Gifting: Make a batch of this Chocolate Biscotti recipe to gift to friends and family, especially around Christmas. They keep well, so you can make them ahead and package them up beautifully.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Dutch-process cocoa – Look for this type of cocoa in the baking aisle of the grocery store. It has a smooth flavor and a rich dark color. Unlike Dutch-process cocoa, regular cocoa is acidic and reacts with baking soda to help baked goods rise. Don’t substitute regular cocoa, as it may affect the texture and flavor of these biscotti.
- Chocolate chips – Use milk, semi-sweet, or dark, whichever you prefer.
- Almonds – Skin on or skin off, either works beautifully! I prefer the look of whole almonds but coarsely chopped is fine too. Just be sure to use fresh almonds for the best flavor.
- Instant coffee granules – Use instant coffee or instant espresso powder for the best flavor. Instant coffee may come as fine powder or granules. Either works well in this chocolate biscotti recipe.
- Eggs – Egg size can make a difference in baking, and sizes vary between countries. I use large eggs weighing approximately 2 oz (58–60 grams) each, including the shell.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter for baking because it allows me to control the amount of salt. Salted butter works well in these biscotti, too. Simply omit the added salt.
- Vanilla extract – I always recommend pure vanilla extract rather than imitation vanilla. It’s made from real vanilla beans and has a richer, more complex flavor.
- Baking powder – For the best rise, use fresh baking powder. If yours has been open for more than a year, it’s best to replace it, as baking powder gradually loses its effectiveness over time.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a large baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper. Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Make a well in the center and add the eggs, egg yolk, melted butter, espresso powder, and vanilla. Use a fork to gradually combine.
Add the toasted almonds and chocolate chips as the dough begins to come together.
Use your hands to gently squeeze and knead the mixture until a dough forms. It will seem too dry at first, but keep going!
Divide the dough into three equal portions and roll each into a 9-inch (23 cm) log.
Place the logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25–30 minutes, until firm.
Cool the baked logs for 10 minutes, then slice each log into 18 pieces using a serrated knife.
Arrange the slices cut side up on a baking sheet. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for another 4-6 minutes until crisp.
Marcellina’s Hint
Prefer to use a stand mixer? Fit it with the paddle attachment and mix the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, then mix for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until the dough comes together. Add the chocolate chips and toasted almonds and mix briefly, just enough to combine without crushing the almonds.
Substitutions
- Almonds: Substitute the whole almonds with toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans. Hazelnuts are particularly delicious with chocolate.
- Chocolate chips: Use dark, semisweet, or milk chocolate chips, depending on your preference. Chopped chocolate also works well.
- Instant espresso granules: Substitute with instant coffee powder or leave it out altogether. The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the biscotti taste strongly of coffee.
Variations
- Choc Orange Biscotti – For a chocolate-orange variation, add the finely grated zest of one orange to the dough.
- Cherry Chocolate Biscotti – Replace the chocolate chips with dried cherries. Or replace just half of the chocolate chips if you’d like to keep some extra chocolate in the biscotti.
- Deluxe – Finish the biscotti with a drizzle of melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate to set before storing. Chocolate lovers, why drizzle? Why not dip the half of the biscotti into melted chocolate? Yum!
Equipment
You will need the usual baking essentials like baking sheets, bowls, spoons, spatulas, and measuring cups and spoons to make this Chocolate Biscotti recipe. Plus, a sharp, serrated knife is important to be able to cut the baked logs easily.
Storage
Allow the Chocolate Biscotti to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. They’ll keep well at room temperature for up to a week. Be sure to keep moisture out, as humidity can cause the biscotti to lose their crunch. If they soften, simply pop them into a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–8 minutes to crisp up again.
For longer storage, freeze the biscotti in an airtight container, separating the layers with parchment paper. If they’ve lost some of their crunch after thawing, arrange them on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven for a few minutes until crisp again.
Top tip
- Always preheat the oven before baking.
- Don’t skip toasting the almonds. It brings out their delicious nutty flavor.
- The chocolate biscotti dough will seem very dry at first. Keep gently squeezing and pressing it together with your hands until all the ingredients are incorporated. Try to avoid adding extra liquid.
- Use just a light dusting of flour when rolling the dough into logs. Too much flour will make the dough even drier.
- Biscotti are baked twice. The first bake allows the dough to rise slightly and cook through, while the second bake dries the slices to give them their characteristic crunch.
- Use a thin, sharp serrated knife to slice the Chocolate Biscotti while the logs are still warm after the first bake. If they cool completely, they’ll be more difficult to cut without crumbling, especially with the whole almonds and chocolate chips.
- Lower the oven temperature for the second bake so the biscotti dry out without overcooking. If the logs are slightly underbaked, the second bake may take a little longer.
- Remember that the biscotti will become crunchier as they cool.
FAQ
To make authentic Italian biscotti, shape the dough into logs, bake until firm, then slice and bake again until crisp. The secret is in the second bake, which is how biscotti get their characteristic crunch. In Italy, biscotti are typically small and crisp, rather than the long biscotti often seen in cafes. That’s how I’ve always known them in Italy, and how I make them in my own kitchen.
Biscotti can crumble if they have cooled too much before slicing. Use a sharp, thin serrated knife to cut the logs while they are still warm. Cut gently and use a sawing action, particularly around the almonds.
Allow the biscotti to cool for 10 minutes after the first bake. Slicing them warm is the trick to easier slicing.
Serving Suggestions
This Chocolate Biscotti recipe is wonderful to include in your annual Christmas cookie exchange. But, truthfully, I’ve been making these almost weekly lately. Just like these Orange Cranberry Biscotti, we can’t get enough of them – either with our mid-afternoon coffee or a sweet treat after dinner.
Related
Pumpkin Biscotti
Italian Chocolate Cookies
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Chocolate Biscotti
Equipment
- Sharp serrated knife for cutting biscotti
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (105 g) whole almonds
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour See Note 1
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ cup (40 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder See Note 2
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk See Note 3
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tsp instant coffee granules or powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips See Note 4
Instructions
- Read the notes section below before beginning the recipe. Use the best quality ingredients for best results, including good quality flour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
- Spread whole almonds onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Leave the oven on. Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.
By Hand Method
- Place flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Add the whole eggs and yolk into the well, and add melted, cooled butter, instant espresso powder, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients, slowly incorporating part of the dry ingredients. The mixture will look too dry, but keep persisting.
- As the mixture starts to come together, add the almonds and chocolate chips.
- It will still continue to look too dry, but that’s ok. Switch to clean hands to finish incorporating the dry ingredients. It will appear to be too dry, but keep gently squeezing the mixture together, and it will incorporate.
- Continue to Shaping and Baking
Stand Mixer Method
- Combine the dry ingredients using the paddle attachment.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix for 30 seconds.
- Scrape the bowl, then mix for another 30–60 seconds until the dough comes together.
- Add the chocolate chips and almonds and mix briefly to combine without crushing the nuts.
- Continue to Shaping and Baking
Shaping and Baking
- Divide the dough into three equal portions.
- Dust work surface with a tiny amount of flour and roll each portion into a 10in/ 25cm log. Place logs onto a lined baking sheet. Press to flatten slightly. Brush off any excess flour before baking.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until slightly puffed and cracked and feels firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Reduce the oven to 300°F/150°C.
- Cut each log into 20 slices using a serrated knife, such as a bread knife.
- Return the biscotti cut-side up to the baking sheets and bake in the oven for 8 minutes, until beginning to dry. Flip the biscotti over and continue to bake for another 4-6 minutes. The biscotti will become crunchier as they cool.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Measuring the flour correctly is important. Preferably, use kitchen scales. If not, stir the flour to lighten then spoon into a measuring cup without packing. Use the back of a knife to level off the top of the cup.
- The cocoa powder can weigh a little more like 45-50g but that’s not a problem. If lumpy, sieve after measuring.
-
Reserve the egg white in case you need to add a little to bring a dry dough together.
- I like semi-sweet chocolate chips for a rich chocolate flavor without too much sweetness. Dark chocolate chips are also delicious, or use milk chocolate chips if you prefer something sweeter.
- Take extra special care to measure the flour correctly.
- This biscotti dough can seem as though it’s too dry. However, keep mixing, and the dough will come together.
- If the dough really doesn’t come together, you can add a small amount of the reserved egg white – start with just one teaspoon.
- It will become sticky and hard to handle if you add too much egg white. I’ve done this. If this happens, all is not lost. Set the mixture aside for 30 minutes. It will stiffen enough to be shaped on a lightly floured board.
- Use a sharp, serrated knife and a sawing action to cut the slices while the logs are still warm.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
These are amazing, and not as difficult as I imagined. They were a hit at our game night. Will definitely make them again.
Delene, these are perfect for a game night gathering! I’m thrilled they were such a hit. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.