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Cranberry Almond Biscotti Cookies Recipe
Bake crunchy cranberry almond biscotti for holiday gifts with this easy step-by-step recipe, yielding twice-baked Italian cookies perfect with coffee.
Cranberry Almond Biscotti is a twice-baked Italian cookie designed for gifting and celebratory sharing. The dough is enriched with butter, eggs, and vanilla, then studded with tart dried cranberries and crunchy toasted almonds before being shaped into logs, baked, sliced, and baked again to achieve its signature crisp texture. Lightly sweet and delicately aromatic, these biscotti keep well at room temperature, making them ideal for packaging in tins or cellophane bags during winter holidays, host-appreciation occasions, or any time a sturdy, coffee-pairing treat is desired.
Cranberry Almond Biscotti Cookies Recipe
Unlike many holiday cookies that demand intricate decorating, these biscotti rely on a simple slice-and-bake process that’s friendly to both beginners and time-crunched bakers. The dough also freezes beautifully, so you can prepare multiple batches in advance and bake them off whenever a last-minute gift or cookie-plate addition is needed.
Prep Time
30 minutes
30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
50 minutes
Total Time
80 minutes
80 minutes
Ingredients
All-purpose flour – 2 cups (about 250 g)
- Granulated sugar – 1 cup (200 g)
- Baking powder – 1 ½ teaspoons
- Kosher or fine sea salt – ¼ teaspoon
- Unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled – 4 tablespoons (½ stick)
- Large eggs – 3, room temperature
- Pure vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
- Almond extract – ½ teaspoon
- Finely grated orange zest – 1 tablespoon (from 1 medium orange) (optional but highly recommended for brightness)
- Dried sweetened cranberries – 1 cup (roughly 120 g)
- Sliced almonds, lightly toasted – 1 cup (about 100 g)
- Melted white or dark chocolate for drizzling or dipping – 4 oz / 115 g (optional finishing touch)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl
- Beat granulated sugar and eggs with a mixer until the mixture is pale and thick
- Stir vanilla extract and almond extract into the egg mixture
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined
- Add dried cranberries and toasted sliced almonds and fold until evenly distributed
- Divide the sticky dough in half
- Transfer one portion of dough to the prepared sheet
- Shape the dough into a 12-inch-long log and flatten it to about 2 inches wide
- Repeat shaping with the second portion of dough, spacing the logs several inches apart
- Bake the logs until firm and lightly golden, about 25 to 30 minutes
- Remove the sheet from the oven and let the logs cool for 10 minutes
- Transfer the partially cooled logs to a cutting board
- Slice the logs on a diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces using a serrated knife
- Arrange the slices cut side down on the baking sheet
- Bake the slices for 10 minutes, flip them, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer until dry and crisp
- Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely
- Melt white chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler
- Drizzle or dip the cooled biscotti in the melted chocolate and let the coating set before serving or packing
Nutrition (whole recipe)
Calories
3970 kcal Protein
76 g Fat
163 g Carbs
568 g Fiber
38 g Sugar
318 g
3970 kcal Protein
76 g Fat
163 g Carbs
568 g Fiber
38 g Sugar
318 g
Notes
Toast the almonds until deep golden; the extra color translates to bigger nutty flavor that won’t fade after the second bake. For a festive upgrade, dip the cooled biscotti in melted white chocolate and shower with finely grated orange zest. Prefer a gentler crunch? Pull the slices from the second bake 3–4 minutes early and cool on the sheet.
why this recipe
This cranberry almond biscotti delivers the perfect harmony of buttery crunch, bright bursts of tangy dried cranberries, and the toasty richness of roasted almonds, creating a refined treat that feels both festive and everyday-elegant. Its twice-baked technique yields a firm yet tender texture ideal for dunking in coffee or tea, while the fragrant vanilla-orange dough perfumes the kitchen and signals something special is on the way. Equally important, the slices keep beautifully for weeks, making them a thoughtful, homemade gift that travels well and arrives tasting as fresh as the day they were baked.
FAQs
FAQ acf
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the finished biscotti, and how long will they stay fresh and crisp?
Once completely cooled, keep the biscotti in an airtight tin or jar at room temperature, away from direct sunlight or humidity. Properly sealed, they stay crisp and fresh for about 2 weeks; if they soften, a quick 5-minute warm-up in a 300 °F (150 °C) oven restores their crunch. For longer storage, freeze the biscotti (undipped) for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
How can I slice the biscotti logs cleanly without them crumbling?
Let the logs cool just 8–10 minutes—still warm but set—so the crumb firms up without becoming brittle. Then use a sharp, long serrated knife and gentle, steady sawing strokes (no downward chopping), wiping the blade clean between cuts; this minimizes pressure and keeps the slices neat instead of crumbling.
Can I swap the cranberries and almonds for other dried fruits or nuts?
Absolutely—any combo of dried fruit and nuts that’s not overly moist or oily will work in the same 1-cup/1-cup ratio. Try cherries with pistachios, apricots with hazelnuts, or figs with pecans; just chop larger fruits to cranberry-size pieces so the dough slices cleanly. Keep total add-ins at roughly 2 cups to maintain the biscotti’s structure.