These vegan almond orange biscotti are crunchy sweet, filled with orange flavor, and packed with roasted sliced almonds. Dunk them in your morning coffee or savor them with afternoon tea. Shelf-stable and crave-worthy, they make excellent holiday gifts!

I don’t know if it was my trip to Florence Italy this year or the holidays being just on the horizon, but I’ve been really craving biscotti lately. The fact that filling my kitchen with the sweet smell of freshly baked cookies is on my top ten list of cool weather activities, may also be a factor. I tried my darndest to find vegan biscotti in Italy to see what authentic cantucci is all about. But no luck as they all contain eggs. What struck me most was that biscotti is as abundant in Italy as chocolate chip cookies are in America. You find them in *every* market, enticingly packaged in clear cellophane bags, and secured at the top with a tidy bow. These crunchy little guys are just the right size to dip in a wee cup of strong espresso for breakfast. Loving the olive oil/orange cake idea, I made almond orange biscotti using olive oil and orange zest. Swapping out eggs for aquafaba keeps them vegan!

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*Using a sharp knife to slice the biscotti before the second bake will save you from crumbled cookies and lots of frustration.

What is biscotti?

In Italy, all cookies are called “biscotti” which literally translates to the word “cookies”. Biscotti, as we know it, the crunchy cookie that begs to be dunked in coffee and espresso, is called “cantucci”. That being said, when we are referring to biscotti (here in the States) we envision either a finger-sized, almost crumbly confection, that is firm enough for dipping without disintegrating, or a long crisp cookie that is often embellished with chocolate. Both are baked twice to achieve a dry crunchy texture.

Italian biscotti vs American-style biscotti

Cantucci are typically made with eggs and without butter. They are slightly sweet and often studded with almonds. Italian biscotti are smaller than their American counterparts and are served at breakfast, dipped in coffee, or after a meal dipped in Vin Santo (Italian dessert wine).

American-style biscotti are longer, softer, and generally sweeter than Italian. They are made with both eggs and butter and eaten like a cookie. You’ll often see the ends dipped in chocolate and decorated.

Are biscotti vegan?

Traditional biscotti is made with eggs and or butter and is not vegan. To make biscotti vegan, we are using aquafaba which is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. It performs similarly to egg whites in vegan baking. Aquafaba is fat-free, unlike eggs, so we add olive oil for richness and to help the biscotti hold together.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The beauty of almond orange biscotti is that there are minimal ingredients (this recipe has 10) and yet you come away with a mini-masterpiece that is decadent enough to give away as gifts. You can find the full list of ingredients and their amounts in the recipe card, but let’s chat about what’s in this vegan biscotti recipe and why.

Organic cane sugar-

Buying organic ensures that it’s vegan-friendly. You can also substitute beet sugar. I don’t recommend a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or agave as it will make the dough overly wet and sticky. These biscotti are sweet but not cloyingly sweet.

Aquafaba-

This is the liquid in a can of chickpeas, and you see it pop up in vegan baking everywhere now. It miraculously behaves similarly to egg whites. I tested plant-based milk in this recipe and found that aquafaba does a better job of binding the ingredients, yielding a more pleasing texture.

Orange zest-

1 small/medium navel orange will yield about 2 teaspoons of zest. I often zest oranges right after buying them and store the zest in the freezer. It stays fresh and bright orange this way. Use organic oranges, if you can, which taste less bitter and aren’t coated with chemicals. Although I haven’t tested it, I feel orange extract would also work.

Olive oil-

Just like in an olive oil cake, olive oil adds fat for richness and subtle Italian flavor. You can also use a neutral-tasting oil such as canola oil.

Vanilla & almond extract-

A teaspoon of each complements the orange and almond flavors with just the right amount of balance.

All-purpose baking flour-

Standard in cookies, this medium-protein flour is soft with enough structure to hold a healthy amount of sliced almonds. You can swap out white flour for wheat flour or use half white and half wheat.

Sliced roasted almonds-

An essential ingredient in almond biscotti! This recipe uses a whole cup which you work into the stiff dough with your hands. Sliced almonds are *very* thin, unlike almond slivers. You can find them in the baking aisle in little bags or buy them in the bulk section of your grocery.

Suggested baking times

Biscotti dough is baked twice. This method bakes out extra moisture making them dry, crunchy, and perfect for dipping. When deciding on how long to bake biscotti, think about how hot your oven runs and how crunchy you want them to be.

First bake- Bake the logs in a hot oven (450°F/ 232°C!) and then immediately turn the temperature down (350°F / 177°C). The high heat helps the logs hold their shape so they don’t flatten out too much. The baked logs will still be pale golden, firm to the touch with just a little give, and a sporting few cracks on top.

Second bake- After slicing the biscotti into ¾” cookies, flip them cut side down on your baking sheet. Bake them for 20-25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.

20 minutes- Use this time if your oven runs hot or bakes very efficiently. These biscotti will be crunchy but not so crunchy that you have to dip them.
25 minutes- This baking time is for crunchy but not super crumbly biscotti that can be eaten plain or dipped in a hot beverage. This is my sweet spot for perfect texture.
30 minutes- Use this time only if your oven runs cool or if you want very dry crunchy crumbly biscotti. Dip these biscotti in a warm beverage otherwise, you’ll risk breaking a tooth!

Here’s everything you need to make this recipe

Ingredients/Makes 26-28 Biscotti

Wet Ingredients

¾ cup (150 g) organic cane sugar
⅓ cup (78 ml) of aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) plus more to brush the tops
¼ cup (60 ml) of olive oil
2 teaspoons of orange zest
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of almond extract

Dry Ingredients

2½ cups (300 g) of all-purpose baking flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of fine sea salt

Mix In

1 cup (100 g) of sliced roasted almonds

How to make vegan biscotti

1.Preheat your oven- to 450°F / 232°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Mix the wet ingredients- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk all of the wet ingredients together.

3. Mix the dry ingredients- Use a kitchen scale to measure the flour, if you have one. Or, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and scrape away the excess with the flat end of a knife. Add the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk them all together.

4. Blend the wet and dry ingredients- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Then use a wooden spoon to work the liquid into the flour mixture. It will become stiff, and you’ll likely need to use your hands to work in the last bits of flour. Grab a handful of dough and see if it sticks together. You want it to be tacky but not overly sticky. If it’s crumbly and won’t hold together, add one more tablespoon of aquafaba. If it’s too sticky, mix in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until just tacky.

5. Add the almonds- Tumble the sliced almonds over the dough and use your hands to work them in. They will crackle and break up some and that’s okay. Gather the dough into a tidy ball.

6. Form 2 logs- Divide the dough into two equal halves. (A kitchen scale is handy for this.) Then, on a piece of parchment paper, use your hands to form each half into a 9”x 2” log. Transfer the logs to your prepared baking tray with some space in between them.

7. Brush the tops all over with aquafaba. This is vegan egg wash and will make the exterior shiny.

8. Bake the logs- Slide the tray into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350°F / 177°C. The high temperature helps the logs hold their shape as they begin to bake. Bake for 30 minutes. They should feel firm to the touch with a little give and have a few cracks on top. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

9. Slice the logs into biscuits and bake again- Use a sharp (serrated) knife to carefully slice the logs, at a slight angle, into ¾” thick biscotti. The end pieces will be smaller and that’s totally normal. Flip them cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. Keep in mind the longer they bake and the more color they have, the harder they will be. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storage-

These low-moisture cookies will store for weeks in an airtight container such as a tin box lined with parchment paper or a glass jar with an airtight lid. They’ll get soft if stored in a plastic bag.

Freeze biscotti, tightly wrapped and placed in a freezer-safe container, for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the unbaked dough logs wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag. Thaw them on a cookie sheet first and then bake them.

My biscotti cravings led me to a baking marathon and now my pantry is filled with at least half a dozen glass jars. It makes me happy just to look at them. They keep for weeks so it’ll be fun to nibble on a couple for second breakfast (my kryptonite) and return borrowed Tupperware with some stashed inside. Wouldn’t they be cute as simple holiday gifts? Hmmm….I feel another baking sesh is on the horizon.

Sending a giant hug from my little corner of the internet,

X,o,

Carol

Oh! Here’s a handy little Florence Travel Guide for you inner wanderlust and more homemade vegan cookies to sweetly fill your kitchen.

Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Graham Crackers

Vegan Almond Shortbread

Classic Vegan and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Vegan Almond Orange Biscotti

What is biscotti?

Italian biscotti vs American-style biscotti

Are biscotti vegan?