Gingerbread Biscotti
Get in the festive mood with Gingerbread Biscotti, a deliciously spiced treat reminiscent of classic holiday cookies. This Gingerbread Biscotti is perfectly crisp and is the ultimate holiday dipping cookie.
If you love homemade gingerbread as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorite gingerbread recipes like Eggless Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies, Frosted Gingerbread Banana Bread, or Gingerbread Florentine Sandwich Cookies.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Gingerbread Biscotti
- Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Makes: 12 biscotti
- Main Ingredients: butter, dark brown sugar, molasses, all purpose flour
- Flavor Profile: warmly spiced with rich molasses
- Dietary Info: no seed oils
- Difficulty: Medium
- Why You’ll Love It: cozy gingerbread, crunchy biscotti, perfect for dipping
Summarize & Save This Content On
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Festive and Seasonal: I love seasonal recipes that are simple and understated and this Gingerbread Biscotti is exactly that! Simple to make, yet very festive and fun for Christmas parties or cookie exchanges.
- Buttery and Crisp: Homemade biscotti is known for its crisp, buttery texture, and signature crunch! And this one is no exception, making it perfect for dipping in milk or hot cocoa.
- Perfectly Spiced: The trio of spices I like to use is cinnamon, ginger, and cloves (along with molasses and dark brown sugar). This Gingerbread Biscotti is perfectly spiced and compliments the rich, dark molasses flavor.
I partnered with my friends at Watkins to create this Gingerbread Biscotti recipe using their warm spices and vanilla extract. Watkins was my mom's brand of choice growing up, so I have been using their spices all my life! They now have an organic line of spices and baking extracts, which fits perfectly into my organic lifestyle!
If you are looking for more baking recipes for the holiday season, be sure to check out some of my other festive favorites like Eggnog Sheet Cake, Mexican Hot Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, or Maple Spice Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting.
Ingredients
- Dark Brown Sugar: My homemade Dark Brown Sugar is what I used here. You can use store-bought too.
- Molasses: Be sure to use organic blackstrap molasses. Make sure to check out the Difference In Molasses and Blackstrap Molasses for more info.
- Spices: I use Watkins Organic Ground Cinnamon, Watkins Organic Ground Ginger, and Watkins Organic Ground Cloves for the perfect spice trio. I don't use nutmeg or allspice in my gingerbread typically, but if you want to add it you can if you want. If you are using a premade gingerbread spice mix, like Homemade Gingerbread Spice Mix, you can use 1 tablespoon of gingerbread spice mix in place of all the spices in the the recipe.
- Baking Soda: I use baking soda in these cookies because there is brown sugar. For more info on leavening agents, be sure to check out the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips for Gingerbread Biscotti
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- Use dark brown sugar, not light brown. The dark brown sugar gives this gingerbread recipe its rich flavor and dark color!
- Make sure biscotti looks set but not completely done after the first bake. If it looks very raw still in the middle, you can go 5 more minutes as needed, all ovens are a bit different.
- Most biscotti recipes will tell you use a serrated knife, but I find that a chef's knife is much better and you get cleaner cuts.
- Make sure to bake biscotti until it's golden and crispy. Don't be afraid to bake a few more minutes if needed.
- Store biscotti in a cool, dry place as this is a crispy cookie.
- Gluten Free — Replace the all purpose flour with 269 grams (scant 1 ¾ cups) gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the middle looks set but not completely done, then remove and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut as instructed and bake again for 15 minutes.
How to Make Gingerbread Biscotti
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, dark brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of butter.
- Add the eggs and mix just slightly, enough to break the yolks.
- In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture.
- Mix on low until a stiff dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands form a large log out of the cookie dough and flatten slightly so it’s about 1-inch thick, it should be about 13 x 3 inches. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of cane sugar over the top of the cookie log.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the middle looks set, but not completely done. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Trim off the edges, then slice into 12 pieces and separate them to reveal the cut sides so they can get some air flow and crisp up during the second bake.
- Bake again for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. (If you're at high altitude, make sure to follow the high altitude instructions in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe!).
Recipe FAQ's
I use a mix of cinnamon, ginger and cloves as I believe these are the only 3 spices you need for gingerbread anything. This was the spice mix I used at my bakery for over a decade and still what I use today. Some people like to include other warm spices like nutmeg or allspice, but it's personal preference.
Biscotti is baked twice to get its signature crunch and crispy texture. The first bake is a log to allow the cookie dough to partially bake. Then it's sliced into long pieces and baked again for a second bake so they get super crispy and delicious!
Yes! Gingerbread Biscotti is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Because biscotti is naturally crisp, it's a great cookie to bake ahead of a party because it can sit out and be totally fine for a day or so.
In this gingerbread biscotti, molasses is helping give it its signature gingerbread flavor and dark color.
No, you need blackstrap molasses here as it has the least amount of sugar. You can read more about Difference In Molasses and Blackstrap Molasses if you want!
Most biscotti is not gluten free. But, I have an easy swap for gluten free in the Notes section of the recipe. I used Namaste Organic Perfect Flour Blend for testing.
Yes! Whenever you are baking one of my recipes, I always have a simple adjustment for baking at high altitude. Biscotti is a great cookie to bake at high altitude! Not only does it works bake really well at high altitude, but high altitude climates are much drier than sea level, so biscotti thrives in this environment and will keep for much longer than it would at sea level!
Biscotti dough should be stiff (watch the video) as it does need to hold its shape slightly in the oven.
If you didn't bake the first bake long enough, biscotti can crumble when slicing. The first bake is about getting it baked to where it's almost done. So, look for a dry and cracked top. If it still looks super soft in the center, give it a few more minutes as all ovens can be a bit different. And, also ensure that you let the biscotti cool enough before slicing as if it's too hot, then that can also cause it to crumble when slicing. You can let it rest a bit longer than estimated time frame if needed!
If you didn't bake biscotti long enough it can be soft, especially in the centers. Also, if you sliced the pieces too thick, that can also prevent it from crisping up in the oven. You can always bake a few extra minutes to ensure biscotti is dry and crispy. And, be sure to check your oven temperature is correct. I love using an oven thermometer just to give it a check every so often!
Look for cracked tops and golden brown edges, especially on the cut sides. Also, ensure the cut sides look dry.
Biscotti is a crispy cookie, so it needs to be stored in a cool dry place to retain that texture. I like to leave biscotti out on a plate on the counter while I eat it over the course of a few days. Do not put biscotti in a tupperware or cake dome. If you put biscotti in an airtight container it can make it soft and soggy, which is not ideal! If you live in an incredibly humid place, your best option may be to store biscotti in the fridge.
Biscotti will stay fresh for up to a week because of its dry texture.
If you stored it under a cake dome or in an airtight container, this can soften it. Biscotti is best stored in a cool, dry place.
Yes, just add into a freezer safe container or zip bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can just thaw at room temperature.
Ways to Enjoy
- This makes a wonderful addition to a DIY Christmas Cookie Box!
- Enjoy with a Chai Tea Hot Chocolate, Boozy Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate, or Healthy Gingerbread Hot Cocoa with Bone Broth if you love spiced treats as much as I do!
- Enjoy these as part of a holiday cookie dessert table along with Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Tree Cupcakes, Easy Christmas Present Brownies, and Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Bark for a festive spread that has something for everyone!
More Gingerbread Recipes
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Gingerbread Biscotti
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Half Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper Sheets
- Knife
Ingredients
Dough
- 113 grams salted butter (salted)
- 113 grams cane sugar
- 113 grams dark brown sugar (packed)
- 85 grams blackstrap molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 383 grams all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Topping
- 28 grams cane sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, dark brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of butter. Add the eggs and mix just slightly, enough to break the yolks.
- In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until a stiff dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands form a large log out of the cookie dough and flatten slightly so it’s about 1-inch thick, it should be about 13 x 3 inches. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of cane sugar over the top of the cookie log.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the middle looks set, but not completely done. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Trim off the edges, then slice into 12 pieces and separate them to reveal the cut sides so they can get some air flow and crisp up during the second bake.
- Bake again for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Store in a cool dry place for up to 7 days.
Video
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- Use dark brown sugar, not light brown. The dark brown sugar gives this gingerbread recipe its rich flavor and dark color!
- Make sure biscotti looks set but not completely done after the first bake. If it looks very raw still in the middle, you can go 5 more minutes as needed, all ovens are a bit different.
- Most biscotti recipes will tell you use a serrated knife, but I find that a chef's knife is much better and you get cleaner cuts.
- Make sure to bake biscotti until it's golden and crispy. Don't be afraid to bake a few more minutes if needed.
- Store biscotti in a cool, dry place as this is a crispy cookie.
- Gluten Free — Replace the all purpose flour with 269 grams (scant 1 ¾ cups) gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the middle looks set but not completely done, then remove and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut as instructed and bake again for 15 minutes.
Nutrition
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