Gluten Free Biscotti With Chocolate Drizzle

Name: Gluten Free Biscotti With Chocolate
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (296g) gluten free flour blend; ⅔ cup (133g) brown sugar (packed); 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter (cold, cubed); ⅓ cup (85g) unsweetened applesauce; 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 ounces dark or milk chocolate (melted); pinch of sea salt

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My gluten free biscotti with chocolate drizzle is crunchy on the outside with a bit of softness on the inside, and pairs SO perfectly with a cup of coffee. We're making this biscotti without eggs and almonds, so they're allergy-friendly and Just As Tasty!

Biscotti topped with chocolate drizzle on a glass plate. — *Love a good chocolate drizzle!*

I've always been a biscotti lover. You probably know by now that I'm a huge fan of soft and cakey cookies, but there's just something about biscotti that I simply can't resist.

I had never tried to make biscotti from scratch, so when I set out to develop a gluten free biscotti recipe (not to mention without eggs and almonds), I was genuinely curious to see what my end result would be. Thankfully, this one's a winner!

Did you know that biscotti means "twice baked?" Yes, we will be baking these delicious cookies twice -- first as one big rectangular log, and then, after slicing, you'll bake again to get that perfect crunch.

My gluten free biscotti is crunchy but also have a a soft and tender center, which maybe is not like other biscotti you've tried... but I'm not claiming that this is a truly "authentic" recipe. For one thing, traditional biscotti calls for eggs... and you know my biscotti is made without eggs 🙂

Close-up of biscotti on a glass plate. — *Slightly crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, the texture on these is just perfect.*

I've also learned that there is a difference between Italian biscotti and American biscotti. Italian biscotti is much crunchier, making it extra good dipped in coffee or tea, while American biscotti tends to be softer. So there you have it!

Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Biscotti...

It's worth mentioning again that the texture is simply perfect. No one wants a super hard or dry cookie, and this gluten free biscotti is far from it.
It's a super simple process and made in one bowl. You don't even need a mixer for this one!
It's a flexible recipe, meaning you can try using this recipe as a base and mixing in your own add-ins.

Ingredients and Substitutions...

Gluten free biscotti ingredients. — *See below for my ingredient notes.*

- My go-to gluten free flour blend has always been Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1. I highly recommend using this blend if you can, but any gluten free blend should work. Just make sure the flour you're using contains xanthan gum.

- You can use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe. Either one will be delicious!

- The applesauce is our egg substitute here. Make sure you're using pure, unsweetened applesauce with no added ingredients.

- You can get creative with your chocolate drizzle! Feel free to use semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, dark chocolate... any chocolate will work great.

Step-by-Step Instructions...

Combine your dry ingredients. Unlike many cookie recipes, this also includes your brown sugar. Whisk it all up.

Add in cubes of cold, unsalted butter. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture. The resulting texture should be crumby, and you will likely have pea-sized bits of butter still in your mixture. That's a good thing!

Steps to make biscotti. — *Here's what the mixture should look like after incorporating the butter and, later, the wet ingredients.*

Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the applesauce, vanilla extract, and canola oil until it all comes together. The dough shouldn't be overly sticky or wet. If you need to, gently knead the dough with your hands just a bit to bring it all together.

Shape the dough. Place the dough onto a lined baking sheet and use your hands to form it into a large, rectangular log. Flatten the log slightly with your hands so that it's about ¾ in. thick.

Bake on 350ºF for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. You will want it to be cool enough so that it doesn't fall apart when you are slicing, but not too cool to where it hardens. Make sense?

Steps for making biscotti. — *The biscotti will be slightly crumbly, so it's important to be gentle and wait for them to cool a bit before slicing.*

Slice diagonally into individual pieces. Once you've sliced, flip each piece onto its side and pop back into the oven for another 12 minutes. Remove, flip each piece, then back in the oven for another 8 minutes.

Drizzle on the melted chocolate. Cool completely before topping the biscotti with chocolate drizzle and a pinch of sea salt. Once the chocolate has set, pour yourself a big mug of coffee and enjoy!

Expert Tips...

- My #1 baking tip is to weigh your flour using a scale. This is the best way to ensure accuracy, and the reason I include weigh measurements in my recipes.

- If you don't have a pastry blender, you can use two butter knives to cut the butter into the dry mix.

- This is a dry and crumbly dough. It's important to wait 15 minutes to slice up into individual pieces (after the first bake). If they're too warm when you slice, it'll just turn into a mess. You can see from my photo above that they still crumbled on me a little, but they didn't fall apart. Just be gentle and patient with this step.

Three biscotti on a glass plate. — *I love pairing this biscotti with some espresso or coffee.*

Frequently Asked Questions...

Can biscotti dough be refrigerated?

Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time and store in the refrigerator to bake later. I wouldn't recommend keeping the dough longer than a day. If you need to store it for longer, I'd recommend freezing.

How do you cut biscotti without breaking it?

Carefully! In all seriousness, it's important to let the biscotti cool after baking. You don't want it to be completely cooled, but you can't slice too soon, either. Also, I recommend using a serrated knife.

Why are my biscotti so hard?

Over-baking will result in hard biscotti. I recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate. Also, to my point above, don't wait TOO long to slice after baking. The longer the biscotti sit out, the harder they will get.

How should I store biscotti?

You can store your gluten free biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They're best served the day they're made.

Did you make my gluten free biscotti? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog! And don't forget to subscribe to get new recipes straight to your inbox.

Just As Tasty: Gluten-Free & Eggless Baking Through the Seasons

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