These sugar-free and gluten-free almond biscotti are just as good as the original Italian biscotti. Follow the basic recipe or use your creativity to create other flavors.
They are easy to make and are a delightful and crunchy sweet treat for your coffee or tea; they are great for entertaining or as a travel snack and make the perfect little gift for your health-conscious friends.
Why make sugar-free and gluten-free almond biscotti
It’s been years since I created this recipe, and it’s still one of my favorite recipes because:
- It’s healthy: gluten-free, lectin-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and low carb
- It requires easy-to-find ingredients in most parts of the world
- It’s easy to make
- It’s perfect for batch cooking and freezing
- It’s delicious
- Easy to create variations of flavors
The flour combination we use for this recipe is made of tigernut flour, blanched almond flour, and tapioca flour. For more information on these flours, check the Quick guide to lectin-free, gluten-free flours.
When it comes to sweetness, it comes from tigernut flour, which is naturally sweet, the almonds, the dry fruits you are using (not a lot, so it doesn’t add much to the carb load), and from a small quantity of a natural sweetener like monk fruit, allulose or erythritol and stevia.
For more information on my favorite natural, low-calorie sweeteners, and my sugar-free journey, you can read: How I Quit Sugar 5 Years Ago. And I Still Eat the Cake.
The ingredients for almond biscotti
DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 cup tigernut flour + 1 tablespoon
3/4 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup dry unsweetened cranberries (other dry fruits could work too, like dates chopped into small pieces)
WET INGREDIENTS:
2 pasture-raised eggs
1/4 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener (or your favorite sweetener)
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of one organic lemon (optional)
EXTRA: 2-3 tablespoons cassava or sorghum flour for kneading and shaping the dough
How to make biscotti, step by step
Making biscotti involves a double baking method. You will first bake the dough logs, then slice them and bake them at a lower temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/170C.
- Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet mixture and start incorporating the flour in the wet mixture with a spatula until you have a dough.
- Take the dough out on a working surface powdered with some cassava or sorghum flour, and gently knead it with your hands until you get a soft texture dough that holds together.
- Portion the dough into two equal parts and roll each of them with the palm of your hands in the shape of a cigar.
- Put the two cigars on the baking sheet and flatten them out (see pictures). The size will be about 8 inches x 4.5 inches (20 cm x 11.5 cm).
- At this stage, they are ready for the first bake for 25 mins at 350F/170C.
- After the first bake, take the baking sheet out, let the logs cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, and turn the oven down to 300F/150C.
- Gently transfer the logs on the cutting board and slice them at an angle (about 1/2 inch or more thickness). This is the most sensitive step of the whole process. You need a really good sharp knife (don’t use a serrated knife), and you must do it slowly and gently.
- Once you slice them all, put them back on the same baking sheet and bake them again, at 300F, for about 10-20 minutes. Take them out half-time and turn them on the other side. Depending on the oven, the baking sheet, and how thick or moist the slices are, it can take even 30 minutes to get completely dry and golden brown. They are ready when they look and feel dry.
- Once they are ready, let them come to room temperature and store them in an air-tight glass or cookie jar in the refrigerator.
- I love to make a few batches and freeze them; they last for up to 3 months and thaw quickly.
A variation: chocolate pistachio biscotti with orange and warming spices
When I make biscotti, I find it easy to make two batches. This way, I only wash all the tools once, batch freeze and have two types of biscotti for a long time.
I love this variation of biscotti with chocolate and pistachios, flavored with warming spices and orange.
The recipe stays the same, but you will be using the following:
- pistachios instead of almonds (slice them before using)
- add some chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (above 85%)
- use orange zest instead of lemon zest (or a pure orange extract)
- skip the almond extract and add a mix of warming spices, like a pumpkin pie spice blend or my Holiday Warming Spice Blend, or use your favorite individual spices, like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and ginger.
Optionally, dip them in melted chocolate and powder them with ground pistachios.
A savory biscotti recipe
Check our Savory Caraway Biscotti recipe for a savory gluten-free and lectin-free biscotti recipe.
How to store and serve these gluten-free almond biscotti
One of the main reasons I love these biscotti is that they are easy to make, batch freeze, and thaw. I would make two variations in one go and then freeze them.
Such a perfect way to always have a little sweet treat for when you need it.
Biscotti were made for dunking, so enjoy them with a cup of coffee, matcha, or your favorite tea.
More sugar-free dessert recipes
This recipe is part of our 30+ Healthy Sugar-Free Dessert Recipes round-up. Check it out for a selection of my favorite sugar-free sweet treats that are also gluten-free and lectin-free.
*This post contains affiliated links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to purchase something via one of my links, at no extra cost to you.
PrintGluten-Free Almond Biscotti Recipe (Low-Carb, Sugar-Free)
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes (up to 45 minutes)
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 15-20
Description
These sugar-free and gluten-free almond biscotti are just as good as the original Italian biscotti. Follow the basic recipe or use your creativity to create other flavors. They are easy to make and are a delightful and crunchy sweet treat for your coffee or tea; they are great for entertaining or as a travel snack and make the perfect little gift for your health-conscious friends.
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup tigernut flour + 1 tablespoon
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup dry unsweetened cranberries (other dry fruits could work too, like dates chopped into small pieces)
WET INGREDIENTS
- 2 pasture-raised eggs
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener (or your favorite sweetener)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- zest of one organic lemon (optional)
EXTRA
- 2–3 tablespoons cassava or sorghum flour for kneading and shaping the dough
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/170C.
- Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet mixture and start incorporating the flour in the wet mixture with a spatula until you have a dough.
- Take the dough out on a working surface powdered with some cassava or sorghum flour, and gently knead it with your hands until you get a soft texture dough that holds together.
- Portion the dough into two equal parts and roll each of them with the palm of your hands in the shape of a cigar.
- Put the two cigars on the baking sheet and flatten them out (see pictures). The size will be about 8 inches x 4.5 inches (20cm x 11.5cm).
- At this stage, they are ready for the first bake for 25 mins at 350F/170C.
- After the first bake, take the baking sheet out and let the dough cool for about 15-20 minutes, and turn the oven down to 300F/150C.
- Gently transfer the logs on the cutting board and slice them at an angle (about 1/2 inch or more thickness). This is the most sensitive step of the whole process. You need a really good sharp knife (don’t use a serrated knife), and you must do it slowly and gently.
- Once you slice them all, put them back on the same baking sheet and bake them again, at 300F, for about 10-20 minutes. Take them out half-time and turn them on the other side. Depending on the oven, the baking sheet, and how thick or moist the slices are, it can take even 30 minutes to get completely dry and golden brown. They are ready when they look and feel dry.
- Once they are ready, let them cool and store them in an air-tight glass or cookie jar in the refrigerator.
- I love to make a few batches and freeze them; they last for up to 3 months and thaw quickly.
Notes
Use your creativity to make variations of flavors. I love chocolate and pistachio (see post for details) with orange and warming spices, especially for the holiday season. See post for more details.
19 Comments
Beth Coleman O'Keefe
October 28, 2023 at 9:35 amHi, love this recipe, but editor like to gift some to a friend who cannot have almonds or almond flour. I have both cassava flour and hemp flour. May I sub the almond flour for one of these? Also, because she can’t have almonds, I’m making Maple Pecan Biscotti with toasted, chopped pecans, maple extract instead of the vanilla, orange zest instead of lemon, and dusting them with powdered maple sugar
Claudia
October 28, 2023 at 11:20 amHi Beth, your idea sounds great! And yes, you can use the cassava flour (not hemp, it can be a bit too strong for this recipe). I hope your frind loved it. -Claudia
Julia
February 22, 2023 at 3:56 pmOh these are so good! I made almond with dried cherries. They didn’t last long in my house. Thank you for a perfectly awesome recipe ❤️.
Claudia
February 23, 2023 at 3:04 amHi Julia, so happy you loved them!!! I love dry cherries; that’s a great idea. xx
Julia
April 23, 2023 at 4:28 pmI decided to bake these again, this time doubling the recipe. I’ve made these at least 5 times! Found out I was short on tiger nut flour so I made up the difference with sweet potato flour. Sweet potato flour absorbed more moisture but the biscotti’s are wonderful!
Claudia
April 24, 2023 at 3:16 amHi Julia, so glad you love these! And yes, sweet potato flour is super absorbent (like coconut flour), so it shouldn’t be added 1:1. But glad it worked in the end. xx – Claudia
Linda
July 18, 2023 at 11:44 amHi, Claudia!
I want to make these and take them on an upcoming trip for a compliant grab and go breakfast. If I wanted to boost the protein a bit by adding some hemp flour (ground seeds), could I adjust o T her dry ingredients 1:1?
Claudia
July 19, 2023 at 10:49 amHi Linda, I’m not 100% sure, but from my experience so far with hemp flour I think it will be 1:1 with other flours (except coconut, of course, which is very absorbent). So yeah, I think is a good idea to add some hemp flour to the biscotti. -Claudia
Sherry
January 20, 2023 at 3:35 pmMy first attempt at his recipe. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The browned up nicely but I’ve no idea if they are crunchy all the way through. I love biscotti and I’m hoping this worked. Claudia – I’d like to try this again using egg replacer so that my daughter can have some. Is there anything I need to be aware of?
Claudia
January 21, 2023 at 2:42 amHi Sherry, I hope you love them. I never tried without eggs, so I’m unsure what to expect. If I remember well, someone said to me they made it without eggs, but I don’t have more details. Please do let us know if you try. xx