Crisp almond flour biscotti studded with cranberries and pecans and dipped in sugar-free chocolate. This easy low carb biscotti recipe is a classic holiday treat made keto! Perfect for gift giving or keeping all to yourself. This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
Well it’s about time I updated this Keto Cranberry Pecan Biscotti! It’s been on my blog since December 2011 and it’s a timeless classic. It was one I first made to share on a friend’s blog, way back in the day. But she shut her blog down a few years ago and the biscotti recipe was almost lost. Thankfully, I was able to dig it up again.
I re-made them last year and was happy to find that these almond flour biscotti are just as good as they ever were. Keto recipes that stand the test of time are my hallmark, if you will. But sometimes I go back to an old recipe and I am not quite sure what to expect. I’ve learned a lot about keto baking in the intervening 7 years and sometimes my older recipes need a bit of work. Not this one, I am happy to say. It was spot on right from the beginning.
I grabbed some new photos and figured I would walk you through exactly how to make biscotti for the sugar-free and gluten-free crowd. I’ve made a lot of almond flour biscotti in my day. A lot!
How To Make Biscotti with Almond Flour
Making almond flour biscotti really isn’t very different from making conventional biscotti. The method is the same, baking a log of dough first and then slicing it and re-baking the slices. Done right, you will end up with crisp biscuits that are perfect for dipping into coffee or tea.
But there are a few differences. Being gluten free means that these almond flour biscotti are a little more fragile and have to be handled with a bit of care when slicing. Here are my best tips for making low carb, gluten free biscotti.
- Be sure to use finely milled almond flour. That goes almost without saying. The finer your flour, the better your biscotti hold together, so try to use good blanched almond flour and not the more coarse almond meal. For all of my biscotti and other keto baked goods, I always use Bob’s Red Mill almond flour.
- To help it hold together even better, try adding a bit of xanthan gum or 1 tablespoon of coconut flour. The coconut flour helps make the biscotti a little drier, and you want a dry consistency for biscotti. Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to coconut flour as well.
- If you are adding nuts or cranberries into the mix, be sure to chop them finely before adding. Larger chunks can make it hard to slice the loaf properly.
- Keep your loaf on the small side, about 4 by 10 inches, so it’s easier to cut.
- When you cut, you want to gently saw first just to get through that crisp top layer, and then you want to cut straight down. If you saw the whole way through, it tends to make the ends break off.
- Be patient! Let the biscotti completely dry out in the warm oven. They may still seem a bit soft after the second baking but they will crisp up as they cool.
Once they’re baked through, they’re pretty sturdy. You only really need to be gentle with them when you are slicing the logs and when you are flipping them over. I’ve traveled cross country with some of my almond flour biscotti, and I’ve sent them to friends because they hold up so well in transit!
Dipping Biscotti in Chocolate
Now you may notice that in my photos, some of these biscotti have a white chocolate drizzle. Sadly, there isn’t a truly good sugar free white chocolate on the market. KZ Clean Eating used to carry a xylitol sweetened one, which is what you see on a few of these almond flour biscotti. But they no longer appear to make it.
You can actually make your own low carb white chocolate drizzle with some cocoa butter, some powdered sweetener, and a little vanilla extract. It’s not quite the same but it does give the same appearance and overall taste once it’s on the biscotti.
White Chocolate Drizzle:
But the dark chocolate dip is my favorite anyway, and goes so well with the cranberries and pecans. All I do is melt some Lily’s Dark Chocolate with a bit of cocoa butter so it melts more smoothly. Then I dip, you dip, we dip!
And it’s a perfect use for my homemade Sugar Free Dried Cranberries too! 
More Delicious Almond Flour Biscotti Recipes
Keto Cranberry Pecan Biscotti
Ingredients
Biscotti:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup granular Swerve Sweetener
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (can also sub 1 tablespoon coconut flour)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup sugar-free dried cranberries
Chocolate Dip:
- 3 ounces sugar-free chocolate (dark, milk, or white) chopped
- ½ ounce cocoa butter (or 1 tablespoon coconut oil)
Instructions
Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, Swerve, baking powder and xanthan gum. Stir in orange zest.
- Stir together melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until dough comes together. Add pecans and dried cranberries and stir until mixed throughout.
- Turn dough out onto baking sheet and form into low, flat log, 10 x 4 inches. Bake 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250F.
- With a sharp knife, gently cut into 15 even slices. Place slices back onto baking sheet cut-side down and bake for 15 minutes, then flip each slice and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let sit inside until cool.
Chocolate Dip
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together, stirring until smooth.
- Remove from heat and dip the biscotti on one side, then set on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate until set.
Many Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for partnering with me to bring you this post.
Toni says
Question: When you say, 1/2 cup of butter melted. Does this mean to measure 1/2 cup of butter then melt it?
Carolyn says
Yes, always.
deborah says
have you tried to make these vegan as well with any egg substitute?
Carolyn says
Sorry no. I don’t think they would hold together well.
Therese says
Can these be made into cookies instead of logs? How many minutes would you bake them for? My kitchen smells so good ????????
Carolyn says
Not really sure, sounds like you will need to do some experimenting!
Jane says
For super dry, crunchy biscotti that holds up to dunking, dehydrate the cookies once baked.
Jane says
When I make biscotti after baking twice I dehydrate them until crisp. I love the hard texture. Also, True Orange packets can be used instead of orange zest.
Wendy says
I loved these! I made them for Christmas, but they would be good anytime of the year.
Susy says
How long do they keep-
Carolyn says
Forever. Okay, not really… but things that are baked hard and dry like this keep super well. On the counter for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for a billion years. Okay not a billion… maybe just a million.
Sheri says
This was very good. However, the Trader Joe’s unsweetened dried cranberries came out like ancient gumdrops????! I am wondering if it is something they’re coated in. They were very difficult to chew. Can fresh ones work? Thanks Carolyn for all your amazing recipes! One of the few sites that I know has good recipes, and has helped me in my low carb and keto life!
Kristina says
Do you make your own sugar-free dried cranberries, or can you find them somewhere? I’ve never been able to find them in my area.
Carolyn says
It’s linked right in the recipe!
Phyllis says
My sister made these first, I had 2 and a cup of coffee with her then immediately ran home to make some. These are INCREDIBLE! NO JOKE. Yes I’m yelling I’m so excited over these.
Cheryl Houston says
thank you. I will try the zgum. Strange tho that I made it last week and it was harder and crispier. Who knows….blessings.
s
Cheryl Houston says
Third time is a charm! I made these yesterday, and they turned out fabulous. I didn’t add the cranberries, chopped up the almonds a little more, and added the xanthum gum 1/2 tsp this time. I baked them longer than you mentioned and left them in the oven overnight. They are crunchy and wonderful. I am hooked. Have to be careful not to eat too many! Thank you so much for the recipes. Happy New Year for what it’s worth! At least it’s not 2020 anymore. 🙂
Cheryl Houston says
I have made the two biscotti’s twice now. I would like to know how some of you make the biscotti more crunchy instead of crumbly. I follow the recipe exactly and actually bake them longer and let them sit in the oven overnight after baking. Then this morning I baked them at 275 for another half hour. They are good and somewhat crunchy, but I would like them more hard and crunchy. Any tips? Thanks for the recipes!
Carolyn says
If they aren’t getting hard and crunchy with the extra baking, you must be doing something a little different. What brand of almond flour are you using? And what sweetener?
Cheryl Houston says
I am using Bob’s Red Mill Fine Almond Flour, and I do not add as much sweetner as you do because I don’t want it that sweet. I use a sweetner called “The Grinning Monk” (white organic monk fruit sweetner) I am possibly thinking that if I added a little coconut flour and xanthum gum would that help? Thank you Carolyn.
Carolyn says
So the flour is fine. The sweetener, which I had never heard of, might be the issue but since it’s mostly erythritol, it shouldn’t be. If you’re adding less, though, that might keep them from crisping up as easily. Xanthan gum could help. Coconut flour would likely make them MORE crumbly.
Cheryl Houston says
I am using Bob’s Red Mill Fine Almond Flour, and I do not add as much sweetner as you do because I don’t want it that sweet. I use a sweetner called “The Grinning Monk” (white organic monk fruit sweetner) I am possibly thinking that if I added a little coconut flour and xanthum gum would that help? Thank you Carolyn.
Marcelle says
Wondering if I could sub some of the almond flour for vital wheat gluten to make the dough a bit less fragile? Maybe 25%?
Angela Clifford says
Absolutely fantastic! Came out perfect. Thank you!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear that!
Cori says
May I use dried orange zest(Penzeys) ? I have oranges (lots of trees) but I’m pressed for time (lazy?????). BTW, Your recipes are great!!
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not!
Helen says
Tried the recipe today with some modifications. I cut almond flour to 1 3/4 cup, + 1/2 cup oat fiber, substituted konjac powder for the xanthan gum and had to add a 2nd egg to get the mixture to stay together as a formed log. Also added 1 TBSp lemon juice. The smell was heavenly. So far so good. Had to cook it a bit longer and I cooled it in fridge for 1 hr to thoroughly cool. About to slice and 2nd bake. Even if it crumbles, we’re eating it cause it smells wonderful . stay tuned. Ok finished second bake, cooled and dipped in chocolate. Really tasty and no, it’s not like Biscotti made with wheat flour and sugar but still quite good and guest-worthy.
Stacy says
I just made these, they are absolutely delicious. I make biscotti as a small gift during Christmas. I actually like the almond flour better, they’re softer in the middle but still crunch on the outside. I put them in the fridge for the chocolate to harden then store airtight in room temp. I doubled the batch size. I’ll be making these until my pecan supply runs out. It was also my first time using almond flour and swerve sugar to bake with. I was a little nervous, but I’m so happy how they turned out. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Keely Woolley says
Made this dish today. Absolutely gorgeous. Although I did reduce the amount of sweetener, way too much for my palette. Used almond instead of pecans.