Einkorn Biscotti

Make perfectly light and crispy homemade biscotti in 3 delicious flavors! Triple chocolate, vanilla bean biscotti, or cranberry orange – which will you try first?

Several years ago, we spent the Christmas holidays with my husband’s family on the East Coast. My sister-in-law made biscotti, and every morning I enjoyed a piece with my coffee.

Coming home after the new year to simple bowls of Soaked Oatmeal and Fresh Fruit Crumbles made me ask a life-altering question:

Is it REALLY necessary to limit our intake of cookies with breakfast to just a special occasion?

Somehow that doesn’t quite seem fair…

As a mom and a real foodie, I get the reasoning behind it. Traditionally speaking, cookies are made with sugar and white flour and other ingredients that don’t qualify as healthy. Not exactly the ideal way to fuel the body for the day ahead.

BUT… if there was a way to make these cookies with better, more wholesome and nourishing ingredients, then it would be perfectly fine, right?

It’s time for cookies with breakfast, because that’s exactly what these einkorn biscotti recipes are!

THE BEST BISCOTTI RECIPE – 3 WAYS!

These biscotti cookies are made with einkorn wheat, an ancient grain that is easy to digest when compared to modern wheat. In fact, many people who are sensitive or intolerant to gluten can eat einkorn!

They’re also naturally sweetened with honey and maple syrup, so it’s no different than a bowl of oatmeal topped with either in my opinion. Except it’s way more fun to have a cookie than a bowl of oatmeal!

Not only is this biscotti recipe a better-for-you cookie, but it’s also:

• Easy. Biscotti are really simple to make and can easily be multiplied if you want to have a lot on hand for a party or because your husband (and kids) are biscotti monsters.
• Frugal. If you’ve ever bought biscotti at a coffee shop, you know you can pay a few dollars for just ONE cookie! Instead, make a whole batch at home.
• Lightly sweet. With less than 1 tablespoon of sweetener per cookie, they’re just sweet enough to be worthy of cookie status without feeling like you’re eating a bowl of sugar with your breakfast.
• So yummy! It feels like such a treat to dip biscotti cookies in your coffee, tea, or Homemade Hot Chocolate.

INGREDIENTS FOR EINKORN BISCOTTI RECIPES

There are three different biscotti recipe variations for you to try. All three biscotti flavors are amazing, so feel free to mix and match for variety and fun!

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Made with cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, and drizzled with additional chocolate, chocolate biscotti are an indulgent treat. The sliced almonds are a nice touch, and the orange zest very subtly enhances the richness of the cocoa.

• honey
• maple syrup
• unsalted butter (room temperature)
• egg
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• orange zest (approximately half of one medium orange)
• baking powder
• baking soda
• large granule salt (⅛ tsp table salt)
• cocoa powder
• einkorn flour
• sliced almonds
• dark chocolate chips (I used these)

VANILLA BEAN BISCOTTI

Grinding up vanilla beans is an EXCELLENT way to reduce food waste and enhance foods with the flavor of vanilla. I chose to dip these vanilla bean biscotti in dark chocolate, sprinkle them with sea salt, and garnish them with sliced almonds. The combination of dark chocolate and sea salt complements the simple flavor of the cookie so well.

• honey
• maple syrup
• unsalted butter (room temperature)
• egg
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• ground vanilla beans
• baking powder
• baking soda
• large granule salt (⅛ tsp table salt)
• einkorn flour
• sliced almonds

CRANBERRY ORANGE BISCOTTI

Cranberry and orange are the perfect combination of Christmas in one bite. There’s just enough orange and just enough cranberry. Not too sweet and just a slight tanginess when you happen to bite directly into a cranberry.

• honey
• maple syrup
• unsalted butter (room temperature)
• egg
• vanilla extract
• orange zest (approximately one medium orange)
• baking powder
• baking soda
• large granule salt (⅛ tsp table salt)
• einkorn flour
• dried cranberries

NOT SURE WHERE TO BUY EINKORN?

• I buy whole einkorn berries on Amazon, because that’s where I usually find the best price. You can also find them at Vitacost.
• If you don’t have a grain mill to grind your own flour, you can buy whole wheat einkorn flour like this 3-pack on Amazon.
• I really like all-purpose Einkorn flour as well, which you can find on Amazon, Vitacost, or Thrive Market. Since prices fluctuate, I like to check a couple of places before ordering to make sure I find the best deal.

You may substitute whole grain pastry flour or all-purpose flour if you don’t have einkorn. Add 2-4 Tablespoons if needed.

HOW TO MAKE BISCOTTI FROM SCRATCH

The basic recipe is nearly the same for all three flavors. You’re only adding different ingredients after you add the eggs and the extracts.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 325F.

Step 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat honey and maple syrup with butter until light in color and creamy.

Step 3. Add egg and extracts and beat well.

For triple chocolate biscotti:

Step 4. Add zest, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and einkorn flour and whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated well. The batter should look dull in color, not shiny. If the batter is shiny, add 1 Tablespoon of flour and mix well. You can add 1 additional Tablespoon of flour if needed but do not add more than this.

Step 5. Stir in almonds and dark chocolate chips.

For vanilla bean biscotti:

Step 4. Add ground vanilla beans, baking powder, baking soda, and einkorn flour and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated well. The batter should look dull in color, not shiny. If the batter is shiny, add 1 Tablespoon of flour and mix well. You can add 1 additional Tablespoon of flour if needed but do not add more than this.

Step 5. Stir in almonds.

For cranberry orange biscotti:

Step 4. Add zest, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 ½ cups of einkorn flour and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated well. The batter should look dull in color, not shiny. If the batter is shiny, add 2 Tablespoons of flour and mix well. You can add 1-2 additional Tablespoons of flour if needed but do not add more than 4 additional tablespoons.

Step 5. Stir in dried cranberries.

CONTINUE WITH THIS METHOD FOR ALL 3 BISCOTTI RECIPES:

Step 6. Allow the batter to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Step 7. Using a spatula, scrape the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.

Step 8. Lightly wet your hands and mold the dough into a rectangle. Re-wet your hands as needed.

Step 9. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are medium-golden brown. (When the cookie is ready, the top will form tiny cracks and it will lightly spring back when you touch it. This will happen first on the edges, but you want this to happen in the center of the cookie too. Mine took exactly 30 minutes to reach this point.)

Step 10. Once the first bake is done, remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack for one full hour.

Step 11. Reduce the oven temperature to 275F.

Step 12. Carefully remove the baked cookie from the lined baking mat and place it on a cutting board.

Step 13. Using a long, sharp serrated knife, cut the cookie into 10 pieces, each approximately 1-inch-wide thickness.

Step 14. Place the biscotti cookies cut side down on the same pan you just used. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip each cookie over and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Step 15. At this point, the biscotti can be removed from the oven and placed on a cooling rack to cool completely. OR, if you want super-duper crunchy biscotti cookies, use a wooden spoon to crack the oven door and allow the cookies to cool overnight in the oven. Dip in chocolate.

DIPPING THE BISCOTTI COOKIES IN CHOCOLATE

Step 1. Place a medium glass bowl over a medium pot filled with water and bring the water to a boil.

Step 2. Melt the chocolate in the bowl, reducing the heat to medium and stirring often. When the chocolate has melted, either lift one end of the bowl to create a pool of chocolate for dipping or scoop the melted chocolate into a quart freezer-safe bag for drizzling.

Step 3. Place the dipped biscotti on parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt or nuts if desired and let rest. The chocolate will harden at room temperature or you can place them in the fridge to cool quicker.

Biscotti cookies can be stored in an airtight container with a lid, in a single layer for up to one month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

RECIPE FOR BISCOTTI TIPS

I use the width of my knife to help guide my slices when making this recipe for biscotti. I lay the knife down flat and line up the dull edge of the knife with the edge of the rectangle. Then lift the knife up onto the sharp edge and cut. Repeat down the cookie.

If you plan to dip your biscotti in chocolate, it’s very important to use quality chocolate. I tried using three different types of chocolate – no-brand white chocolate candy bar, Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips, and Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips – and the melt was best in the Ghirardelli. The lesser-quality chocolate solidified as soon as I removed it from the stove! Plus, the higher-quality chocolate tasted better.

Since biscotti are baked twice to draw out most of the moisture, they keep for quite a while, making them perfect for gifting! Wrap up a plate or package of all 3 kinds for a lovely frugal gift.

Mix up the flavor combinations with different toppings! Mini chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, pistachios, pecans, large granulated sugar (like turbinado), or sea salt!

BISCOTTI COOKIES FAQS

MORE EASY EINKORN RECIPES

• Overnight Einkorn Coffee Cake
• Classic Pumpkin Bread
• Quick 1-Hour Cinnamon Rolls
• Einkorn English Muffins
• Sweet Potato Biscuits