This chocolate dipped biscotti recipe is made with toasted almonds and a hint of fresh orange zest. These homemade Italian cookies are perfect with a cup of coffee or as gifts during holiday season.
Homemade biscotti is something special. These crunchy cookies actually mean "twice baked" in Italian which describes how the cookie is made.
The shape of this traditional Italian cookie is also intentional. It's long and thin for easy dipping into coffee, tea, milk or hot chocolate. They also make beautiful gifts for the biscotti lover in your life!
We love to serve this chocolate dipped biscotti recipe at Christmas time. It's perfect with a cup of with hot coffee after a beautiful Christmas eve dinner of manicotti, seafood salad and pesto bread.
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🍫 Ingredient notes
- Almonds - Whole almonds are toasted and chopped to add extra flavor and texture to this chocolate dipped biscotti recipe. Pecans or pistachios are other nuts that could be used instead.
- Alcohol - Both dark rum and orange flavored liqueur is used to flavor the dough for this chocolate dipped biscotti. Orange juice can be used as a substitute if desired.
- Chocolate - Bittersweet chocolate is melted and used to dip the biscotti into after they are baked. It pairs perfectly with the orange flavor, however milk chocolate or white chocolate can also be used.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Almond - For a more plain almond flavor, eliminate the orange zest and orange liqueur and add ½ teaspoon almond extract.
- Chocolate Drizzle - Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the biscotti instead of dipping it.
- Toppings - Sprinkle on candied orange pieces, sliced almonds or mini chocolate chips after dipping.
- Mini - Divide the dough for these chocolate dipped biscotti into two pans and make two thinner, smaller loaf shapes.
🥣 Step by step instructions
First, toast the almonds in the oven . While they cool, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, rum, orange liqueur, vanilla extract and orange zest in a large bowl. Chop the toasted almonds finely and then add them to the mixture.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until a thick sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Once the dough is chilled, turn it out onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Wet your hands and shape the dough into a large loaf shape. Put them in a 350˚ oven for their first bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Let the loaf cool for about 15 minutes and then move it to a cutting board. Slice it into 12 thick slices using a sharp serrated knife. Then cut those slices in half so you have 24 biscotti cookies.
Place slices in single layer on two sheet pans and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Move the baked biscotti cookies to a wire rack to cool while you melt the chocolate.
Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and cook it at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after every cooking time, until it is 75% melted. Stir the chocolate until all of it is melted and smooth.
Dip the cut ends of the biscotti into the melted chocolate and place them on parchment or wax paper to let the chocolate coating dry.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Make sure to both chill the dough and wet your hands before shaping. The dough is very sticky and both of these things will help to avoid it sticking to your hands and making a mess.
- Rotate the sheet pans on the racks in the oven during cooking time to make sure that all of the biscotti cook and brown evenly.
- Be careful not to burn the chocolate when melting it in the microwave. Using 50% power and stopping every 30 seconds to stir will help it melt slowly. Only cook it until it's 75% melted and then stir to finish melting.
- If the chocolate starts to thicken before you are done dipping, you can use the same process to heat the chocolate back up in the microwave that was used for melting it.
- Let the biscotti cool completely before dipping them in the melted chocolate so the chocolate sticks to them properly. They will cool faster if placed on cooling racks.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
Dough - The biscotti dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in the mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap.
The dough can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Dough should be thawed in the refrigerator completely before shaping and baking.
Loaf - The biscotti loaf after the first baking can be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. When you are ready, slice the biscotti and follow the remaining instructions for the second bake and then for dipping.
The baked and cooled loaf can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 1 month. The frozen loaf should be defrosted at room temperature before slicing for the second bake.
Finished Biscotti - Chocolate dipped biscotti should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and should keep like this for 1-2 weeks. Pieces of parchment or wax paper can be placed in between the layers to keep the chocolate from sticking to the other pieces.
Baked and cooled biscotti can also be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. It's best to store them in the freezer undipped as they soften after thawing. Thawed, undipped biscotti can be crisped up in a 350˚ oven for 2-5 minutes.
🧁 More Italian dessert recipes
If you loved this chocolate dipped biscotti recipe, check out these other Italian dessert recipes that I know you will love too!
- Thick Italian Hot Chocolate
- Cannoli Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling
- Homemade Italian Zeppole
- Baked Nutella Cheesecake
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Dipped Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons orange flavored liqueur
- 2 Tablespoons dark spiced rum
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, approximately 1 large orange
- 3 large whole eggs
- 2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 16 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and spread the almonds out into an even layer on a baking sheet (affiliate link) lined with parchment paper (affiliate link).
- When the oven is preheated, toast the almonds for 10-12 minutes, tossing them halfway through cooking time, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- While the almonds are cooling, mix together the sugar, melted butter, orange-flavored liqueur, rum, vanilla extract and orange zest in a large mixing bowl (affiliate link).
- Chop up the cooled toasted almonds finely and then mix them into the butter and sugar mixture. Add in the eggs and stir to combine.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to remove any lumps.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined into a thick and sticky dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Line the baking sheet used to toast the almonds with a clean piece of parchment paper and turn out the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
- With wet hands, form the dough into a large loaf shape that is approximately 8 inches wide by 13 inches long.
- Bake the loaf in the oven for 20-25 minutes until it is golden brown. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the slightly cooled loaf to a cutting board and using a serrated knife (affiliate link), slice it into 12 equal slices and then cut each slice in half for a total of 24 biscotti.
- Place the sliced biscotti directly onto two unlined sheet pans so they are cut side down.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Once the biscotti are completely cooled, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring in between. Once the chocolate is 75% melted, stop heating it and stir it until it is completely melted.
- Dip the biscotti ends into the melted chocolate and then transfer them to a sheet of parchment or wax paper to dry.
Notes
- Make sure to both chill the dough and wet hands before shaping to avoid it sticking.
- Rotate the sheet pans on the racks in the oven so they brown evenly.
- Don't burn the chocolate when melting it. Using 50% power and stopping every 30 seconds to stir will help it melt slowly. Only cook it until it's 75% melted and then stir to finish melting. If it starts to thicken during dipping, the process can be repeated.
- Let the biscotti cool completely before dipping so the chocolate sticks to them.
Substitutions and Variations
- Nuts - Use pecans or pistachios instead of almonds.
- Alcohol - Substitute the alcohol with orange juice.
- Chocolate - Use milk chocolate or white chocolate instead.
- Flavor - For a more plain almond flavor, eliminate the orange zest and orange liqueur and add ½ teaspoon almond extract.
- Drizzle - Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the biscotti instead of dipping.
- Toppings - Candied orange pieces, sliced almonds or mini chocolate chips can be sprinkled onto the melted chocolate.
- Mini - Divide the dough up into two pans and make two thinner, smaller loaves.
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