Learn how to make biscotti! This never-fail Cranberry Pecan Biscotti is a reliable recipe that can be easily adapted to include your favourite nuts, dried fruits and spices. Perfect for morning coffee time, it makes a welcome gift, too. This post includes gift tags for you to download!
I've made three batches of this Never-Fail Cranberry Pecan Biscotti in the last two weeks.
That's a lot of biscotti, but fear not, I didn't eat it all myself. I like to make biscotti for gifts for friends and family!
Biscotti is a favourite holiday treat. I mean, who doesn't love dipping a cookie into their morning coffee? It just may be the best way to start the day!
❤️ Why this recipe works
- Biscotti is a cookie, but it's not overly sweet, which suits most of my friends just fine.
- I used a basic biscotti dough recipe from Canadian Living that I've relied on for years. It hasn't failed me yet, and it's easy to adapt.
- You can make it your own by changing the nuts and dried fruits to make different varieties! This year, besides the cranberry biscotti, I also made a batch of Cherry Chocolate biscotti for my friends who can't tolerate nuts.
Homemade kitchen gifts are fun to make and always appreciated. Besides biscotti, you may want to make Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark, one of these 7 Holiday Spiced Nuts Recipes or any of the recipes in this roundup of Homemade Gifts from the Kitchen. Have a look!
Ingredients for cranberry biscotti
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below, but first, here are a few notes about some of them.
You'll need butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla for the wet ingredients and
all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt for the dry ingredients.
To flavour it, this recipe uses pecans, dried cranberries and lemon zest (don't leave that out!)
It's absolutely delicious when glazed! You can make a very simple glaze with powdered sugar, lemon juice and a little vanilla extract, or you can dip the biscotti in melted chocolate if you'd like!
🔪 How to make biscotti
Making biscotti requires two steps: mixing and baking the dough, then slicing and baking it for a second time, until it is almost dry. You'll find complete, detailed directions in the recipe card below.
You'll beat the butter and sugar together, add the eggs and vanilla, then combine this mixture with the dry ingredients before adding the nuts and cranberries.
Then you'll form the dough into a ball by pressing it together.
The next step is to divide the ball of dough in half, roll it in two logs and brush them with egg white mixed with water. They're now ready for the first bake.
Once the two logs are baked, you'll let them cool for about 15 minutes, then cut them diagonally into slices about ½ inch thick using a very sharp or serrated knife. Take your time when slicing.
Stand the slices upright on a baking sheet so that the heat from the oven can circulate all around.
Reduce oven heat to 300°F and bake the biscotti slices for an additional 30 minutes. The cookies may be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool.
Cool them completely, then drizzle with lemon glaze. Let the glaze harden completely before storing the cookies in cookie tins or packaging as gifts.
How long will biscotti keep?
Biscotti cookies keep well and will stay fresh for two weeks or more. Store in a container at room temperature with sheets of parchment paper between the layers to protect the lemon glaze or chocolate coating. It doesn't have to be airtight. A cookie tin helps to keep biscotti crisp.
Can I freeze biscotti?
Yes, these cookies freeze well. Wrap tightly and store in an airtight container. You can also freeze the dough if you like. I form it into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and then overwrap it with foil before freezing.
When you're ready to bake it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then slice it diagonally, place the slices upright on a baking sheet and put the sheet in the oven for the second bake.
Possible variations
It's fun and easy to vary the flavours, just by substituting different nuts, dried fruit, and spices. Dip them in chocolate, or drizzle them with lemon glaze or caramel.
Try substituting cinnamon for the lemon zest, or any of these combinations.
- dried cranberries with walnuts
- dried cherries with chocolate chips
- dried apricots with finely chopped almonds
Cranberry Biscotti makes a great gift
Create your own recipe and share some biscotti with your friends, co-workers or neighbours! Biscotti makes a beautiful gift because you can make it ahead of time and it will stay fresh.
This recipe will make 48 pieces, enough for four or more gifts!
This never-fail biscotti recipe was originally published in 2015. It has been updated with extra helpful information and new photos.
If you love this biscotti recipe, please give it 5 stars and let me know how it turned out in the comments sections below. Thanks!
📖 Recipe
Never-Fail Cranberry Pecan Biscotti
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs * see note below
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest finely grated
- 1 teaspoon egg white, beaten with 2 tsp. water (for brushing top of dough) *Save one teaspoon of the egg white before you add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar.
Glaze Ingredients
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or just enough to make a spreadable consistency.
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy.
- Before adding the eggs, save one teaspoon of egg white for brushing on the dough before baking. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then add vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into butter mixture in 2 additions, until just combined.
- Add the pecans, cranberries and lemon zest.
- Form into a ball by pressing together with your hands. It may look like it is too dry and crumbly, but it comes together once you press it together.
- Transfer to a lightly floured board. Divide in half and form into two logs, 12 inches long. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with one teaspoon egg white mixed with 2 teaspoons water.
- Bake at 325°F for 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15- 20 minutes.
- With a sharp knife, slice the logs into ½ inch slices on a slight diagonal.
- Stand the slices upright on the baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Cookies will be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool.
- Cool completely, then drizzle with lemon glaze. Let the glaze harden completely before storing in containers or packaging as gifts. These cookies store well in a cookie tin.
Charlotte
Chose an easy recipe because I am not a baker. Made it twice to be sure it wasn't just beginners luck. Honestly, these biscotti are truly delicious and never fail. YUMMY
Elaine
That's wonderful to hear, Charlotte! This is a reader favourite, too! Thanks for commenting and for the 5-star rating!
Lauren
LOVE this recipe: never fail is right! With or without glaze, it is great! This recipe makes a flavorful and toothsome biscotti- not too hard or crumbly but a great, firm biscotti texture! For my latest batch I've used orange zest instead of lemon- yum! I've tried different flavor combinations with good success, but I'd say the cranberry pecan is a stand out favorite!
Elaine
That's great to hear, Lauren! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! Thanks for the 5 stars, too.
Susan
Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Elaine
Yes, while I haven't tried that myself with this recipe, using fresh cranberries should be fine. I would make sure to chop them very finely, perhaps using a food processor. Thanks for your question!
Susan
Thanks doing that now
Kris
Replacing other cookie recipes for future gifting. Perfect mix of textures and flavors.
Elaine
Thanks Kris! This biscotti recipe is a favourite of many!
Annemarie De Villiers
Wonderful recipe! Impossible to stop eating these. I'll make them for all my friends as gifts.
Question: how do I turn these into chocolate biscotti?
Elaine
Hi! Happy to hear you love this recipe, too. You could substitute chocolate chips for cranberries and pecans. I'd use one cup each of both dark chocolate and white chocolate. Omit the lemon zest or replace it with orange zest. You could dip them in either melted white or dark chocolate. To store, layer between pieces of parchment paper to protect the chocolate dip. I haven't tried adding cocoa powder to the batter, so I can't be sure they would turn out as well. I hope this helps!
Morgan
Oh wow! I was so happy with these. They turned out beautifully! I made them before Christmas, kept some for ourselves and packaged some for gifts. Great, reliable recipe!
Elaine
That makes me happy! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Nancy
These are amazing! My family and friends enjoyed them.
Elaine
Thanks! So glad you like them!
Flavour & Savour
Yes! I've corrected it. Thanks for catching it!
JennyHeazell
How long will they keep if put in gift tins?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Jenny,
Because biscotti are baked twice, they have little moisture in them, so they keep for a long time. Store them at room temperature in an airtight tin and they will keep for a few weeks. Happy baking!
Jim Darling
I have made this recipe many times. It is delicious. I sent a box to my Aunt in New Jersey and she loved it. I have changed things and the result is still awesome. Cherry Almond...Double Chocolate Almond and the latest Pumpkin Pecan. Thanks for a great, easy recipe.
Flavour & Savour
You’re welcome! Those sound like awesome flavour combinations!
Priscilla
I made these a couple weeks ago as the recipe is here... cran pecan and they were amazing!!! I made them again for the second time today, after using a different gals recipe (EPIC FAIL) for my last batch of an almond biscotti recipe. I didn't think to just substitute and use this already perfect recipe! Silly girl!
I only used toasted almonds (no fruit or zest, just vanilla) and dipped them in chocolate with more toasted almonds.
They are HEAVENLY!
Keep this recipe as a good all around biscotti base recipe. It's just amazing and our customers at the cafe' really adore them. We live in Mexico and can't get biscotti here!
Thanks again!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Priscilla! Agreed--this is a good all round biscotti base recipe that you can add different dried fruit and nuts too. No biscotti in Mexico?? Oh well--remember, you have all that fabulous sunshine 🙂
Priscilla
Ha! Indeed we do!!!!!! xoxo
Suvidha
Could you please suggest a substitution for the nuts. I would like to make a couple of different varieties but they need to be nut free. Thank you very much!
Flavour & Savour
The nuts are optional. You can just leave them out if you like. I just made a batch with toffee bits and chocolate and I added a teaspoon of instant espresso powder. If you like candied ginger, it's good with chocolate, too. Just finely chop it and add it to the batter as you would any dried fruit. Hope this helps!
Suvidha
Thanks so much!
Suvidha
Thank you!
Priscilla
Absolutely gorgeous and professional flavor. Perfect balance of cranberries and pecans and the lemon zest adds a subtle brightness to it.
On my second batch I had an easier time and less crumbling by cutting it into bars after ten minutes, not fifteen. Just my experience.
Don't change a thing. This is perfection.
Well done sweetie.
These will be a regular item at my teenage daughters sidewalk cafe. Our customers have loved them!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Priscilla!
So glad you enjoyed them. They're a favourite in our home, too. Thanks for stopping by.
Priscilla
Just had a customer order fifteen!!! I guess he loves them too! xo