Best Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe

There are few flavors that spark the feeling of the holidays like gingerbread. This recipe for gingerbread biscotti is the BEST. It is full of warm, seasonal spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my classic gingerbread cake recipe and my gingerbread molasses cookies recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my gingerbread recipes in one place.

Biscotti are the perfect option for mailing holiday cookies to far away friends and family. They are sturdy and not prone to breaking. Also, everyone loves getting cookies in the mail.

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Why you should make this recipe

• Perfect for holiday gatherings – A great addition to Christmas cookie platters or parties. The recipe makes 3 dozen, enough to share with friends and family.
• Sturdy – Biscotti are a very sturdy cookie, so they are the ideal cookie to ship because they will not break.
• Make ahead – This gingerbread biscotti can be made ahead. It will keep in an airtight container for over a week.

Gingerbread Biscotti

Gingerbread is by far my favorite holiday flavor. I don’t shy away from the spices, I like a strong gingerbread flavor. These biscotti have a hefty amount of spices in them, but they are not overpowering.

Biscotti recipes are similar to making any other cookie, except for the second bake. Which is why they are called biscotti – it translates as twice cooked. 

I debated about topping these twice baked cookies with coarse sanding sugar for a bit of sparkle, but in the end, decided against it. Instead, I dusted them with powdered sugar to get the crackled effect that you get with crinkle cookies.

Perfect for the holidays, these biscotti, full of gingerbread spices, would be a wonderful homemade gift that anyone would love to receive.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – The regular flour you have in the pantry. Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure.
• Butter – Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in your baked goods.
• Eggs – Provide moisture and structure to the dough. Large eggs are the standard in most recipes.
• Baking powder + baking soda – Gives the biscotti a bit of lift and helps the dough spread just the right amount.
• Spices – Sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground black pepper
• Sugar + Brown sugar – This combination gives the biscotti a more complex flavor.
• Vanilla – Common ingredient in almost all baked goods.
• Molasses – Dark molasses, not blackstrap.
• Powdered sugar – For dusting the tops.

How to make

As with any and all recipes, read it through before you begin. Gather all of your ingredients and measure everything ahead of time. This is your “mise-en-place“. You want to make sure you have everything you need BEFORE you begin.

1. Measure the spices and flour, then whisk them together. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugars and eggs. Add in vanilla and molasses.
2. Add the flour mixture into the molasses mixture and mix until just combined. It will form a slightly stiff dough, be careful not to overwork it.
3. Remove the dough from the bowl of the mixer and shape it into two even loaves.
4. Dust the tops of the loaves with powdered sugar. Slide them into the oven to bake.
5. After you’ve sliced the biscotti, lay them on their sides and slide them back into the oven for another 10 – 12 minutes for the second bake.

This gingerbread biscotti is very easy to make and a great recipe to start with if you’ve never made biscotti before. If you really love cinnamon, another easy recipe to try is my cinnamon biscotti.

How to slice biscotti without breaking

The key to slicing biscotti without breaking them is a two-parter. First, you must be gentle. They will be warm when you are slicing them. Let them cool enough to handle before trying to slice.

If you try to cut biscotti when they are too warm, they will break apart. The other issue to consider is using the proper knife for the job. The wavy edge knife that I’m using in the photo is my go-to serrated knife. The blade is thin enough to slice through biscotti and other delicate items without breaking them.

Another helpful tip is to avoid too much “sawing” through the cookie. Position the front of the blade where you want to start cutting and slice through in a smooth motion. Don’t apply too much downward pressure – let the knife do the work.

Pro Tip: If you want to make your biscotti extra crunchy, let them dry out after baking in a warm oven for 20 – 30 minutes with the door barely cracked open.

Gingerbread biscotti Q&A

Variations and substitutions

• Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
• Orange pairs nicely with gingerbread biscotti, add 1 – 2 tbsps. of orange zest to the wet ingredients.
• Add 1/2 cup of your favorite dried fruit to the gingerbread dough.

Helpful tools and equipment

• fine mesh strainer– useful for more than just dusting gingerbread biscotti with powdered sugar!
• kitchen scale – Weighing flour is the most accurate way to measure.
• baking sheets – These are heavy duty sheet pans. They can stand up to a lot of wear and tear without warping.
• parchment paper sheets – avoid the dreaded curl and buy sheets instead of a roll.
• Silpat baking mat – worth every penny and a GREAT gift for bakers.
• stand mixer – If you like to cook and/or bake, this is a must have. 
• wavy knife – the same knife I own and love.
• nutmeg grater – freshly grated nutmeg makes a world of difference!
• stainless steel mixing bowls – essential for holiday baking

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