Lemon Biscotti Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.
Our lemon biscotti cookies feature sliced almonds and vanilla extract. They have crunchy edges with slightly softer middles. To make them extra special, they’re drizzled with rich melted chocolate. Enjoy them for breakfast, snack time, or dessert. They’re so delicious.
🍋 About Lemon Biscotti Cookies
Biscotti are Tuscan cookies from the 14th century. The word biscotti originates from medieval Latin. It means “twice cooked.” Our lemon biscotti cookies are baked twice. The second baking draws out moisture. This oven drying makes them hard, sturdy and resistant to mold.
My family loves these yummy treats. We enjoy ours with milk, hot chocolate, tea or coffee. For holiday gifting, package lemon biscotti in cello bags. Cinch the bags tightly with a raffia ribbon. If desired, pair this gift with a lovely box of tea or a small container of specialty coffee.
🛒 Ingredients
Grandma would say, it’s important to have an arsenal of recipes, like lemon biscotti cookies, that are easy to make with common refrigerator and pantry items. Here’s what you’ll need to make this very easy recipe.
- Salted Butter: Gives these Italian cookies a delicious buttery taste.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cookie dough.
- Light Brown Sugar: Has a slightly caramelized flavor from the molasses. It makes this easy recipe over-the-top delicious.
- Lemon Juice: Has a bright, fresh sunny flavor. It pairs well with the taste of the butter and vanilla extract. To make things easy, be sure to zest the lemon(s) before juicing them.
- Lemon Zest: Adds additional tasty lemon flavor.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients while contributing a delicious bakery aroma.
- Almond Extract (optional): Provides the biscotti with a classic almond flavor. But if you don’t have it on hand, or don’t prefer it – use additional vanilla extract instead.
- Large Eggs: Provides richness while helping to bind the batter together.
- Baking Powder: Helps give the dough a gentle rise.
- Sea Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- All-purpose Flour: Provides the dough with structure.
- Sliced Almonds: I prefer the using sliced nuts. But if you only have whole almonds on hand, just toss them into the batter whole. When the loaves are sliced, many of the almonds will be sliced as well.
- Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate: Select a good-quality chocolate. It will be melted and used to coat one side of each cookie.
👩🏻🍳 IS BISCOTTI BETTER WITH OIL OR BUTTER? Butter tastes better! It ensures our biscotti won’t be jaw-breaking hard and dry. We want crispy buttery cookies with centers that are slightly tender. For crunchier, sturdier, more dunkable biscuits, toast them longer in the oven.
Best Pan for Baking Biscotti
Now that baking season is here, I recommend adding this USA biscotti pan to your collection. It makes forming the dough into logs quick and easy. If you don’t have specialty pans for this recipe, no worries. You can make these biscuits on a baking tray.
📖 Recipe Steps
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray the sides of 2 biscotti pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. If using 2 baking trays, line them with parchment paper or silicone bakings mats. Lemon biscotti cookie batter is super dense and thick. If you have a stand mixer, this is a great time to use it.
- Add softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream these ingredients together.
- Drizzle in lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix briefly.
- Add the eggs. Mix well.
- Add baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Mix again.
- Add flour to the bowl. Mix until fully incorporated. The dough will be dense and sticky – but it should not be overly wet. If needed, add a bit more flour.
- Add sliced almonds. Mix briefly.
- Spray your hands a spatula with cooking spray. Using the spatula and your fingertips, divide the dough between 2 biscotti pans or 2 parchment paper-lined baking trays.
- If using biscotti pans – spread out the batter evenly. Smooth out the tops. If using baking trays – form each piece of dough into a log (11 1/2 inches by 5 inches). Place each log on its own prepared tray. The batter will spread as it bakes.
👩🏻🍳 KITCHEN TIP: If your biscuit batter is dry and crumbly, lightly press it together until it forms a dough. However, if it’s really dry, use an extra egg or more vanilla extract. If the batter’s too wet and sticky, add a bit more flour.
- Bake each loaf separately – for 25 minutes or until the surface is golden blonde. Remove from oven. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with melted butter. Cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
- With a serrated knife, slice the slab into 12 one-inch strips.
- On a parchment-lined baking tray, arrange slices on their sides – with one cut side facing down. Return cookies to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until desired crispness is reached. Allow biscotti cool completely. These Italian cookies will continue to harden as they cool.
🥣 Coat Biscotti with Melted Chocolate
Melt chocolate according to package directions. With the back of a spoon, paint melted chocolate on the bottom of each biscuit. Place the lemon biscotti cookies on a sheet of parchment paper (or on a silicone baking mat) until the chocolate has hardened.
☕️ What to Pair with Lemon Biscotti Cookies
Italian biscuits are a quick easy breakfast or mid-day snack. Pair them with coffee, tea or milk. During hot weather months, enjoy them with an iced vanilla latte. For an after-dinner dessert, pair them with ice cream.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions for making the BEST lemon biscotti cookies, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
If you make these cookies often, invest in biscotti pan. It’ll make shaping the logs quick and simple to do.
Measured by weight on a scale, 1 cup all-purpose flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces or 120 grams. A second method is to fluff up the flour with a spoon inside the flour container. Use the spoon to sprinkle flour into the measuring cup one spoonful at a time; level off the cup with a knife.
Stick your freezer-safe mixing bowl with the dough into the freezer for 25-30 minutes. You can also coat your hands in a bit of flour or cooking spray to help battle the stickiness.
After the sliced cookies have baked for 10 minutes at 350°F, reduce the oven temperature to 200°F. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until desired crispness is achieved.
Brushing melted butter over the top and sides of the biscotti after the first bake will make it easier to slice and reduce the amount of cracking.
Use a serrated knife. With a sawing motion, slice loaves straight down, perpendicular to the board. For best results, slice after 10 to 20 minutes of cooling. If you wait any longer it will start to crumble.
After cookies are completely cool, wrap them in plastic. In a room-temperature environment without humidity (60°F to 72°F), store biscotti on the countertop for up to 2 weeks. The crisper they are, the longer they will last without going stale.
If not iced or coated in chocolate, you can freeze these biscuits for up to 1 month. Protect the pieces. Place them between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper inside an airtight container.
Yes. Prepare the logs in advance. Freeze them unbaked for up to 1 month. If frozen any longer, the texture won’t be at its prime.
🍪 More Tasty Cookies
If you love lemon biscotti cookies, you’ll enjoy these cookies too! Each recipe is quick and easy to make. Discover our complete collection in our Cookies Category.
- Pumpkin Biscotti
- Madeleines
- Panera Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Linzer Sugar Cookies
- Malted Milk Cookies
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Lemon Curd Cookies
Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers rated these the BEST lemon biscotti cookies. They loved the delicious lemony flavor with accents of butter and vanilla extract. They greatly enjoyed that these treats were dipped in luscious melted chocolate. They said these cookies taste amazing.
If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Lemon Biscotti Cookies
- Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
- Yield: 24 Cookies 1x
Description
Our lemon biscotti cookies feature sliced almonds and vanilla extract. After baking, they’re drizzled with rich melted chocolate. Crisp on the edges with slightly tender middles, they’re irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
Lemon Biscotti Cookies
- 1 stick salted butter, lightly softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (packed) light-brown sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (or use more vanilla extract instead)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted – for brushing
For Coating Cookies with Chocolate
- 2 (4-ounce) semi-sweet baking chocolate bars
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). If using 2 biscotti pans, spray the sides with baking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Or if using 2 baking trays, line the trays with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until well creamed. Add lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Mix until blended. Add eggs and beat again. Add baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Mix briefly.
- Add flour and mix until fully incorporated. The biscotti dough will be dense and sticky – but it should not be overly wet. If needed, add just a bit more flour. Toss in almonds and mix briefly.
- Lightly spray your hands and a spatula with cooking spray. Evenly divide the biscotti batter between the baking pans or trays. If using a baking tray – form each half into a log that’s approximately 11 1/2 inches X 5 inches. Smooth out the tops.
- One pan or tray at a time, bake the biscotti for 25 minutes – or until the surface is a light golden blonde. Remove from oven. Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top and sides of the loaf. Wait 10 minutes. Transfer the loaf to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice biscotti crosswise (perpendicular to the board) into 12 one-inch pieces.
- On a lined baking sheet, set pieces flat on their sides with a cut side facing down. Return them to the oven to crisp for 10 – 15 minutes. Do not flip the biscotti while baking! Once they’re dry, lightly crisp, and golden around the edges, remove cookies from the oven. To prevent breakage, allow the pieces to remain on the baking sheet until they’ve shed off heat and are stiff enough to handle. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. As they cool, these Italian cookies will harden and become dryer.
- Melt chocolate according to package instructions. (I melt baking chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well after each session until the chocolate is melted and smooth). With the back of a spoon, spread melted chocolate onto the bottom of each biscuit. Lay biscotti on a sheet of parchment paper. Allow the chocolate to harden and dry.
Notes
How to handle sticky dough: Biscotti dough is dense and sticky, but it should not be overly wet. If needed, add a bit more flour. To make the dough easier to handle, stick your freezer-safe mixing bowl with the dough into the freezer for 25-30 minutes. You can also coat your hands a bit of flour or cooking spray to help battle the stickiness.
How to make harder biscotti: After the sliced cookies have baked for 10 minutes at 350°F, reduce the oven temperature to 200°F. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until desired crispness is achieved. The longer they’re baked, the harder they’ll become.
How to cut biscotti without cracking: Brushing melted butter over the top and sides of the biscotti after the first bake will make it easier to slice and reduce the amount of cracking. To slice biscotti, use a serrated knife. With a sawing motion, slice loaves straight down, perpendicular to the board. For best results, slice after 10 to 20 minutes of cooling. Don’t wait any longer or it will start to crumble.
How to store lemon biscotti cookies: After the treats are completely cool, wrap them in plastic. In a room-temperature environment without humidity (60°F to 72°F), store biscotti on the countertop for up to 2 weeks. The crisper they are, the longer they will last without going stale.
- Prep Time: 35 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Lemon Biscotti Cookies 👉🏻 Join the Convo
Did you love learning how to make biscotti? Do you prefer these Italian cookies slightly tender or extra crisp? Share your thoughts below.
We shared this biscotti with chocolate drizzle today. Everyone in the family loves it! Every bite burst with happiness, it’s like the heaven opened its gates. This is so good, so thumbs up!
Thank you Jeff for sharing this with me. I really appreciate that. It makes me smile to know this biscotti recipe has brought happiness to you and those you love! Many good wishes are sent your way for a wonderful week.
Love Biscotti, but have never made it before! Can’t wait to try it! It sounds sooo good!
Making biscotti at home is so much fun during the winter season! I could go for a batch of these right now! Gotta try !
I love biscotti and these look yummy!!! I need to try these!!
Biscotti is so good, especially with coffee. I have always bought mine. Now I want to make them. Thanks for the recipe!
I absolutely love biscotti, but I have never made it myself. I need to try it soon.
I’m not much of a morning person but I’m definitely a cookie person! :) And these biscotti look fantastic. Totally want to make them!
Yum! This looks so delicious. It would make the perfect snack.
I didn’t even know there was a biscotti pan. I make a batch a month for years and didn’t know!
They look so good, but I wouldn’t have thought to pair them with tea. I’ll have to try and make the biscotti sometime.
I’m not sure why I’ve never made these before. They would be perfect paired with my tea in the mornings.
Bigelow Tea is one of my favorites. I like the variety that they offer. I have a few cups of tea daily.
Biscotti is so much fun to make and would be perfectly delicious for dipping in tea! Thanks for sharing your biscotti recipe with us!
Homemade biscotti?! That sounds like a dream come true! Of course, the melted chocolate is an added bonus.
Biscotti is so good with tea or coffee. Unfortunately, I don’t bake so I always end up with the store bought ones.
Yes please. I need to make this for breakfast one morning. It would be such a fabulous treat. Plus chocolate is the best!
Oooo I love biscotti with my coffee or tea! I’ve never made it before, but this recipe certainly looks easy enough! Thanks.
I want to make this today. It looks absolutely delicious and I know everybody my family would love it as a little snack. What a great way to relax.
This isn’t hard to make. They are so good!