This crispy gingerbread biscotti looks and tastes like the holidays! It is spicy and crunchy and wonderful to have a jar full on the counter or to bag up and give as gifts.
- This gingerbread biscotti recipe makes perfectly crunchy biscotti and are great for dunking in a cup of tea or coffee.
- Gingerbread biscotti makes perfect holiday gift or hostess gifts. Simply pack up in a cellophane package and tie with a festive bow and maybe tuck it in a nice mug to go with it.
- Biscotti keeps well and travels well. You can even freeze them!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Molasses – Use a mild molasses, for best results and flavour. Molasses labelled “Fancy” is the best choice. Cooking molasses would be an option, in a pinch, though the molasses flavour would be stronger. I don’t recommend Blackstrap molasses, as the flavour is just too strong and will overpower the spices.
No molasses? Substitute honey, golden syrup or maple syrup instead. The flavour profile will be different, but it will work.
Step-by-Step Photos
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Mix the batter together.
- Use a spoon to make two logs, about 2 inches wide and 12 inches long.
- Wet hands.
- Use dampened hands to smooth the logs and even out.
- Dust generously with icing/confectioners’ sugar before baking.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then remove to a cutting board.
- Slice the logs into slices.
- Place slices on baking sheet upright and return to the oven for 10 minutes more.
Baker’s Notes
- A serrated knife is the perfect tool to cut your biscotti before the second bake. I find holding the edges near where I am slicing helpful while I slice, to avoid any pieces pulling off as I slice.
- Prefer a softer biscotti? Reduce the 2nd baking time by half or skip it altogether.
- If your icing sugar disappears a bit through the process, don’t hesitate to give it another dusting, as needed.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
Once cooled, store biscotti in an airtight container or jar. It will keep well for 2 weeks or more.
Biscotti also freezes well up to 3 months.
Get the Recipe: Simply Perfect Gingerbread Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup (325 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 tsp (6 g) baking soda
- 1 tsp (5 g) fine salt, (reduce a bit if you use salted butter)
- 1 1/2 tsp (3 g) cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp (3 g) ginger
- 3/4 tsp (1.5 g) allspice
- Pinch (Pinch) cloves
- Pinch (Pinch) finely ground black pepper
- 6 Tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (185 g) brown sugar, packed
- 2 large (2 large) eggs
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla
- 2 Tbsp (40 g) mild molasses, such as "Fancy" molasses
- Icing/Confectioners’ Sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (regular bake/not fan assisted) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and molasses and beat in. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix until flour is all incorporated.
- Spoon batter on to prepared baking sheet, making two logs about 2 inches wide by 12 inches long and flattened on the top. Allow as much space in between the two logs as you can, as the batter will spread. *Tip: this is best done by using a spoon to make a two rolls of dollops of dough. Rinse your hands under cold running water. Shake but do not dry. Use your damp fingers to smooth the logs and adjust the even-ness of the logs. Sprinkle logs generously with icing sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, but leave the oven on. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a cutting board. Cut into 1/2-3/4 inch thick slices, either cutting straight across for "snack size" biscotti or at a diagonal, for longer biscotti. Return the slices to the baking sheet, standing them upright and bake a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and then transfer biscotti to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing in a container. **If you prefer a softer biscotti, you can reduce the 2nd baking time or eliminate it altogether.
Notes
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Hi, first time making biscotti and not the last. In fact I am now making another batch as I’m writing this as hubby and I accidentally ate most of it which was meant for Christmas ….oopsie….crazy good. Thankyou for sharing and merry Christmas 🎅🏼🧑🏻🎄🎄🥰
Lol! I accidentally eat my Christmas baking ahead, too :) So glad you are enjoying it and Merry Christmas to you, as well!
These are excellent! I added skor toffee bits in the dough, and once they were fully baked and cooled, drizzled white chocolate on top and added red/white/green sprinkles to make it Christmassy. I packaged most of them up for gifts, but I just had to keep some for myself because they were so good. Great recipe!
Sounds lovely, Sherry :) So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks so much!
I’ve tried several recipes for gingerbread biscotti over the years and this is the best one so far. Not only do they look great but they taste great as well. I made the recipe as written for the most part but since we like a spicy gingerbread, I used rounded measures of the spices, added some grated fresh ginger and 1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger. I also sprinkled maple sugar and turbinado sugar on the logs before baking and omitted the icing sugar on the baked biscotti. Excellent!
Sounds lovely, Sadie :) So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer…this recipe is a keeper…. Been baking ginger snaps… biscotti and komish for over 50 years Gingerbread Biscotti.. what a great idea! I added a cup of chopped walnuts and used Crisco instead of butter. Also used Ancho Chile pepper…. 8th of a tsp.instead of black pepper. Mexicans add this to their chocolate cake and other recipes. Also…. Left out cloves and nutmeg…. Not our favourite. and I prefer to use a bit of oil on my board and hands instead of water..not so sticky. Thanks for sharing💞
Sounds lovely, Connie! So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks so much :)
Got sent this recipe by my mum as she loves it. Weighed my butter (85g) and added a slight bit more (extra tsp) because it wasn’t “creamy” on beating. Really easy to make and delicious! Dipped mine in white chocolate.
Sounds lovely! Thanks so much :)
I am silly excited for these! Nut free biscotti recipes are hard to find. These have just come from the oven and are wonderful. Love the kick of black pepper which I was liberal with.
Thanks so much for sharing
So glad to hear, Heidi :) Thanks so much!
Jen, This biscotti is simply amazing. I just made it. It is so good and ideal with a cup of coffee. It goes together well and is so moist. the flavor is unbelievably good. Can’t wait to make again.
I love this recipe and your photos are stunning!
Thanks so much, Carlos :)
Merry Christmas Eve Jennifer! These look wonderful, what a perfect way to start a holiday morning with a hot mug of something delicious. Wishing you a lovely Christmas with your family.
Thanks so much, Chris and Merry Christmas to you!! :)
Oh my, Jennifer, these photos are so beautiful. Even though I’m not much for desserts, I am definitely a big fan of biscotti and I’ve never had gingerbread. Sounds so scrumptious!
Merry Christmas to you!
Thanks so much, Robyn and I think you would love this. Really lightly sweet and nice and spicy :) Merry Christmas to you, too! Hope you are getting the same light snow we are, as it’s pretty and festive.
Just gorgeous, I need to make a batch to enjoy by the fire on Christmas afternoon. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas! :)
Thanks so much, Laura and a very Merry Christmas to you, as well!!
You know I LOVE gingerbread so this is going on my list for next year. I’m so done with baking this year – haha. Making two batches of Lactation cookies today as a gift for my daughter and daughter-in-law. Everybody still has babies :) These are my kind of cookie … great with a cup of coffee, they keep well for a long time and are loaded with gingerbread flavor! Pinning and printing so I don’t forget next year :) Thanks for all you do Jennifer. So happy to have gotten to know you this past year. Blessing to you and your family. Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much, Tricia :) have a wonderful holiday!!
My first attempt at biscotti, wasn’t sure if I could do it (I’m a newbie to baking). They turned out to be amazing, according to my husband, I don’t eat sweets, probably why I’m just learning to bake at my age, ha ha. Thanks for taking the time to write very easy instructions and as always providing beautiful photos. I just love your site and always have wonderful results with your recipes! Happy Holidays!
Hi Deb and thanks so much :) I am thrilled that you tried this and you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for coming back to share this with me and happy holidays to you, too!!
The photos take my breath away ~ sharing, pinning, and wishing I had one right now with my coffee! Happy Holidays Jennifer!
Thanks so much, Sue and happy holidays to you, as well!!!