Homemade Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe

Here is my favorite gingerbread biscotti recipe, with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, plus molasses for that classic gingerbread flavor, all baked twice until perfectly crispy.

These gingerbread biscotti are perfect for dunking in your morning coffee or hot chocolate during the winter months. I love making a big batch because they keep well in a tin, and the kids enjoy helping me shape the dough before baking.

What Kind of Flour Should I Use?

All-purpose flour is your best bet for gingerbread biscotti since it provides the right balance of structure and tenderness. You don’t want to use cake flour here because biscotti needs to hold its shape during the double-baking process, and cake flour would make them too fragile. Bread flour would work in a pinch, but it might make your biscotti a bit too tough and chewy. If you only have self-rising flour on hand, you’ll need to skip the baking soda and reduce the salt since self-rising flour already contains leavening agents and salt.

Options for Substitutions

This gingerbread biscotti recipe has some room for tweaks, but a few ingredients are pretty important to keep:

• All-purpose flour: Stick with all-purpose flour for the best texture – other flours like whole wheat or almond flour will change the structure too much and might make your biscotti crumbly instead of crisp.
• Spices: Feel free to adjust the spice blend to your taste. If you’re missing allspice, use a bit more cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. No ground cloves? Add extra ginger instead. You can even use 2-3 teaspoons of store-bought gingerbread spice mix in place of the individual spices.
• Brown sugar: White sugar works in a pinch, but you’ll lose some of that rich molasses flavor. If using white sugar, add an extra tablespoon of molasses to make up for it.
• Molasses: This is pretty key for that gingerbread taste, but if you don’t have it, you can use honey or maple syrup – just reduce the liquid slightly since they’re thinner than molasses.
• Butter: You can swap the butter for vegetable oil (use about 4 tablespoons) or even coconut oil if it’s softened to room temperature.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making gingerbread biscotti is overbaking during the first bake, which makes the logs too hard to slice cleanly – aim for just set and lightly golden, not deeply browned. When slicing your baked logs, use a sharp serrated knife and cut in a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing straight down, which can cause cracking and crumbling. Don’t skip the second bake either, as this is what gives biscotti their signature crunch, but keep a close eye during the final 10-15 minutes since the spices can cause them to brown quickly. For extra insurance against tough biscotti, let the logs cool for about 15 minutes before slicing, and if your dough seems too sticky to handle, chill it for 30 minutes to make shaping much easier.

What to Serve With Gingerbread Biscotti?

These spiced biscotti are perfect for dunking into your morning coffee or afternoon tea – the warm gingerbread flavors really come alive when they soak up a little liquid. I love serving them alongside a hot cup of chai latte or even hot chocolate during the colder months since the spices complement each other so well. They also make a great addition to a holiday dessert spread, especially when paired with vanilla ice cream or a simple fruit salad. For something extra special, try serving them with a glass of dessert wine or even a creamy eggnog during the holiday season.

Storage Instructions

Store: These gingerbread biscotti will stay crispy and fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. I love keeping a batch on hand during the holidays because they actually get better after a day or two as the spices meld together. They’re perfect with your morning coffee or as an afternoon treat.

Freeze: You can freeze baked biscotti in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap first, then place them in a container to prevent freezer burn. They thaw quickly at room temperature in about 30 minutes.

Make Ahead: The dough can be made a day ahead and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Just let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before shaping and baking. You can also freeze the shaped logs before the first bake for up to a month – just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	40-50 minutes
Total Time	55-70 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2000-2200
• Protein: 24-28 g
• Fat: 54-62 g
• Carbohydrates: 370-390 g

Ingredients

For the biscotti dough:

• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp unsulfured molasses (I use Grandma’s brand)
• 3/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (dark brown sugar for richer flavor)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves (for best flavor)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp baking soda

For decorating:

• 1–2 tbsp powdered sugar

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a baking mat, or by greasing it with butter and dusting with flour to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (ground)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp cloves (ground)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking soda, table salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and black pepper until they are thoroughly combined.

Set this dry mixture aside for later use.

Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar, Add Wet Ingredients

• 6 tbsp room-temperature unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla flavoring
• 2 tbsp molasses (unsulfured)

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the room-temperature unsalted butter and packed brown sugar on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until well combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully blended.

Stir in the vanilla flavoring and unsulfured molasses, mixing until the wet ingredients are fully incorporated.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients to Form Dough

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 3

Add the prepared dry ingredient mixture (from Step 2) to the wet ingredients (from Step 3).

Stir until a stiff dough forms.

Make sure the flour mixture is fully incorporated, but avoid overworking the dough.

Step 5: Shape the Biscotti Logs

• dough from Step 4
• 1–2 tbsp powdered sugar

Divide the dough in half.

With floured hands, shape each portion into a slightly flattened log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide on the prepared baking sheet.

Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the logs before baking.

I find that generously flouring your hands and the surface helps prevent sticking when shaping the logs.

Step 6: Bake and Cool the Logs

Bake the logs in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the logs are slightly firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes before handling.

Step 7: Slice and Bake Biscotti a Second Time

Transfer the slightly cooled logs to a cutting board.

With a sharp serrated knife, slice each log into 3/4-inch wide pieces.

Arrange the biscotti, cut sides down, on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crisp.

Allow the biscotti to cool completely on a wire rack before storing or serving.

For extra crunch, I like to leave the biscotti in the turned-off oven for a few extra minutes after baking.