Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Looking for an afternoon snack to go with your coffee? Look no further than this Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti. It’s perfectly crispy, crunchy, and loaded with toasty pistachios and chewy, sweet dried cranberries.
These crisp Italian cookies will melt in your mouth once they take a dip in your morning coffee. I love to eat these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti with coffee, but they are absolutely delicious all on their own. Pistachios and Cranberries are one of my favorite combos in a cookie. The pistachios add a perfect toasty crunch while the dried cranberries add a sweet and tart chewiness. These cookies are crisp without being too rigid to bite into and balanced just right with sweetness. Because of their texture and crunch, they keep really well and even make great gifts. Wrap these beauties up in some cellophane and gift them in a cute ceramic mug for the coffee lovers in your life!
What is Biscotti?
Biscotti, known as “cantucci” in Italy are crispy, oblong-shaped cookies that are traditionally made with almonds. What makes them unique is that the dough is formed into logs, baked, then cut into slices, and baked a second time. The word Biscotti actually means exactly that: “twice-cooked”. They are dry and dense so are typically served with a drink to dunk them in. Now let’s make some!
Ingredients for Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
There are 2 ingredients in this recipe that really make it special. You guessed it, the cranberries and the pistachios. The dried cranberries can easily be found on the baking aisle or the bulk section at your store but the pistachios can be a little more difficult to find. They need to be raw (unsalted and not roasted) and having them already shelled will save you a lot of time and sore fingers. They can be pricey but will most likely be in the bulk section at your store so you can buy exactly the amount you’ll need. If you bake with pistachios often, you can even find them online in larger quantities. Here is the list of all the ingredients you’ll need to have for this Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Raw Pistachios
- Dried Cranberries
Can I Use Other Dried Fruits and Nuts?
Yes! There are so many different combinations you can try out for Biscotti. Just make sure any nuts you use are unsalted and not roasted. You don’t want overly salty Biscotti and they’ll already get nice and toasty from being baked twice. I like to coarsely chop the nuts and dried fruits so there is a variety of sizes in each bite. You could even add in some lemon or orange zest or finish them off with a drizzle of chocolate after baking. Here are some ideas of different ingredients you could swap out for the pistachios and cranberries.
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Pecans
- Dried Cherries
- Dried Apricots
- Chocolate Chips
More Pistachio Recipes You’ll Love
If you try these out, let me know what you think and what flavor combo you’re going to try next. Happy Biscotti Baking!
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups ( 240g)all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup raw shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy and light in color, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bowl well, then with the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Scrape the bowl again and add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix just until combined. Stir in the pistachios and dried cranberries and mix on low just until incorporated.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. On the prepared baking sheet, form each dough portion into a log measuring about 1¼ inches wide by 15 inches long, spacing the logs at least 3 inches apart.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until firm to the touch and light golden in color. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
- Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut each log into 1 inch thick slices and place the pieces back on the baking sheet, cut side down.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes more, until firm and golden brown. Cool completely before serving.
- Dunk in a cup of coffee and enjoy!
Notes
- Storing: Store the biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Hi! I have made this recipe so many times and each time I love it more. I just wanted to ask if there is a way I can alter the recipe to make a choclate biscotti, as in add cocoa powder in place of some flour?
Thank you!
Hi! I’m so glad to hear that you’ve loved this Biscotti so much! I haven’t tried it but I think swapping some of the flour for cocoa powder would work. I’d probably start with 3-4 Tablespoons. I’ll have to work on a chocolate version 😊
Best biscotti recipe!
Thank you so much!!
Hi,I only can find roasted pistachios can I use them or not.
Thanks.
Hi Joyce! Roasted pistachios should work, as long as they aren’t salted.
Love biscotti, and this was my first attempt at baking them. The recipe was very tasty but my biscotti were crumbly. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Cathy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor of these but sorry to hear they came out crumbly! Make sure your biscotti logs cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing – they should be warm but not hot. I’ve also heard that spritzing the logs with water and letting them sit for 5 minutes before slicing helps. I haven’t tested this myself but I think it would help!
Needs more flour- a disaster
I’m so sorry to hear the Biscotti didn’t work out for you. I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients for the most accurate measurement, especially for the flour, as this can greatly affect the recipe.
can’t wait to try these. unfortunately I bought lightly salted and roasted pistachios. Will they work or should I get the right ones? thanks
I haven’t tried it myself but I think those would still work – I’d cut the salt in the recipe down to 1/4 teaspoon though!
Is the 3/4 cup pistachios before or after they’re chopped? Thanks in advance for the clarification.
The pistachios should be measured out before chopping. Hope this helps!
I’ve tried many biscotti recipes and this one is by far the best. Although it’s a VERY sticky dough, first time users should not worry! I spray my hands with Pam to form logs. I prefer them to be about 12” long x 3” wide which produces a larger piece of biscotti. A few more minutes will be needed in oven.
Thank you Natalen! Spraying your hands is a great tip! So glad you enjoyed these 😊
my family loves this biscotti and it’s so adaptable to other dried fruits and nuts. Not to hard and perfect texture. A fresh batch is a gone batch
Thanks for trying the recipe Diane! So glad you enjoyed them!
I have been making biscotti for many years. I always line the pan with tinfoil instead of parchment paper for a crispy texture. When forming the logs I put the lined pan near the sink and have the water running. I wet my hands and shaped the logs and keep wetting them until the logs are shaped and ready to go into the oven. If you have disposable cooking gloves that would make it easier just still wet the gloves. For the second bake, I always stand mine up in the pan so that they cook crispier. Just some things I have learned over many years.
There are lots of tricks you learn along the way with biscotti – thanks for sharing some of yours!
great directions
Thank you Johanna!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but the logs have spread out as flat as crackers. I have already decided to call them biscotti sticks because I know they will taste good. Any ideas what I did wrong? Thanks.
Hi Lisa, I’m sorry to hear the biscotti didn’t turn out for you. My first thought is that if you forgot the baking powder or didn’t add the full amount, this would cause the biscotti to spread out flat. I also recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients (if you used measuring cups instead), as weight is a more accurate measurement and will give you the most consistent results. Hope this helps!