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This easy Pistachio Biscotti recipe is delicately sweet, has a light crunch and is made with lots of buttery, beautiful green pistachios! Keep them plain or add chocolate for a decadent version of this classic Italian cookie!
Biscotti are very special cookies. In fact, this is my 6th biscotti recipe on the blog (more to come I'm sure!)
I make them all the time using all kinds of flavors and this recipe is super quick to pull together.
I love the homemade look of these cookies. You can make them big, make them small, they're always beautiful!
Plus, you can make them fancy by dipping the ends and bottoms in chocolate. Not shown here, but I'm always happy to help share the ideas!!
Why pistachios?
Pistachios are possibly my favorite nut. They are buttery, a little sweet and who doesn't love that they're green?!
Pistachio nuts are rich in phytosterols, antioxidants good fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They've got all the good stuff.
They are also native to Sicily, making them the perfect addition for a classic Italian cookie like biscotti. Pistachios are found in a lot of Italian treats, but pairing them with biscotti is a match made in heaven.
Procuring unsalted, shelled pistachios can be harder than it seems. I went to several grocery stores only to find that the large bags of shelled pistachios were roasted and salted.
The smaller bags sold in the baking aisle are really expensive compared to the roasted/salted versions, but... they're worth it. I promise!
To maintain the lightness of this cookie, it's best to use pistachios in their raw state.
I know, I know...toasting nuts brings out all their nutty goodness but I think for this cookie, raw nuts work perfectly. Besides, when the biscotti go in for the second bake, the sides do get a little toasted!
Obviously, go with your heart on this. Feel free to give the pistachios a quick toast in the oven to deepen the flavor of your cookies. Just don't forget to let them cool down before adding to the dough!
How to make the best pistachio biscotti
This is a very simple recipe.
All you'll need is...
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Pistachios (preferably raw)
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- A dash of nutmeg (optional)
It's easy
Here's a run down of the essential steps to making biscotti.
- Mix the dough and form in big fat log on the cookie sheet.
- Begin to shape the dough and carefully stretch it longer and thinner by using your hands to form the shape. I usually go the whole length of the tray and push it down until it's about ½ inch thick. You can create two smaller logs for smaller biscotti if you want to.
- Bake it off until golden brown on the edges.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes; slice into 1 inch pieces (try slicing on a diagonal if you want to be fancy).
- Lower the oven temp; lay the pieces on the tray with the side facing up, bake off again.
- Remove the tray from the oven, flip the cookies and bake on the other side.
How crunchy are these cookies?
I've had biscotti at so many places and usually they are flavorless and are so rock-hard that you feel like your teeth are going to break off when you take a bite.
Can anyone else relate?
Indeed, I understand there is a purpose for biscotti being dry and hard, but I'm not a dunker!
The great thing about this recipe is that you can bake these on the softer side or more crisp. All you need to do is adjust the baking time for the second bake.
- If you want softer cookies, bake no more than 10 minutes on each side.
- If you want medium-crunch cookies, bake no more than 15 minutes on each side.
- For crisp cookies, bake 20 minutes on each side.
Looking for more biscotti recipes? Check out my other favorites!
Pistachio Biscotti
This easy Pistachio Biscotti recipe is delicately sweet, has a light crunch and is made with lots of buttery, beautiful green pistachios! Keep them plain or add chocolate for a decadent version of this classic Italian cookie!
- Total Time: 65
- Yield: 12 cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- ⅔ c pistachios (shelled, raw)
- 4 Tbsp butter (softened at room temp; salted or unsalted can be used)
- ¾ c granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ c all purpose flour (plus more for shaping the dough)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- dash of nutmeg (optional)
EGG WASH (OPTIONAL)
- 1 egg
- a splash of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prep one cookie tray with parchment.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the pistachios and grind into coarse crumbs. Some larger pieces are OK.
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Mix until light and fluffy using a hand mixer.
- Next, add the pistachios.
- Add the eggs & vanilla extract. Mix for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Gently mix the dry ingredients on low speed until incorporated. Stop mixing once all of the flour is absorbed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Once the mixture comes together, sprinkle a dusting of flour onto the cookie tray that is lined with parchment. Carefully dump out the dough onto the tray and gently form the dough into a log. The dough will be a bit soft, so add more flour to your surface and your hands as needed to form the shape.
- Once your log is ready (it should be about the length of the tray), press down so that the dough log is about ½ inch thick.
- In a small bowl, combine the egg and water using a fork. Brush the egg wash on top of the dough.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until puffed up, light golden brown and firm.
- Once the cookie log is done baking, remove from the oven and set aside. Drop the oven temp to 300°F.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the tray. Once the cookie log is done resting, use a serrated knife to slice the log into about 1 inch cookies.
- Place the cookies on their flat sides and place back into the oven for 10 minutes* (or more time if desired, SEE NOTES).
- After the cookies are done baking on the one side, flip them over again and bake the other sides for 10 minutes (or more time if desired, SEE NOTES).
- After the last bake, remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the tray.
Notes
RECIPE BY OWLBBAKING.COM
*Feel free to give the pistachios a quick toast in the oven to deepen the flavor of your cookies. Just don't forget to let them cool down before adding to the dough!
*The great thing about this recipe is that you can bake these on the softer side or more crisp. All you need to do is adjust the baking time for the second bake.
- If you want softer cookies, bake no more than 10 minutes on each side.
- If you want medium-crunch cookies, bake no more than 15 minutes on each side.
- For crisp cookies, bake 20 minutes on each side.
- You can divide the dough in half and make two cookie logs for smaller biscotti.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 50
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 201
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 61mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4.5g
- Cholesterol: 51mg
Keywords: Pistachio Biscotti, Pistachio cookies, Italian cookies
Lissette says
This looks great, have to try it! I'm also going to try making making a biscotti I buy at a local Amish bakery, Pecan raisin, they are absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
Nic says
Hi, keen to try this recipe, sounds delicious. Do I have to grind the pistachios to a course crumb? Could I leave in small chunks?
Is it also possible to add chopped cranberries to this recipe?
Thanks
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Liz says
Hi Nic! Great questions! You could leave the pistachios in small chunks, that should be fine. The dough MAY be a little stickier because the smaller crumbs help keep the dough together a bit, so if you need to, add a tablespoon of flour or two. You can definitely add chopped cranberries (I'm assuming you mean the dried ones?). Fresh cranberries may not cook all the way, but feel free to add the dried ones!! Happy Baking!