Easy biscotti recipe. These chia seeds and lemon biscotti are crunchy, lemony, and perfect to dip in your morning of afternoon coffee or tea. You can add in any of your favorite flavors and mix-ins to customize this vegan Italian biscotti. Perfectly, comforting and crunchy.
Of all the gazillion different cookies out there, Biscotti are probably one of our favorites. They’re crunchy, they’re (most of the time) light and the list of goodies that can be added to them is pretty much endless.
But the main reason we love these cookies so much is, once again, because they bring us right back to our childhood. Back to memories of our most favorite baker, our grandmother.
We have the best memories of her baking the most delicious Biscotti like cookies. Again, nothing fancy or complicated, just simple, plain cookies that tasted like a little piece of heaven. We would sit on the terrace in the afternoon and enjoy them with a nice cup of Turkish coffee, talking and staring at the beautiful beach across from us. We hope you make and enjoy these vegan cookies while creating happy memories with your own family.
What is Biscotti?
Biscotti is a classic Italian cookie traditionally made with almonds. Now, you can find an infinite number of different flavors. Biscotti means twice baked, baking these cookies twice ensures a dry, crunchy texture that’s perfect for dipping in coffee or tea. Biscotti are oblong in shape and have a more rustic texture. We love how they look stored in a jar or gifted in a cellophane bag with some ribbon!
Ingredients in Vegan Biscotti
This is a vegan Italian Biscotti recipe! We used simple ingredients to make
- Oil: Traditional Biscotti recipes have oil, not butter, which is perfect for making a vegan cookie. Use a neutral-flavored oil, such as avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, or refined coconut.
- Chia Seeds: Instead of eggs we baked this Biscotti with chia seeds soaked in almond milk, which act like eggs in this recipe and give the biscotti a great texture (plus added fiber and protein!).
- Flour: this recipe can be made with all-purpose flour or with white whole wheat flour which will boost the nutrition in your biscotti and gives it a beautiful rustic brown color that we adore.
- Lemon Zest: Fresh lemon zest for the perfect bright citrus flavor!
- Brown Sugar: brown sugar adds a deep, warm flavor that we prefer over granulated sugar in this biscotti recipe.
- Cashews: Chopped raw cashews for a satisfying crunch and a little bit of protein!
- Baking powder, salt, and vanilla: pantry baking ingredients:
- To make this recipe gluten-free, try using 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, for a nut-free biscotti you may use sunflower seeds instead of cashews.
Mix chia seed and plant based milk Cream oil and sugar Add Chia seeds, dry ingredients, and cashews Form into two logs Bake the logs and let them cool Slice into biscotti and bake again
How to Make Biscotti
It’s actually really simple to make homemade biscotti! They are quick and easy to make fun to make with kids and a joy to eat. Once you taste it you’ll start brainstorming all the different flavors you could add!
- Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) in a bowl and set it aside. Preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix your chia seeds with plant-based milk and set them aside to thicken. Place coconut oil and sugar in a stand mixer and beat it until it’s fluffy, then add the soaked chia seeds, lemon zest, and vanilla, mixing until just combined.
- Turn the speed to low and slowly mix in the dry ingredients until they’re just combined. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix in the nuts.
- Divide the dough into two halves and form two 11x2” logs. Try to keep the cashews inside the dough, not on the surface! Sprinkle the top of each log with a little granulated sugar.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown, and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Slice into ½” pieces, reduce the heat on your oven to 325F, and bake the biscotti for an additional 20 minutes, turning them after 10 minutes.
Different Biscotti Flavors
Our favorite way to take biscotti from a yummy cookie to “Did this come from a bakery?!” is to garnish it.
- Make a Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti or Hazelnut Coffee Biscotti.
- Once cooked and cooled, dip one end of the biscotti into melted chocolate! Dark, milk or white chocolate would all be tasty.
- Make chocolate biscotti by adding unsweetened cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the dough! Use ¼ c less flour to make up for the addition of cocoa.
- Try different nut varieties! We like pecans, walnuts, and almonds.
How to Store Biscotti
Store cooked and cooled biscotti in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze leftover biscotti for up to 3 months! This recipe is also really easy to double if you’d like to make it for a party or package it up as a gift. If the biscotti softens a little, you can bake them again at 250F until they get back their crunch, about 5-7 minutes.
More Egg-Free Cookies
- Tahini Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Tahini
- Butter Cookies
- Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate-Dipped Cranberry Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Orange Ginger Spice Cookies
- More Vegan Cookies
DID YOU ENJOY OUR BISCOTTI RECIPE?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
Vegan Lemon & Chia Seed Biscotti
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 32
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These chia seeds and lemon biscotti are crunchy, lemony and perfect to dip in your morning of afternoon coffee or tea. You can add in any of your favorite flavors and mix-ins to customize this vegan Italian biscotti. Perfectly, comforting and crunchy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened plant based milk
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 4 tablespoon coconut oil, at room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- The zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped raw cashews
- 2 teaspoon sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl
- Mix the milk and chia seeds in a small bowl and set aside
- Cream the coconut oil and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the soaked chia seeds, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix for another minute. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Add the cashews and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon
- Divide the dough into two pieces and form 2- 11inch x 2inch logs (try to keep the cashews in the dough and not the surface, so they're easier to cut). Sprinkle the top of each log with one teaspoon of sugar
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes
- Slice each log into approximately ½ inch pieces. Reduce the oven temperature to 325F, arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning the biscotti over half way through. Let cool completely before serving
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscotti
- Calories: 75
- Sugar: 3.7
- Sodium: 13.9
- Fat: 3
- Saturated Fat: 1.6
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 10.8
- Fiber: .6
- Protein: 1.3
- Cholesterol: 0
Raquel
Great pictures and set up!! These really look delicious
Vicky & Ruth
Yes! We have the best photographer assistant!
Rebeca
These look very good! I will definitely make them tomorrow!
Vicky & Ruth
Let us know how they come out!
Sheryl
What would you recommend as a substitute for cashews. There are nut allergies in the family. Dried cranberries? Vegan chocolate chips? Not sure about chocolate and lemon.
Vicky and Ruth
Dried cranberries or dried blueberries would work well. Also if there aren't seed allergies you could add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Maryann Winters
What is a coconut beverage?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Maryann! Coconut beverage would be the coconut equivalent of almond or soy milk. We don't call it "coconut milk" to avoid confusion, so people don't think we're talking about the actual, full fat, pure coconut milk. Silk has it ( called Pure Coconut) and Trader Joe's has its own brand as well. We used unsweetened here, but you can use the sweetened version as well. Hope this helps!
Hindy
Your vegan baking recipes are so inspiring to me!
cindele
Just took a batch of these cookies out of the oven..husband entered kitchen and left with two handsful...will need to bake another!!!!!!!! Delicious and love another way to use chia seeds..they are awesome!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Cindy! You're going to have to find a good hiding spot for all these cookies!!! Glad he's enjoying them 🙂
Stacy
Making these today. I'll let you know how they come out. Does trader joes sell chia seeds?
Vicky & Ruth
Please let us know. Yes you can find chia seeds at trader joes.
Stacy Covelli
Needless to say, the Biscotti was a huge hit. I will be making another batch soon! Thank you ladies for inspiring me to bake again. Simple recipe, delicious end result. Gone!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Stacy! Sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go! We hope to keep inspiring you to get in kitchen... So glad you guys enjoyed this recipe!!
Sarah Klinkowitz
Amazing photos! The biscottl look yummy!
Alison@AliBabka
I will be trying these tonight!
Tamar Genger @joyofkosher
Oh, I want these and I have all the ingredients, I love that they are relatively healthy for dessert, I am going to make them for Shabbat. And that special coffee in the background, how do you do that?
Vicky & Ruth
So happy you are going to try them. We have an espresso machine and to make the coffee on the background you first foam the milk and then make the espresso on top of the milk and it gives that three layer effect. It is better for the espresso to pour close to the glass rim. Let us know how the biscotti and coffee come out.
Chanie@BusyInBrooklyn
My husband just brought home a bag of Chia seeds. I guess I have a recipe to use it in now!
Vicky & Ruth
There are probably more recipes coming 🙂
Jane
Made these today but they cracked a lot as I tried slicing but still delicious! Any advice to prevent cracking? Also, when do you add the chia seeds in milk? ( I put it in with the oil & sugar before adding the flour) thank you!
Vicky & Ruth
Hi! Looks like we forgot to write the step on the recipe. I just corrected it, but yes, the soaked chia seed go in before adding the flour. Thank you!!
To answer your question, make sure the loafs are cool when slicing them to avoid cracking. Also, making sure that the cashews are not on the surface and using a serrated knife will help as well. Hope this helps... Please let us know if you have any more questions 🙂
Alison@AliBabka
Could you replace the sugar with anything?
Vicky & Ruth
You could use agave nectar or maple syrup... about 1/3 cup (maybe a tad more if you want it sweeter) instead of 1/2 cup sugar.
Edi
Can't wait to try these! Is is possible to replace the flour with non gluten?
Vicky & Ruth
We haven't tried these biscotti with gluten free flour, but if you do, please let us know how they come out.
Sonia
These biscottis are perfect with my morning coffee. I love them because they are so crunchy and not too sweet. Perfect!
ELIZABETH SALTER
I needed to modify this to a low carb version and so used 1/2 lupini flour, 1/2 almond flour and erythritol instead of sugar. Wasn't sure if the coconut oil should be liquid or solid ...4 tablespoons of room temp solid seemed like a lot ....can you just give the weight of coconut oil? Finally, hazelnuts ilo cashews. Result....delicious! Hubby keeps eating them! Thank you for a great recipe.
Vicky and Ruth
Wow! great way to make this recipe low carb! 4 tablespoons of coconut oil weight approximately 55 grams.
Anna