Cranberry Orange Biscotti (with Chocolate and Pistachios)

Packed with dried cranberries and plenty of orange flavor, this Italian biscotti recipe is perfect for holiday baking! Chopped pistachios add a great nutty flavor and chocolate makes them extra decadent. This recipe for biscotti is easy, adaptable, and absolutely delicious.

My Christmas Italian Biscotti

I’m an Italian girl, and that means during the holiday season, I’m baking lots and lots of biscotti! I always pack a few in my Christmas cookie boxes. Mainly I love dunking them in coffee or tea. Or if I’m feeling naughty, I’ll enjoy nibbling on one – or three – with a sweet dessert wine like vin santo.

My husband loves my chocolate biscotti… but as a die-hard cranberry lover, my favorite is cranberry orange biscotti. I posted this original recipe years ago and it remains a family favorite. But over the years I’ve tweaked it to make it even better. So I’m finally giving it a much deserved make-over by adding new photos and an updated recipe I hope you love.

If you love Italian desserts, you should try my recipes for cannoli, tiramisu, and ricotta cheesecake.

What You’ll Need: Ingredients for This Recipe.

All-Purpose Flour: I haven’t tested this recipe using any other flour variety. But I think a 1-for-1 gluten free flour would work ok. I wouldn’t suggest any other flour subs. For best results, weight the flour with a digital kitchen scale OR lightly spoon it into the measuring cup.

Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise but doesn’t encourage heavy spreading. You’ll want to make sure your baking powder is fresh before use!

Spices: Ground cinnamon adds a cozy spice to this cookie recipe. Cardamon enhances the orange flavor but is totally optional! And salt helps balance sweetness AND enhance the other flavors.

Butter: Unsalted butter works best, but in a pinch use salted and omit the salt called for. This recipe uses melted butter, not room temperature.

Sugar: Granulated sugar and light brown sugar add moisture and sweetness. You can sub all granulated sugar, but I don’t suggest using all brown sugar, as it’ll add too much moisture.

Orange: Our orange flavor comes from the combination of freshly grated orange zest and orange juice.

Eggs: Whole eggs as well as an egg yolk work as a binder for this Italian biscotti recipe.

Olive Oil: Unlike traditional Italian biscotti that’s hard as a rock, this is more crunchy than hard. The oil keeps the biscotti moist for days on end.

Vanilla Extract: You can make the flavor stronger by adding a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract. Or even anise extract. If you choose to do this, add them when you add the vanilla extract.

Dried Cranberries: Or use a similar dried fruit like dried cherries, dried blueberries, or even diced dried apricots.

Pistachios: My nut of choice, but walnuts or sliced almonds would also be lovely. If you use almonds, I definitely suggest adding a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract.

Sparkling Sugar: This ingredient is technically optional, but makes the biscotti so pretty and extra crunchy.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Biscotti: Grab a Serrated Knife!

Make the Dough: No stand mixer or electric hand mixer needed for this recipe! Just mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until combined. The most important note is to not over mix once you add the flour, cranberries, and pistachios.

Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes. If you don’t have 30 minutes, you can bake right away. But the dough will sp Once the 30 minutes are up, remove the bowl from the fridge.

Oven Prep: Preheat the oven to 350. This is also a good time to line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape the Dough: Slightly wet hands will help you shape the dough without it getting too sticky. You’ll divide the dough in half, then shape the dough into 2 loaves.

Egg Wash: Brush each slap of cookie dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Bake: Bake for 24 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut the slabs into 1/2-inch slices. Return to the baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes, turn slices over and bake for 8 minutes more or until golden.

Cool: Cool the biscotti completely before dunking in melted chocolate and sprinkling with chopped pistachios! Allow the chocolate to set before serving… if you have enough self control *wink!

Baking Lesson: Curious About the Word Biscotti?

If you’ve ever wondered what the word biscotti means, I’m here to help!

In Italian, the word biscotti can mean a variety of biscuits or cookies.

Biscotti originated in the city of Prato, Tuscany.

Traditionally biscotti was an Italian almond biscuit, they’re twice-baked, dry, and crunchy.

People often dip biscotti in drinks like coffee, tea, or traditionally, a sweet dessert wine like Vin Santo.

For the Egg Wash:

1 large egg

1 teaspoon water

For the Biscotti:

2 and 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon optional

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter melted

3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (53g) light brown sugar packed

1 Tablespoon (14g) orange zest finely grated

1 Tablespoon (14ml) orange juice

2 large eggs room temperature

1 large egg yolk room temperature

1 Tablespoon (14ml) mild olive oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups sweetened dried cranberries

3/4 cup whole unsalted pistachios

1/4 cup (50g) sparkling sugar

For the Chocolate Coating:

8 ounces (227g) semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped

1/2 cup (57g) lightly salted pistachios roughly chopped

For the Egg Wash:

In a small bowl whisk together the egg and water until well combined. Set aside until needed.

For the Biscotti:

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamon (if using) and salt, whisking well to combine. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl whisk the melted butter, both sugars, orange zest, and orange juice until well combined. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, mixing until well combined. The whisk in the oil and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture, cranberries, and pistachios, to the wet mixture, and mix until just combined.

Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using moistened hands, divide the dough in half. Then shape the dough into 2 (about 10-by-4-inch) loaves and place on a prepared baking sheet.

Brush each slab with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Bake for 24 minutes or until pale golden brown. Transfer loaves to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.

Using a serrated knife, cut loaves into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices cut side down on a baking sheet; bake for 9 minutes. Turn slices over and bake for 8 minutes more or until golden. Cool completely on wire racks.

For the Chocolate Coating:

Fill a saucepan ⅓ of the way full with water. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat.

Place a heatproof bowl over the pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl fits snugly on top of the pan and that the simmering water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Reduce heat to low.

Place the chopped chocolate into the bowl and cook, mixing occasionally with a silicone spatula, until completely melted.

Carefully remove the bowl from the pan, making sure no water comes in contact with the chocolate.

Dip a biscotti into the melted chocolate. Then transfer back to the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Repeat with all of the biscotti. Set aside until the chocolate has set.