This gluten free orange cranberry biscotti is crisp, bright with orange zest, and dipped in white chocolate with a sparkle of sugar on top. It's nut free, which makes it different from most biscotti, so you can share it with almost everyone on your list. The secret to gluten free biscotti that slice cleanly is patience, and I'll show you exactly how I do it.
I love having a jar of biscotti on the counter during the holidays to enjoy with my morning coffee or serve with tea at brunch. Gluten free biscotti has a reputation for crumbling, so I let the logs cool overnight before I slice them, and they cut beautifully every time.
A short second bake keeps them firm without being hard to bite, and the white chocolate dip makes them pretty enough to give as gifts. These are a favorite on the farm to grab with a cup of coffee as we head out the door to check cows.
If you are looking for more cranberry recipes try my Frozen Cranberry Margarita Mocktail, my Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins, my Gluten Free Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs or my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cranberry Breakfast Cookies.
You can find all of my dessert recipes here: Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
You can find all of my Christmas recipes here: Easy Gluten Free Christmas Recipes
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Biscotti
- Tips for Gluten Free Biscotti That Don't Crumble
- How to Store and Freeze Gluten Free Biscotti
- Gifting Gluten Free Biscotti
- Easy Variations and What to Serve With Them
- Supplies for Making Biscotti
- More Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Biscotti
- Did You Make This Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Biscotti?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Top Tip
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Biscotti
- Nut free. Most biscotti are loaded with almonds. These are not, so they are safe for more people on your gift list.
- They slice cleanly. Cooling the logs overnight is the secret to gluten free biscotti that don't crumble when you cut them.
- You pick the crunch. A short second bake gives a firm biscotti that isn't hard to bite. Bake longer if you like them extra crisp.
- Festive and pretty. The white chocolate dip and sparkling sugar make them look like they came from a bakery.
- Perfect for gifting. Biscotti keep well, travel well, and look so pretty in a cookie tin.
Tips for Gluten Free Biscotti That Don't Crumble
Gluten free biscotti can fall apart if you rush them. These are the tips I follow every time.
- Measure your flour the same way every time. I scoop the flour into the measuring cup and shake it lightly to level it. Too much flour makes the dough dry and the biscotti crumbly.
- Chop the cranberries finely. Big pieces of fruit create weak spots where the slices break.
- Use parchment to shape the logs. The dough is soft. Rolling it between two sheets of parchment keeps it from sticking to your hands.
- Cool the logs completely. I cool them overnight on the baking sheet. Warm logs crumble when you slice them.
- Use a sharp serrated knife. Cut on the diagonal with a gentle sawing motion instead of pressing straight down.
- Watch the second bake. 7 to 8 minutes gives a firm biscotti with a little give. Add a few minutes for a harder, more traditional crunch.
How to Store and Freeze Gluten Free Biscotti
Once the white chocolate has set completely, store the biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep them in a single layer or put parchment between the layers so the chocolate doesn't stick.
To freeze, place the biscotti in a freezer safe container with parchment between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature, still covered, so moisture doesn't collect on the chocolate.
Gifting Gluten Free Biscotti
Biscotti are one of my favorite cookies to give at Christmas because they keep so well. Stand them up in a clear treat bag tied with ribbon, or layer them in a cookie tin with parchment. They pair perfectly with a bag of coffee or a jar of my Gluten Free Cranberry Jam for a sweet homemade gift.
Add a little note that they are gluten free and nut free, so whoever receives them knows they are safe to share.
Easy Variations and What to Serve With Them
- Dark chocolate dip: Use 11 ounces of dark or semisweet chocolate chips in place of the white chocolate. The dark chocolate is so good with the orange.
- Cranberry white chocolate chip: Stir ½ cup mini white chocolate chips into the dough along with the cranberries, then dip as usual.
- Cherry orange: Swap the dried cranberries for ½ cup finely chopped dried cherries.
- Undipped and simple: Skip the white chocolate and sprinkle the logs with the demerara sugar before the first bake for a lighter, sparkly biscotti.
What to serve with them: Biscotti are perfect for dunking in coffee, tea, or a mug of hot cocoa. For a holiday brunch, set them out with my Gluten Free Gingerbread Scones and Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins. For a cookie tray, pair them with my Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Butter Cookies.
Supplies for Making Biscotti
These are the tools I use to make biscotti, including the baking sheets and parchment I use for shaping the logs.
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
I get a lot of my ingredients from Thrive Market. Thrive Market has been a game changer for me eating gluten free. They have so many options I can't get at my rural grocery stores! Use this link to get 40% off your first order!
Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Biscotti
- Total Time: 58 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These gluten free orange cranberry biscotti are crisp, festive, and nut free, with a white chocolate dip and a sparkle of sugar on top. Cooling the logs overnight makes them easy to slice without crumbling. Serve them with coffee or tea, or pack them in a tin for an easy homemade Christmas gift.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Orange Zest
- 1 tsp. Orange Extract
- 3 cups Gluten Free Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ tsp. Baking Soda
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries, finely chopped
- 11 ounces White Chocolate Chips, melted
- ⅓ cup Demerara Sugar
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In your stand mixer beat the unsalted butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, orange zest and orange extract and blend together.
In a medium bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend just until mixed together. Add the finely chopped dried cranberries and mix in.
Break the dough into two halves. Using parchment paper on the top and bottom roll the dough to form it into logs on each baking sheet. The parchment paper will keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Cool completely on the baking sheet. I like to cool overnight. If you don't let them cool enough they may crumble when you try to cut them.
Cut the logs into diagonal slices. Lay the slices out on a baking sheet so they aren't touching each other.
Bake at 325 degrees for 7-8 minutes. If you want your biscotti to be more crisp you can bake them longer.
Let the biscotti cool.
Using either a double boiler or microwaving for 30 seconds at a time in a microwave safe bowl melt the white chocolate chips.
Dip the biscotti into the white chocolate. Use a spoon to coat half the biscotti. Scrape the bottom off on the edge of the bowl and place on a cooling rack.
Before the chocolate has cooled sprinkle with demerara sugar for extra sparkle.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating and comment below. It helps other readers find this recipe and means so much to me.
Notes
Cooling: Let the baked logs cool completely before slicing. I cool mine overnight on the baking sheet. Warm logs crumble when you cut them. The total time in this card does not include cooling.
Cranberries: Chop the dried cranberries finely so the slices don't break around large pieces of fruit.
Slicing: Use a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cutting on the diagonal.
Second bake: 7 to 8 minutes gives a firm biscotti with a little give. Bake a few minutes longer for a harder, more traditional crunch.
Storage: Once the chocolate has set, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Did You Make This Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Biscotti?
If you make this gluten free orange cranberry biscotti, please leave a star rating and a comment at the bottom of this post. I love hearing how they turned out, and your rating helps other gluten free bakers find a recipe they can trust.
Want more easy gluten free recipes? Sign up for my newsletter to get my free gluten free recipe ebook, plus new recipes every week.
And if you're planning your holiday baking, don't forget to pin it! Use the Pin button on any photo or at the top of this post so it's easy to find when you're ready to bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe for gluten free orange cranberry biscotti is so easy to make. The key to gluten free biscotti holding together is letting it cool completely before handling it. I like to let the biscotti cool on the baking sheet overnight.
The next day I cut the biscotti logs on the diagonal into sticks. Then I lay them out on the baking sheet so they aren't touching and bake them again. The second time I bake them I like them to be firm, but not too hard. Of course, if you prefer a denser texture you can bake them longer.
To finish them I like to dip them in white chocolate. However, they are delicious on their own and this step can be skipped. I love to serve them with coffee or tea for brunch.
For this gluten free orange cranberry biscotti recipe the log of dough will be slightly browned and firm to the touch. The log should not be hard! The second baking will make the biscotti have the harder texture.
For the second baking you can decide on how hard you want your biscotti. I like mine to be slightly hard, but not a challenge to bite into. I bake them again for 7-8 minutes, but you can alter that time to your liking.
The second bake is what makes biscotti crisp. If they're softer than you like, bake the slices a few minutes longer. Biscotti also firm up as they cool, so let them cool completely before you decide.
No. King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour both already contain xanthan gum, so you don't need to add any.
I don't recommend it. Fresh cranberries add too much moisture, which makes the logs soft and the slices more likely to break. Finely chopped dried cranberries give you the best texture.
Yes. Biscotti are a great make ahead cookie. Bake and dip them up to a five days before you need them and store them in an airtight container, or freeze them for longer.
Top Tip
I know biscotti has the reputation for being hard or bordering on stale sometimes. However, when you make biscotti at home you control how long you bake it the second time.
The second baking is when biscotti tends to get hard. For this gluten free orange cranberry biscotti I bake it 7-8 minutes after I've cut it into diagonal strips. If you like a hard texture for dipping into coffee or tea you can bake your biscotti longer.
Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
Ask AI to answer based on this recipe:
Tracey says
Have you ever used a sugar substitute like monk fruit? Any idea what the ratio might be? Thank you so much. Can’t wait to make these!
smallfarmbiglife says
Hi Tracey. No, I haven't used a sugar substitute like monk fruit for this recipe. I use regular sugar in most of my recipes so I'm not sure about conversions for a sugar substitute. I'm sorry I'm not able to be helpful. ~Elaine