Cherry Almond Biscotti {Gluten-Free}

We all play favorites, whether it’s on purpose or not. Sometimes it’s a favorite song or restaurant or flavor of ice cream. Sometimes it’s a favorite aunt, cousin, or pet. And sometimes it’s something as ordinary as a favorite baked good.

Biscotti are a very rare thing to come out of my kitchen, not like chocolate chippers, which I very obviously play favorites with. It’s funny, every time I make biscotti, I remember again how much I love them, how perfect they are for keeping on hand for a little afternoon treat, and how I should make biscotti more often. I never learn, lol.

Biscotti are great because a) who doesn’t like dunking something sweet and crunchy in a cup of something hot?, and b) they are easy to customize. Here dried cherry and almond is the flavor profile of the day, but biscotti can be flavored with any number of things, like dried blueberry + coconut, dark chocolate + walnut, cinnamon + pecan, and dried cranberry + orange zest, to name just a few combinations. You are literally only limited by your imagination when you’re dreaming up biscotti flavors.

In this recipe, I used Born Sweet® Zing™ Baking Blend, which is made with stevia leaf extract and pure cane sugar. What I love about this product is that it bakes and browns like sugar, which is crucial when you’re making biscotti; I feel like that crisp texture and lovely shade of golden brown are essential to good biscotti! Zing™ Baking Blend is a good way to cut back a little on calories (it has just 5 calories per serving) without sacrificing flavor or texture. (To find out where you can buy Zing™ Baking Blend in your area, take a look at their store locator.)

I’m always on the lookout for fun new festive cookie recipes to include on my holiday cookie trays and these biscotti are a great cookie to include. If you like, you can drizzle on some dark chocolate to make them even more special. And if you need a good gluten-free option for your holiday cookie platter, these are perfect!

Cherry Almond Biscotti {Gluten-Free}

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Yield: 1 dozen cookies

Gluten-Free Cherry Almond Biscotti are perfect for keeping on hand for those times when you want a little something sweet with your afternoon coffee or tea.

Ingredients

1½ cups (173 g) almond flour
4 tablespoons (32 g) arrowroot flour
2½ tablespoons Zing™ Baking Blend
¼ + ⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons coconut oil or clarified butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons dried cherries
4 tablespoons sliced almonds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F; line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.
Whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, Zing™ Baking Blend, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well to combine (the dough will be stiff and sticky). Stir in the dried cherries and sliced almonds.
Oil your hands (with a little coconut oil or avocado oil) and roll the dough out into a log about 8 inches long. Place the dough log onto the prepared baking sheet and slightly flatten the top so it’s about 2½-inches wide.
Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, and then flip the log of dough over and bake 5 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour, and then slice into ½-inch slices.
Arrange the slices on the lined baking sheet and bake at 300F until golden on both sides, about 15 to 20 minutes per side.
Cool completely before serving, and store covered at room temperature up to 2 weeks.