Orange Cranberry Biscotti
Orange Cranberry Biscotti are an absolutely amazing cookie with zingy orange flavor and tang dried cranberries.
Just like my classic almond biscotti, these are crispy, crunchy, and perfectly dunkable. Unlike many, this recipe won’t disappoint. These cranberry orange biscotti are everything a good biscotti should be!
Biscotti are the darling export of Italy. Loved around the world for its versatility, adaptability, and yumminess! These Orange Cranberry Biscotti are the perfect accompaniment to a cappuccino, espresso, or wine. Easy to make by following all of this recipe and all my tips, this cranberry orange biscotti recipe is ideal for gift-giving and all festive occasions!
A good biscotto (singular for biscotti) should be firm but able to absorb liquid. At the same time, you don’t want it to turn into mush when dunking. Most of all it should crunch loudly when you bite into it but light enough to crumble in your mouth. Luckily, these Orange Cranberry Biscotti tick all the boxes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Dunking – Like most biscotti recipes, this one is perfect for dunking either in your tea or coffee or, as in the Italian tradition, in vin santo. Cranberry Orange Biscotti are firm enough to not fall apart when dunked but still tender and delicious to eat.
Citrusy Flavor – The citrusy flavor in this biscotti recipe is undeniable but perfectly balanced. Orange zest is rubbed into the sugar releasing all the delicious orange oils and creating the prominent natural orange taste. Use extra oranges to make my Fennel Orange Salad!
Sweet Tart Combination – Dried cranberries add the ideal touch of tartness to these Orange Cranberry Biscotti so that they’re just the right combination of sweet and tart that appeals to many people.
Gift Giving – What could be better than receiving a gift of homemade Orange Cranberry Biscotti? A little bit of your time baking can turn into a memorable gift for those you love.
Versatile – This recipe is based on my traditional almond biscotti recipe and can be varied according to your tastes. Dip or drizzle with white chocolate, add pistachios or almonds or a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, it’s quite an easy recipe to be creative with.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Almonds – Skin on or skin off is up to you but fresh is best!
- Orange – You’ll only be using the orange zest so you can save the rest for a snack.
- Granulated white sugar – Just white granulated sugar is what you want for this recipe. Luckily it doesn’t go bad so store leftovers in a dry pantry for the next time you bake biscotti.
- All purpose plain flour – Use regular all purpose flour from the supermarket in these Orange Cranberry Biscotti. Because there’s added baking powder in the recipe you don’t need self-rising flour.
- Baking powder – If you have some in the pantry that hasn’t been used in over one year, it’s probably best to buy a fresh box. It does lose rising power over time, probably not all of it but it won’t be at its best.
- Salt – Just a little fine salt to bring out the flavors.
- Eggs – Use whatever type you usually buy and like. I prefer free range but it’s up to you.
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter is my choice for most baking recipes because it gives me the ability to add salt as I like. If you’ve only got salted butter that’ll be fine in this recipe just omit the added salt.
- Sweetened dried cranberries – These are easily available at most supermarkets in many parts of the world. If you can’t find them, check out my substitutes below.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a large baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper. Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt with the sugar and make a well in the center.
Add beaten eggs and melted butter and mix together with the dry ingredients.
As the mixture comes together, add the almonds and cranberries and form into a dough.
Divide in thirds and roll each portion into a log. Place logs on the prepared baking sheet and bake.
Cut logs while warm into 20 slices then arrange cut side up on baking trays. Bake until crunchy.
Hint: It’s important to cut the Orange Cranberry Biscotti after the first bake with a thin, sharp serrated knife while still quite warm. Once the biscotti log cools, it’s difficult to cut without crumbling.
Substitutions
- Orange zest- Use a little orange extract or oil if you don’t have fresh oranges.
- Almonds – Blanched, chopped or slivered almonds can be used instead. Ground almonds though won’t work for this recipe.
- Sweetened dried cranberries – Use low sugar or unsweetened dried cranberries if you prefer biscotti that are less sweet.
Variations
- Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti – Substitute equal quantities of pistachio for almonds in the recipe.
- Deluxe – add a few drops of almond extract to bump up the almond flavor!
- Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies – Substitute chocolate chips for cranberries.
- Sweetened Dried Cranberries – any dried fruit can be used instead. Think golden sultanas, raisins or currants.
Equipment
You will need the usual baking essentials like baking sheets, bowls, spoons, spatulas, and measuring cups and spoons to make these Italian cranberry orange cookies. Plus a sharp, serrated knife is important to be able to cut the biscotti easily.
Storage
Homemade biscotti should cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Orange Cranberry Biscotti will keep well for a week at room temperature. Any exposure to humid air will make the biscotti lose their crunch. However, any softened biscotti can be easily refreshed in the oven at 300°F/150°C for 5-8 minutes.
For longer storage, I recommend freezing in an airtight container, with parchment paper in between the layers. If these Orange Cranberry Biscotti become soft when you remove them from the freezer, pop them into the oven on a baking sheet for a few minutes to refresh and crisp up.
Top tips
- Always preheat the oven when baking unless the recipe specifies a cold oven.
- Don’t skip toasting the almonds. This brings out the nutty flavor perfectly!
- The dough for these Orange Cranberry Biscotti will be a little sticky but should be manageable. Use a little bit of flour to help you form the logs. If the weather is warm, chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to make it more manageable.
- Orange Cranberry Biscotti, like all my biscotti recipes, are twice baked. The first bake activates the baking powder and cooks the dough throughout.
- Use a thin, serrated knife to cut the biscotti and cut the logs while still warm. Be patient and take your time.
- The oven temperature needs to be lowered for the second bake so that the biscotti dry out but not brown too much. If the biscotti log hasn’t been baked thoroughly in the first bake, the second bake may take longer than specified.
- Keep in mind that the biscotti will become more crunchy on cooling.
FAQ
After thorough recipe testing, I have found that some butter in biscotti creates more tender cookies that are still perfectly dunkable but won’t break teeth. I prefer butter but oil can be used. You should read what I wrote about how to make biscotti.
Traditionally biscotti contain just eggs but neither oil nor butter and therefore are very hard and long-lasting. However, I’ve tasted and tested a lot of biscotti in Italy and beyond and have come to a conclusion. Traditional biscotti recipes that contain no fat are too hard for modern tastes. Biscotti should be crunchy but not “teeth-breakingly” hard.
If your biscotti didn’t get hard it could be because they weren’t baked long enough. You can return them to the oven to bake for a little longer. Also, if the day is very humid the biscotti may have softened during cooling. Preferably avoid baking biscotti on very rainy days or humid days. Don’t cool the biscotti by the door or window where there is a humid breeze blowing. This can soften the biscotti.
Made this recipe?
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Orange Cranberry Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300 grams) all purpose plain flour See note 1
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- ½ cup almonds
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) melted unsalted butter
- 2 eggs See note 2
- 1 orange zest only
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Spread almonds onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Leave the oven on. Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper.
- Pour the granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl and finely grate the orange zest into the bowl and onto the sugar. With your fingertips or the back of a spoon, rub the orange zest into the sugar. The sugar will become an orangy color.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Break the eggs into the well and the melted, cooled butter.
- Use a fork to whisk together the wet ingredients slowly incorporating part of the dry ingredients.
- Before the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, switch to a wooden spoon or clean hands (which may be easier), to finish incorporating the dry ingredients.
- As the mixture starts to come together, add the roasted and cooled almonds and the dried sweetened cranberries.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very lightly to form a ball.
- The mixture can be sticky and may be refrigerated for 30 minutes to make the dough easier to handle. Otherwise, you can go right onto the next step.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a 12inch/ 30cm log. Place logs onto a lined baking sheet and, this is optional, using a wet hand, smooth the surface of the dough.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and firm.
- Removed from the oven and cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the oven to 300°F/150°C.
- While still warm, cut each log into 20 slices. Check my tips below on how to cut biscotti easily.
- Return the biscotti cut side up to the baking sheets and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until beginning to dry. The biscotti will become more crisp as they cool.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Be sure to measure the flour correctly. Stir the flour to loosen then spoon into measuring cups without packing. Level the top off with a knife. Or use scales.
- Use large eggs.
- Be sure to preheat the oven.
- Toast the almonds for extra flavor.
- If the dough is sticky, chill for 20 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature for the second bake.
- Cut the biscotti while warm with a thin, serrated knife using a sawing motion.
- Bake for longer if the biscotti aren’t crunchy enough.
- Biscotti will become more crunchy when cooled.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Great flavor. I halved the recipe using the serving calculator. The dough is a bit crumbly, so it’s not going to come together like a cookie dough. It was helpful to finish mixing it with my hands (not my fave way to do things) and it began to come together after a couple of minutes. I then shaped it into a football shape a 1/2 inch thick because I had a smaller amount of dough due to cutting recipe in half and proceeded with baking. Turned out very nicely. Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to comment. It’s quite possible that you inadvertently added a little more flour than the recipe needed. However, this is a recipe that you need to use your hands to bring the dough together and knead it lightly on the counter. I’m glad you loved the flavor and it turned out nicely for you.
I made this yesterday, and they are absolutely delicious! I have bookmarked it and will use it again. I’ll probably add more orange zest or get a bigger orange next time. Thank you, Marcellina.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Sharon. I’m so glad you loved these biscotti!
I have not made this yet, but I would love to. Is it possible to decrease the sugar? Thanks.
Sharon, I have never made this with less sugar. Possibly you could reduce it to 3/4 of a cup.
Thanks, Marcellina. I don’t like pastries too sweet, and I found a lot of American cookies waayyy too sweet. But I trust you.
You’re welcome. The other thing with this recipe is that the it uses sweetened dried cranberries. If you can, opt for dried cranberries with less sugar.
I am having the same issue as several others. Crumble dough would not come together. I did use gluten free flour. Would that do it? The crumbs are delicious.
Yes, altering the recipe by using different flour could do that. Maybe the gluten free flour is absorbing more moisture. Try cutting down the amount of flour you use. You can always add a bit more until you get the right consistency.
I just made this recipe. Unfortunately I could not get the dough to come together even after adding another 1/4 cup of butter. It was very hard to even get the cranberries and nuts to stay in the dough. So disappointed ☹️. All my good ingredients used up and all I gave is crumbs.
Darlene, have you checked the measurements? This recipe doesn’t need an extra 1/4 cup of butter. I think somehow you measured too much flour in the mix. Alternatively do you live in a very dry climate? The flour may be very dry, in that case, it will weigh less and draw in more moisture making the dough dry. I can’t imagine another reason. I have readers making this recipe and my cantucci recipe (on which this recipe is based) all the time, all over the world and have wonderful success. If you’d like to troubleshoot, please send me an email.
My first attempt at biscotti ever. I measured by weight the dry ingredients and the dough was nearly too crumbly to come together. I was able to make it work, but I live where there’s very low humidity. I think next time I will take your advice and use less flour. They are delicious.
Ah, yes climate makes all the difference. Very low humidity will affect flour in the way. It also means that it weighs less as it has less moisture in it. This results in you adding more than needed. Glad you enjoyed them all the same.
Not recommend mixing sugar with dry ingrédients. The dough is way too crumbly…. What I am going to do Lol
Mixing sugar with dry ingredients doesn’t make the dough too crumbly, R. The problem is likely that the the ingredients have been incorrectly measured.
I’m not sue what I did wrong. I checked all measures and ingredients. It was dry and crumbly and forming them into the 3 logs only occurred after working it with my hands to melted the butter. Perhaps it is the dry Alberta air or our flour? This did not happen with the other recipe I made today which called for less flour and less sugar but the same other ingredients.
Perhaps I’ll try again another day.
Donna, did you measure by cups or by weight? If you measure by cups, be sure to stir the flour to lighten then spoon it into the cup measure without packing it in. Packed flour weighs a lot more and could be the problem. If you measure correctly, it could be that the air is very dry especially if you have the heating on and the flour is drier than usual. This would mean that the flour requires more moisture than usual. Next time make the recipe with just 2 cups of flour and add more if necessary. This recipe is based on my Cantucci and both usually work for most readers but we all live in different places and it could be something to do with that. Thank you for letting me know.
I am a long time biscotti baker and this recipe is BEAUTIFUL. The aroma in my house this afternoon is amazing, and the crunch and chew is real. I made two batches today, one as per recipe, and one changing only the flour. I subbed in King Arthur 1:1 GF flour, as one of my guest is gluten intolerant. I am so glad I came across this post. Thank you Marcellina!
Christine, thank you for your lovely comments. I love this recipe too so I’m glad that you were so happy with it made as a gluten free version. Thank you!
I’ve made them twice now, exactly per recipe and they are absolutely delicious. This is my go to biscotti recipe going forward.
Thank you so much Marcelina!
Ginny, I’m so happy that you love this recipe. It’s a favorite of mine too!
So easy to make! I love biscotti with my coffee, now I can treat everyone with a few 😀 Thank you!
Thank you for your lovely feedback, Svetlana! We adore these biscotti too.
Delicious! Only note to myself is to add more egg when using gluten free flour. The dough was too crumbly. When checking another similar recipe with gluten free flour, they used more eggs. To this recipe I used a total of 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk. The dough was perfectly sticky and the biscotti were crisp. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m so thrilled that you could convert these easily to gluten free!
Super recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Marlene! Glad you enjoyed it!
Perfectly lovely! I combined my homemade orange peel with the cranberries and will add Pistachios when I made them for the Holidays! Thank you for sharing your brilliant recipes.
The homemade orange peel is a perfect addition, Linda! So is the pistachios for the holidays!
Can you drizzle with icing?
Sure you could. Try the icing drizzle in my Lemon Biscotti recipe here -> https://www.marcellinaincucina.com/lemon-biscotti/
I made these today and came out delicious. Thank you for the recipe Marcellina. Your recipes are my go because each and every time they come out perfect.
So glad you enjoyed these, Filomena!
Can I add chocolate chips in the cookies? Is it still be crunchy and crisp?
Hi Jannah, yes I think you could use chocolate chips in this – that’s a great idea. This is quite a dense, crunchy cookie so if you find mini chocolate chips, they’d probably work best. I love the idea!
Hi Catalina, I don’t think this recipe would work without the egg or at least it would need to be adjusted quite a lot. Maybe you would prefer a shortbread cookie like this one https://www.marcellinaincucina.com/scottish-shortbread/
Thanks for the prompt reply Marcellina. I’m planning to make these today. I guess I will go ahead with the egg then, these cookies look really good!
These are plain cookies but I really enjoyed them dunk in my morning coffee – not too sweet but crunchy almost like biscotti. Hope you enjoy them.
These cookies are perfect with milky tea, too!
I agree, Pauline and it’s not hard to blanch your own almonds.