Pumpkin Biscotti
This recipe for Pumpkin Biscotti is an incredibly delicious take on the Italian traditional almond biscotti.
They are perfectly sweet, loaded with warming seasonal spices, and twice baked for the most satisfying crunchy texture. Whether you’re dunking these biscotti in coffee or enjoying them for a quick snack, I know you’ll love them!
While Pumpkin Spice Biscotti may not be a traditional recipe from Italy, they are deliciously good! I’ve based this recipe on my classic Italian biscotti recipe, so rest assured that this Pumpkin Biscotti recipe works every time and includes authentic Italian methods to make perfect biscotti.
Like my Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting and these Weight Watchers pumpkin muffins, my recipe for Pumpkin Biscotti is a delicious seasonal treat! The warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves combine with pumpkin puree to create sweet spiced biscotti. You have to try this pumpkin recipe!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Pumpkin pie spices – This easy Pumpkin Biscotti recipe is flavored with a delicious warming spice mix that is perfect for welcoming the cooler months. As these biscotti bake, your kitchen will be filled with familiar and cozy pumpkin pie scents.
- Dunking – Just like my Orange Cranberry Biscotti, Lemon Biscotti, or Classic Almond Biscotti, these Pumpkin Spice Biscotti are ideal for dunking and dipping in coffee, tea, or Italian sweet wine. While they are firm enough to withstand a dunking, they are tender enough to be enjoyed as is.
- Crunchy – These biscotti are twice baked for the perfect crunchy and crispy texture! You’ll love the satisfaction of snacking on these crispy cookies; I can assure you it’s impossible to stop at one!
- Seasonal Comfort – Just like a bowl of Mediterranean Lentil Soup is so warming when the chill sets in, so too are these seasonal biscotti. Comfort foods are just that – comforting.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree – Use pure pumpkin puree with nothing added. I used the canned variety. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling because it adds other flavors. You can make homemade pumpkin puree, though the sweetness may vary. Choose sugar pumpkins, pie pumpkins, or butternut squash.
- All purpose plain flour – For these Pumpkin Biscotti, please use regular plain flour. The rising agent for these biscotti is added separately as baking powder.
- Granulated sugar – Regular granulated white sugar adds sweetness to this Pumpkin Biscotti recipe.
- Light brown sugar – Adding light brown sugar gives these biscotti a lovely caramel flavor.
- Eggs – My preference is always large organic free-range eggs.
- Unsalted butter – I always prefer unsalted butter for baking because you have more control over the salt content in your baked goods. But if salted butter is all you have, feel free to use that (don’t add the extra salt).
- Baking powder – If you haven’t used your baking powder for a long time, I recommend buying a fresh box. Baking powder can lose its rising power over time, so it’s better to be safe than sorry!
- Ground cinnamon – Adds a wonderful warmth to these Pumpkin Spice Biscotti.
- Ground ginger – Adds a delicious zing to this recipe.
- Nutmeg – I like to grate whole nutmeg for a more intense flavor, but use ground if that’s what you have.
- Ground cloves – Integral to creating the perfect pumpkin pie spice flavor.
- Salt – A little salt brings out the flavors and sweetness in these biscotti.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C and line a large baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Incorporate the wet ingredients and dry ingredients to form a dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll into logs.
Bake the logs until browned and firm.
Cut the logs while still warm.
Arrange biscotti onto a baking sheet and bake for a second time.
Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
Hint: Biscotti will become more crunchy as they cool. The second bake determines how crunchy the biscotti will be. If you prefer a softer biscotti, bake for a shorter time. If it’s a very crunchy biscotti that you’re looking for, bake for 20 or even 22 minutes. Remember to flip the biscotti halfway through.
Substitutions
- Unsalted butter – You can substitute salted butter, but avoid adding the pinch of salt.
- Pumpkin pie spice – Substitute store-bought or homemade pumpkin spice instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in this recipe.
Variations
- Chocolate – To serve, dip one end of the Pumpkin Spice Biscotti into melted white, milk, or dark chocolate for a little extra flair. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, add a chocolate drizzle over the biscotti. To do that, use some of that melted white. milk or dark chocolate and a teaspoon.
- Pecans – Add chopped pecans to the biscotti dough for all the fall flavors.
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip – Chocolate lover? Add chocolate chips to the biscotti dough for an added bonus.
Equipment
You will need a very sharp, thin, serrated knife to cut the Pumpkin Biscotti easily. Plus, other basic baking essentials like baking sheets, bowls, spoons, spatulas, and measuring cups and spoons.
Storage
It is important to let the Pumpkin Spice Biscotti cool completely before storing in an airtight container. The biscotti will keep well for a week at room temperature. However, depending on where you live, humidity in the air will make these biscotti lose their crunch and soften. If this happens, refresh the biscotti in the oven at 300°F/150°C for 5-8 minutes.
To store the Pumpkin Biscotti for longer, I recommend freezing them in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. The defrosted biscotti may need to be refreshed in the oven briefly to crisp up before serving.
Top tip
- You want to be sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has additional sugar and spices, so these biscotti won’t taste the same.
- Like all biscotti, my Pumpkin Biscotti are twice baked. The first bake activates the baking powder and cooks the dough throughout. The second bake draws out the moisture and makes these biscotti seriously crunchy.
- To successfully cut the Pumpkin Biscotti, it is important to use a very sharp, thin, serrated knife and cut the logs while they are still warm. Take your time. Cut in a sawing motion while supporting the log with your hands.
- Be sure to lower the oven temperature for the second bake so that the biscotti dries out but doesn’t burn.
- As the Pumpkin Spice Biscotti cool, they will become more crunchy and crispy.
FAQ
Traditionally, biscotti were made very hard and meant to be dipped in Vin Santo (Italian sweet wine) or hot coffee. However, these Pumpkin Biscotti are more crunchy than hard, so you can eat them easily on your own without breaking a tooth. That being said, I do love dunking them in tea or coffee!
Italian biscotti are generally much more hard than American biscotti. Italian biscotti are intended to be dipped in coffee or sweet wine because they’re often quite hard. American biscotti, like these Pumpkin Biscotti, are slightly more tender in texture but still wonderfully crunchy and crispy.
Yes! In Italian homes, it is traditional to eat sweets like cakes, cookies, and biscotti for breakfast. To enjoy an authentic Italian breakfast, try dunking these Pumpkin Biscotti into a big mug of milky coffee or a cappuccino.
Serving Suggestions
Pumpkin Biscotti are perfect to enjoy with a coffee for your afternoon pick-me-up. But they also make wonderful edible gifts around the holiday season! Why not add them to your cookie exchange, along with my Italian Butter Cookies, Bocconotti, and Piparelli Biscotti?
Made this recipe?
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Pumpkin Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300 grams) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar well packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (120 grams) canned pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Line a large baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper.
- Combine all purpose flour, white and light brown sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt and whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- In a small bowl or jug, use a fork to whisk together the egg, pumpkin puree, melted, cooled butter, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. You may need to use your hands to bring the dough together.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions.
- Dust work surface with flour and roll each portion into a 12in/ 30cm log. Place logs onto a lined baking sheet. Brush off any excess flour before baking.
- Bake for 25 minutes until browned and firm.
- Remove 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.
- Return the biscotti cut side up to the baking sheets and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turn them over halfway through. The biscotti will become more crisp as they cool.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use pure canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- If you can’t find canned pumpkin puree, make your own using sugar pumpkin, pie pumpkin or butternut squash. Taste the pumpkin to ensure that it is sweet.
- Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut the biscotti using a sawing motion.
- The second bake must be at a lower temperature.
- As the biscotti cool they will become more crunchy.
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.
Very tasty!! Only little hiccup was when I doubled the recipe from 40 cookies to 80, the flour was the only ingredient that did not double. I ended up with a cake like batter and thankfully realized it quickly before I baked. Thanks for this variation!!
You’re welcome! It can be tricky when doubling a batch. Did you know that there is a toggle in the recipe card where you can change from 40 cookies to 80 cookies and all the ingredients will change too?
will try these biscotti. look delicious
They are delicious, Miranda.
I made these today and they’re delicious. I’m going to have them with coffee and tea. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Cindi! They’re perfect with a tea or coffee.
Great recipe. The only update I made was to roll the biscotti in cinnamon sugar after slicing. The pumpkin flavor is fairly muted but they taste like fall with all the warm spices. Will definitely make these again!
That’s a great variation, Patty. I love cinnamon sugar! Yes, the pumpkin flavor is subtle.
They sound delicious. How much spice should I use if using pumpkin pie spice and not all the individual spices?
I like it quite spicy so I’d use 4 teaspoons. If you prefer less spice, 2 or 3 teaspoons would be enough.
I made these for Christmas and they were such a hit with my family. Just the perfect amount of spice. I made my own pumpkin puree but drained it really well.
Yes, be sure to drain the pumpkin puree very well if you make your own. Thanks Annie!