Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti Recipe

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti is a classic cookie I love to make around Christmastime because it’s the perfect thing to serve when guests pop in for a cup of coffee. The combination of the rich chocolate mixed with the crunch of the hazelnuts is such a fantastic flavor combination. These also are great for gifting!

For another twist on biscotti, try my Pumpkin Spice Biscotti recipe. Another great holiday food gift idea!

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti Recipe served on a white plate

How To Roast Hazelnuts and Remove The Skins

  • Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed sheet pan
  • Once toasted transfer to a clean kitchen towel.
  • Fold the towel up to allow the warmth of the nuts to “steam” their skins off. (this is the slightly tedious part)

peeling skins off roasted hazelnuts on a dish towel

Don’t Be Tempted to But Pre-Skinned Hazelnuts

  • They don’t have much flavor. Even if you roast them.
  • But not to worry, roasting the hazelnuts and removing the skins is worth it for the flavor it provides.
  • It’s OK if a few have a little skin left on here and there, don’t make yourself totally crazy trying to remove every little bit. They should just look like this.

toasted hazelnuts without the skin in a small clear bowl

Adding the Chocolate

  • This recipe calls for two types of chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder.
  • You’ll first chop up the bittersweet chocolate. For this, I really like the Ghirardelli 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate.
  • This chocolate will combine with dry and wet ingredients to create the biscotti dough.
  • You’ll shape the dough into a log and bake it until puffed up and cooked through.

chocolate being chopped on a wood cutting board

What temperature do you bake biscotti?

  • The best temperature for baking biscotti is 300F. This allow the dough to both bake on the inside but also “dry out” without burning.
  • You’ll use this temperature for both baking turns (the log and the cut slices). Once the log is baked, you’ll then slice it into thick 1″ slices.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti log being baked in the oven on a cookie tray

How to cut biscotti without breaking?

  • I think the secret with preventing your biscotti from crumbling when you slice it to 1.) Make sure you use a serrated bread knife and 2.) Make sure your biscotti has cooled for at least 6-8 minutes.
  • If you try to cut it right out of the oven it will crumble and if you wait too long, it will become too hard and it will crack! So somewhere around 6-8 minutes is the sweet spot.
  • Once sliced, you’ll bake again. This is how the biscotti receives its hard, dry texture.
  • After baking for a second time, presto! Beautiful biscotti will be yours!

Biscotti slices placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet

How long do homemade biscotti last?

  • These biscotti will last for up to 3-4 days in the fridge (if they last that long before eating them up!) 
  • Place them in an air-tight container to keep them fresh. Or a freezer safe container and freeze up to 1 month. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti recipe served alongside a small coffee cup filled with espresso.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti Recipe served on a white plate

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Yield: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti Cookie Recipe. A great Christmas Cookie for holiday gifting!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (150g) of hazelnuts
  • 3 oz (84g) of bittersweet chocolate
  • ¾ cup (135g) brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cup (180g) flour
  • ¼ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) instant coffee granules mixed with 2 tbsp hot water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F/(176C).
  2. Place hazelnuts on a rimmed lined cookie sheet and bake at 350F/(176C) for 10 mins.
  3. Remove from the oven and pour onto a clean kitchen towel, wrap in towel and “steam” for 10 minutes. This will help to remove the skins. Remove as much skin as you can, and set nuts aside.
  4. Then chop the chocolate into very fine pieces, place in a large bowl, add brown sugar, and mix to combine.
  5. Then in a smaller bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  6. Add the flour mixture to the sugar and chocolate mixer and mix to combine, add the eggs, vanilla and “mixed coffee”. Beat to combine until a dough forms. Add roasted/skinned hazelnuts.
  7. Sprinkle 1 tbsp (15 ml) of cocoa powder on a cutting board and form dough into a log about 9” (23 cm) x 4” (10 cm) .
  8. Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  9. Bake at 300F/)148C) for 35-40 minutes.
  10. Remove and allow to cool. Transfer baked log to a cutting board. Slice on the bias into ½” (13 mm) slices. Place bake on to clean parchment paper (you can flip previous sheet over to the other side for this) And bake slices 7 minutes each side to dry cookies out.
  11. Serve with espresso or a hot cup of cocoa!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 87Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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6 Comments

  1. This recipe looks great! Is there any reason you don’t just start with packaged chopped hazelnuts? The skins are already off.

    1. Oh sure if you can find them that way, absolutely use them. But for me here in Los Angeles, pre-skinned hazelnuts are really hard to find 🙂

  2. I made these biscotti cookies today, and they were absolutely delicious! I dipped the finished biscotti in white chocolate, and drizzle bittersweet chocolate over it.

    Thank you for sharing the recipe, Beth. The accompanying video was very helpful.