Biscotti itself traces its origins all the way back to when it was the staple food of Roman legions; my gluten free gingerbread biscotti is merely its most modern (and I daresay, tastiest) incarnation!
In Latin, biscotto literally meant baked or cooked twice — fitting since these finger-shaped cookies are baked then baked again to dry them out, rendering them a sturdy form of sustenance with a long shelf life. Out of those utilitarian beginnings, the humble traveler’s food evolved during the Renaissance into the flavorful cookies we recognize today.
In Tuscany, the plentiful supply of almonds drove the creation of what many know as true biscotti (there, called cantucci, as biscotti merely means any crunchy cookie), but the idea of a crisp, twice baked cookie need not include almonds; it can take on any flavor you like.
My gluten free gingerbread biscotti embraces the aromas and spices of the season — nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cloves — and like any good biscotti, is as perfect to dip in cappuccino or tea as it is in wine. Yes, I’ve dipped gingerbread biscotti in wine, and I highly recommend it.
While you do have to bake this dough twice, it just delays the gratification, it doesn’t make it complicated or difficult.
Simply roll the dough in a light dusting of gfJules Flour …
divide it in half …
pat each half into a semi-flat log and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar …
and once it’s baked the first time, remove to cool on a wire rack.
Then slice into biscotti and return to the oven for the second bake.
Literally the most difficult thing about this recipe is waiting for it to be ready to eat!
Since I’ve now made this recipe four times in the last week — at the strong urging of my family — I can tell you that this is a recipe loved by all ages. While this may blaspheme the true nature of biscotti, I’ll even suggest that some of the younger crowd might enjoy this treat once-baked. We may have tried that too.
Any way you slice it, no matter how long you bake it, this gluten free gingerbread biscotti will please. Tie it up in a pretty ribbon and give as a gift if you can part with some. My husband loves this recipe so much that it was his Valentine’s Day wish that I make more.
In other words, you just may have to double the recipe!
Gluten Free Gingerbread Biscotti
All the gingerbread flavors you love with the added punch of ginger in a crunchy biscotti cookie that's impossible to resist!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or vegan alternative (e.g. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks), room temperature
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup natural/unsweetened applesauce, apple butter OR 2 large eggs
- ½ cup almond meal (buy ready-made or make your own)
- 1 1/2 cups (202 gr) gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)
- ½ cup crystallized ginger, diced fine (optional - but recommended)*
- cinnamon-sugar mixture for the tops (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° F (300° F convection). Mix butter and sugars together until light and fluffy -- approximately 2-3 minutes with a mixer.
Add applesauce (or eggs).
Grind almonds to make almond meal, then measure out to add to dry ingredients; whisk to integrate them together.
Stir into sugar mixture until smooth. Fold in sliced almonds and diced crystallized ginger, if using (optional, but highly recommended!).
Roll dough ball in a light dusting of gfJules Flour just so it's not too sticky to handle.
Divide dough in half and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Dust the tops of each mound of dough and your hands with more gfJules Flour, if needed because it's sticky. Pat gently to form into two wide logs, approximately 1 1/4 inches high and 3-4 inches wide. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon-sugar mixture, if desired.
Bake for 35 minutes until browning on the edges and no longer so soft. Remove to cool on a wire rack.
Once cooled, use a serrated knife to cut each log across the wide side into half-inch wide slightly diagonal slices. Depending on how finely you chopped the ginger, it may be harder to cut through evenly, but it won't affect the taste.
Return to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden and slightly crispy. They will get crunchier as they cool.
Once cooled, wrap tightly or store in containers sealed from the air to retain crunchiness. Return to a 200° F oven on a baking sheet for 5 minutes to restore crispness if they absorb moisture in subsequent days.
Makes approximately 16 biscotti.
Notes
You can make your own crystallized ginger from fresh ginger with a recipe like this one linked here. It just adds about an hour to your recipe time.
Pin this recipe to save for later!
Can you freeze the dough?
Yes! Just wrap really well. Enjoy!
~jules
Excellent recipe. I’ve been working to perfect my biscottis and this time with this recipe they turned out perfect. Changed it up a bit to do chocolate dip with chopped almonds.
Gorgeous with that chocolate dip, Mary! So glad you loved this recipe and made it your own with that dip!!!
~jules
Can I use ur canned gingerbread mix? I have four cans n would like to use them up
Hi Fran, it will be a bit different, but it should work out. Here’s what you’ll need to do though: you’ll have to measure it out because the mix has more flour in it than you’ll need, so shake it up and then measure out 2 cups of my gingerbread mix to use in place of both my gfJules Flour and almond meal. Do NOT add the cinnamon or baking powder called for in this biscotti recipe, but add the other ingredients. Let me know how it goes!
~jules
Hi, we have major almond allergies. What substitute would work in place of the almond meal?
Thanks
Hi Ann, can your family do any other nuts in place of almonds, or no?
~jules
Jules!! I’m so glad I found this recipe! I tried making biscotti yesterday with a different recipe and my husband nearly broke his teeth!! 🤣🤣🤣
Question: Have you ever considered a pumpkin spice version? If you had that recipe I would be ALL OVER IT!
Thanks for all you do! 🥰
oh no! We can’t have dental bills on top of everything else! So glad you found this recipe!!! I’ll have to give the pumpkin spice recipe a thought. Anything with pumpkin spice has my vote. In the meantime, why don’t you just sub out the applesauce/apple butter in this recipe for pumpkin puree? I bet that would be lovely!! Let me know how it goes (and what your husband thinks)!!
~jules
Yum! I’ve used Jules gf flour for my chocolate chocolate chip biscotti for years and wanted to try this gingerbread biscotti recipe but didn’t notice the recommendation for crystallized ginger til I re-read the recipe. Thankful to have had enough deep in my cabinet and agree it is a must-have for these yummy biscotti. Has anyone tried mini choc chips with it? Can you tell our family loves chocolate?!!
LOL – chocolate lovers unite!!! So glad you gave this recipe a try anyway and also so glad you had some crystallized ginger in the cabinet!!!
~jules
Hi Jules, I tried these this past week to rave reviews. I have “wheat-eating” friends asking where to buy your flour so they can duplicate them. Look for a small serge in orders! These are so good, I am on my way for more crystallized ginger and sliced almond to make several batches to share. I can’t imagine the biscotti without either. Thank you, thank you
Wow, Karen, that is high praise for any recipe, gluten-free or otherwise! I’m so glad you and your friends loved this gingerbread biscotti so much! What a fantastic way to introduce people to how great gluten free can be!!!!
~jules
What can sub for the Almond Meal?
Hi Linda, if you can do any other nut, just use another you like and can use; if no nuts, then sunflower seeds ground or purity protocol oats ground into flour would make a nice alternative or even coconut flour (it’s not a tree nut). The ground nuts/nut flour is added for texture, fat and flavor.
~jules
What would be the ratio of cinnamon to sugar?
I am confused about step 3: “Grind almonds and measure out to add to dry ingredients”. The only almonds in the ingredients are the optional sliced almonds which are added in step 4.
Hi Carole, that’s if you don’t have already-prepared almond meal and need to make your own. I give a recipe link to how to make your own almond meal in the ingredient list. If you already have almond meal ready, you don’t need to grind your own. I hope that helps!
~jules
Was wondering if fresh, chopped ginger would work, instead of the crystallized? Thanks!
Hi Deanna,
You can skip the ginger altogether or candy your own ginger using a recipe like this one linked here. I would recommend using candied ginger because the spice is tempered by the sugar and the moisture is also largely cooked out of it so it won’t upset the moisture ratio in the recipe either.
~jules
I can’t have almond flour. Any recs for the substitution?
Can you do gluten free oats? If so, making your own oat flour would be a yummy substitution here!
~jules
I made this with two adaptations and it was still amazing! I used nameste all purpose GF flour instead of Jules. I also discovered after I had begun mixing ingredients already, that I was completely out of ground ginger! I went ahead and proceeded anyways and it still turned out amazingly since it had the crystallized ginger. It was a hit with my guests and I will definitely be saving this one for future use.
So you used Jules’ recipe with another company’s flour and then came back to her website to post you used something other than Jules’ flour and how wonderful it was? That’s disrespectful in my opinion.
I think it would only be disrespectful if she complained about Jules flour and raved the other brand here. We all try different brands. Maybe she didn’t have Jules flour, maybe she was out. Plus, we wouldn’t want her to waste the other flour. (Unless it’s just that awful. I use them in crafts if possible. So I don’t have to worry about flavor.) Next time she may try w Jules flour and be able to give a comparison. We are here to build each other up, not tear the pther down. This recipe sounds wonderful. Definitely going to try
Joyce – that was rude and uncalled for. I certainly wouldn’t post that you used another company’s flour and then rave about it on Jules site. Frankly, if I were Jules, I would block you from using her site completely.
I made this last spring, along with a bunch of other stuff. I put it all in my freezer since it’s too hot in Phoenix in the summer to turn on the oven. I have a few left & when they are gone, I am going to make more. It is delicious!
So smart! I wish I had some in my freezer right now!!! I’ll have to bake them again soon -they’re sooooo good!
~jules
I have several boxes of your gingerbread mix. I’d love to use one for biscotti if you have any recipes for that.
I was about to ask the same question. Curious if it can be done.
Hi Jules,
I tried a double recipe and they turned out great! I didn’t put in as much crystallized ginger as was recommended but I will next time. Thanks for another great recipe!
Wonderful to hear! I’m so glad your family loved this recipe, too! I made it AGAIN yesterday too! The smells of those spices baking is magical!
~jules
Jules, I have made the gluten free gingerbread biscotti today and have to say it
is the best I have ever had. I added the crystalized ginger and think it would not be
as good without it. Merry Christmas to you and your family; thank you for your
great recipes and products.
SO excited you tried it, Dixie! Isn’t it amazing?!?! I think I need to go bake even MORE! We had friends over last night and I made hot mulled wine and we dipped them in the wine for dessert – they were perfect! I love them for breakfast, lunch or dessert! Merry Christmas and many blessings on you and your family!
~jules