These Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti are packed with amazing flavor!

Originally Published 12/12/2021

I’m still new to gluten-free baking, I was pleasantly surprised again, that these Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti taste so good! 

Once more, If I hadn’t been the one to bake them, I wouldn’t have been able to tell by taste or texture that they were gluten-free! I’ve always liked biscotti of any flavor! They’re never overly sweet and I love how they soak up coffee and melt in your mouth. These Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti are no exception! Plus if you need a little extra sweetness, the end dipped in white chocolate is divine!

If you like to bake treats to give away as homemade Xmas gifts, these are perfect for that! 

They look super cute stacked up in a Christmas bag or box, and they last for a little bit longer than most cookies because they’re baked to be crispy and drier. I adapted a recipe from Ask Chef Dennis, to make it gluten-free. However, if you’d like to bake this with traditional flour, you can use the same measurements of All-Purpose Flour instead of gluten-free, and of course, omit the xanthan gum.

Ok, let’s get going!

If you’ve never made biscotti before, you’re going to be surprised at how easy it is!

Start by combining the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. 

So far I have only used King Arthur Flour’s Gluten-Free 1-1 Flour. It’s worked amazingly and seems to be creating treats as close to regular flour as possible.

For Xanthan Gum, I’ve been using Anthony’s. It comes in a 1lb bag. Most recipes call for 1/2 to 2 tsp, so this bag is going to last FOREVER lol. Xanthan gum is basically your faux gluten. It helps bind things together.

A lot of pastries, crusts, baked goods, you’re trying to keep gluten from forming, so making things gluten-free is proving to be easier than I imagined. But, as I mentioned above, if you’re baking these not gluten-free, mix 1 2/3 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 tsp of baking powder, and 1/4 tsp of salt and set it to the side.

Next,

add 2 room temperature eggs and 2/3 cup of sugar to the mixer and whip them together. After this, add in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. 

I used avocado oil. We have been trying to stay away from vegetable oils like canola, grape seed, sunflower, etc. 

I have to say though, I really don’t care for the avocado oil flavor at all. I won’t be using it again the next time I make these. 

I think coconut oil would be an excellent choice or even olive oil if you are also trying to avoid canola. 

Whatever oil you choose, once it’s been incorporated into the sugar/eggs, it’s time to add your dry ingredients.

Pour in the flour mixture and mix until everything is combined.

Then the next step to making these delicious Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti is of course to add the chopped cranberries and pistachios. 

The pistachios should be finely chopped, although not so fine they’re like flour. It’s ok to have small chunks.

Once the Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti dough is ready, it’s time to shape and do the first bake!

Plop the biscotti dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, and using damp hands form it into a log that is 3″ wide by 8″ long and 1″ thick.

The Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti dough won’t rise or grow very much in the oven so you want the pieces to be about as wide and thick as you’d like them to be once they’re baked. If the dough starts sticking to your hands while you’re shaping it, just re-dampen your hands and keep going! Once the log looks how you want, place it in the oven at 350• and bake it for 25 minutes, or until it’s a light golden brown.

The next step in making these Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti is to cu them into their individual biscotti pieces.

So, after the first 25-minute bake is up, get the baking sheet out and let the biscotti log cool for about 10 minutes.

You want the log to be cool enough to touch that you don’t burn your hands, but still decently warm, because as the biscotti cools it hardens and becomes more crumbly. Use a serrated bread knife, and while it’s still hot, cut a little bit off each end to square it up, and then cut 1/2″ biscotti. This should give you a total of 15 Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti when you’re finished. Flip the biscotti on their sides and place the sheet back in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes or so. They should be a light golden brown color again when they’re ready to come out. 

Once the Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti are done baking, 

let them cool fully before dunking them in white chocolate. I like to use the Ghiradelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers. Just measure out a cup of those into a heat-proof bowl and microwave on low for about 5-second bursts of time. Stir in between to make sure the sides of the bowl aren’t burning or seizing up. Once it’s fully melted, dip each Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti in halfway. If you’d like to make them extra cute, sprinkle the white chocolate with pistachio crumbles before it dries and sets! Place them back on the parchment sheet so the chocolate can return to room temperature and harden.

Finally,

once the white chocolate has set, you’re all set to snag a bite! Or you’re all set to package up these Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti in some cute Xmas treat bags, and walk them over to the neighbor’s house! Of course, I’d recommend saving yourself a few for breakfast in the morning! I really love how complimentary the cranberry, pistachio, and white chocolate flavors are! They’re definitely a triple threat. I’m also happy to add another gluten-free treat to my baking repertoire! If you give these a shot, let me know how it goes and if you like the flavor!?

Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

These super delicious Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti dipped in white chocolate are perfect for dipping in your morning cup of coffee!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings: 15 biscotti

Equipment

• Kitchenaid Mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking Sheet
• Knife
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 Cup Gluten-Free Flour
• 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs room temperature
• 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2/3 Cup Craisins chopped
• 2/3 Cup Pistachios chopped
• White Chocolate
• 1 Cup Ghirardelli Melting White Chocolate
• 1 tbsp Pistachios chopped fine

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment with oil.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the 1 2/3 cup of GF flour, 1/2 tsp xanthan gum, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp of salt, and set to the side.
• In your Kitchenaid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the two eggs and 2/3 cup of sugar. Mix for 2-3 minutes until combined and a pale yellow. Then add the 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Next, add in the dry ingredients and mix. Then follow with the chopped cranberries and chopped pistachios. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed together.
• Scoop the biscotti dough onto the parchment paper and using lightly damp hands (so the dough doesn’t stick to you) shape the dough into a log that is 1″ thick by 3″ wide, by 8″ long. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
• After 25 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the biscotti cool for 5-10 minutes, until it’s cool enough for you to be able to handle it. Next, trim off the very ends and slice 15 1/2″ biscotti. Turn them all on their sides and place them back in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until they are a light golden brown color.
• Once the biscotti are finished baking for the second time, remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow them to fully cool before dipping in the white chocolate.

White Chocolate

• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 cup of Ghiradelli Melting White Chocolate pieces on low heat for 5-second bursts of time. Make sure you don’t overheat/burn the white chocolate. Once it’s fully melted, dip half of each biscotti in the white chocolate and sprinkle with finely chopped pistachio, laying them back on the parchment to cool and harden.
• Finally, once the white chocolate has set, make yourself a cup of coffee, or Earl Grey tea and enjoy dipping your delicious Gluten-Free Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti in it!