These Gluten-Free Lemon Biscotti are a delicious take on the classic twice-baked Italian cookie! Made with real lemons, almond flour, and sweetened with agave syrup for a healthier gluten-free and vegan lemon cookie.
Biscotti are the favorite crunchy cookie delicious on their own but equally good with coffee or tea. Dip them or dunk them in a drink if you so desire!
With an array of flavor profiles to choose from, this gluten-free lemon biscotti recipe hones in on fresh lemon in a slightly sweet almond flour cookie.
If you love lemon cookies or lemon bars, or anything lemon, this is the biscotti for you.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple: Only 7 main ingredients make up this grain-free version of the Italian biscuit.
- Dietary Features: This recipe is not only gluten-free and vegan but grain-free and refined sugar-free as well (just omit the glaze!).
- Easy: Biscotti is a twice-baked cookie. But before baking, mixing up the ingredients and forming the dough into a log comes together quickly and easily. No need for perfection, the rustic quality is beautiful.
- Crunchy and Addictive: Baking these cookies twice gives biscotti its signature crunch. Lightly sweetened and full of lemon flavor, it will be hard to eat just one!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
Almond Flour - You'll want to use almond flour in this recipe and not an almond meal for a better cookie texture. Classic biscotti often have sliced almonds in the dough, but the almond flour here adds a buttery almond flavor instead.
Tapioca Starch - A grain-free starch, tapioca starch helps give this cookie a satisfying crunch. It also helps act as a binder keeping the recipe egg-free.
Agave Syrup or Maple Syrup - Sweetened with agave syrup, the citrus flavor is balanced with just the right sweetness without refined sugar. Maple syrup can be substituted for agave if needed.
Lemon Zest and Juice - Fresh lemon juice brings out the bright flavor in a lemon dessert that makes this cookie so delicious. This combination of juice and zest doesn't make it necessary to use lemon extract.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare your lemon zest and lemon juice.
1. Combine your dry ingredients including the zest in a medium bowl.
2. Add the agave syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir with a spatula until all dry bits are moistened.
3. Place dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and form into a log. The log should be approximately 9-10 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ½ inch tall.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Then allow the baked log to cool at room temperature.
5. Place the baking sheet with the log in the freezer for 15 minutes. Turn the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the log crosswise into ½-inch slices. Place each slice cut side down and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the cookies to cool inside completely.
Equipment
For this recipe, a baking sheet and parchment paper are essential for both bakes.
A serrated knife works best for slicing the cookies after the first bake.
Storage
Biscotti should be completely cooled before storing. Otherwise, this will result in a softer cookie.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. For longer-term storage, wrap biscotti in plastic wrap, place in a ziplock freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If the biscotti have glaze, it is helpful to place pieces of parchment between each cookie to help prevent them from sticking to each other.
Biscotti tips
- Don't have tapioca starch? Arrowroot starch will work here as a substitute.
- The thinner the slice, the crisper it will be.
- A serrated knife will help with clean-cut slices, but any large sharp knife will do.
FAQs
This almond flour dough will be a bit sticky. To help, lightly wet your hand prior to forming the dough into a log.
Your gluten-free lemon biscotti are likely not crispy due to not baking long enough during the second bake. The size of your slice is also a consideration of the crispness of the cookie.
Allow biscotti to cool completely after the second bake. Otherwise, they will soften when placed in a storage container.
More lemon desserts
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Lemon Biscotti
Equipment
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (185g) almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (12g) tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ⅓ cup agave syrup or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze (optional)
- ¼ cup organic powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons almond milk or other non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare your lemon zest and lemon juice and set aside.
- Whisk together the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Then add the agave syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir with a spatula until all dry bits are moistened and mixture becomes one cohesive dough.
- Place biscotti dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and form into a log. The log should be approximately 9-10 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ½ inch tall. The dough will be sticky, lightly wetting your hands helps dough from sticking.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The biscotti log should be golden brown on the edges.
- Allow baked log to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. Turn the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. When ready, cut the log crosswise into ½-inch slices. Place each slice cut side down and bake for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and allow cookies to cool inside completely. Cookies should be completely cool before glazing or placing in a storage container.
- To glaze (optional): Combine powdered sugar and almond milk in a small bowl. Add extra almond milk if need until desired texture is reached. Drizzle glaze over cool biscotti. Allow glaze to harden before storing in a container.
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