I make these vegan biscotti every year for my Diwali gift box, but they also feel festive for Christmas. Biscotti are double-baked Italian biscuits, similar to rusk, a favourite at Indian tea time. My biscotti recipe is egg-free and dairy-free, but still classically crunchy with whole almonds and some chewy fig as well. They are crisp, but not rock hard like some shop-bought ones, and perfect for dunking into a cup of chai or coffee. The garnish of pistachio, white chocolate and rose petals provides a distinctive Indian-inflected flavour. They are surprisingly easy to make. These biscotti are perfect for batch baking when you need a little sweet treat at home.
In short: Vegan biscotti are Italian twice-baked biscuits made without eggs or dairy. These use plain flour, plant butter and soya milk, with dried figs and whole almonds throughout the dough and a finish of vegan white chocolate, chopped pistachios and rose petals. The log is baked, sliced and baked again until crisp. Makes 16 biscotti in less than an hour, plus cooling; serve with chai or coffee, or box them up as gifts.
Why you'll love these vegan biscotti with fig and almond
- Crunchy, not tooth-breaking - whole almonds for crunch and chewy fig pieces for contrast.
- Egg-free and dairy-free - these biscotti are vegan. No flax egg or aquafaba, just store-cupboard ingredients.
- Pistachio, white chocolate and rose-petal garnish - bringing festive Indian flavours to both Diwali and Christmas tables.
- Batch baking friendly - keep for weeks, so you can make and store to enjoy later.
- Made for dunking - sturdy enough for chai or coffee.
- A gift that travels - pack them into a Diwali gift box or a Christmas hamper.
Jump to:
Key Ingredients & Notes
- Plain flour, caster sugar & baking powder - for the biscuit base
- Plant butter - use a vegan block butter, not a spread. The latter contains too much water and oil, making the dough too soft to shape.
- Soya milk - together with the plant butter, it binds the dough and acts as an egg replacement.
- Whole almonds and dried figs - crunchy almonds and chewy dried figs give a contrast of textures.
- Almond extract - I use extract over essence for a more authentic almond flavour.
- Vegan white chocolate - I use white chocolate because it has a subtler taste than dark chocolate. Be sure to choose a vegan white chocolate. Check the label.
- Shelled pistachio, rose petals - with the white chocolate, they make up the optional garnish. I highly recommend it, though, as it adds more flavour to each bite. Use edible-grade dried rose petals.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Vegan Fig and Almond Biscotti
- Prep the figs and oven - Preheat the oven to 175ºC (fan-assisted) or 347ºF, and line the baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the dried figs into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
- Make the dough - Mix the flour, caster sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Melt the plant butter, whisk in the soya milk and almond extract, then pour it into the dry ingredients. Mix until no dry spots remain.
- Add the figs and almonds: work them into the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly, just until it comes together. It may feel a little sticky, so use a bench scraper rather than your hands when you can. Over-kneading makes the biscotti hard.
- Shape the log - Shape the dough into a log about 25cm long and 2.5-4cm wide (depending on the size you want the biscuit) and place it onto the lined tray. Tuck in any figs or almonds poking out, or they will burn.
- First bake - bake for 25 minutes, then leave the log to cool on the tray for 15-20 minutes so it firms up before slicing.
- Slice - using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut the log into slices about 1cm thick. Don't press down, or the slices will crumble.
- Second bake - lay the slices on the baking tray and bake for 15 more minutes, turning the tray halfway for even colour. Leave to cool completely.
- Drizzle (optional) - push the cooled slices back together into a log. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, keeping the bowl dry. Drizzle it over the log with a spoon or piping bag.
- Scatter over the chopped pistachios and rose petals straight away, while the chocolate is still soft. Leave to set, then store in an airtight container.
Substitutions & Variations
- Different dried fruits - try apricots (chopped), cranberries (can leave whole) or dates (chopped)
- Different nuts - try hazelnuts, pistachios, or Brazil nuts in the dough.
- Vegan dark chocolate - instead of white chocolate.
- More flavour layers - add ¼ teaspoon cardamom, the zest of half an orange, or cinnamon (¼ tsp) to the dough.
- Go nut-free - add seeds instead, like sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Replace the almond extract with vanilla extract and skip the pistachios.
- Oat milk or almond milk (not for nut-free) can be used to replace the soya milk.
Equipment
- Digital scales for accurate ingredient measurement.
- Baking trays (sheet pans) to bake the biscotti.
- Parchment paper to stop the dough sticking to the baking tray.
- Heat-proof bowl to melt the white chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water.
- Serrated knife to cut the biscotti.
- A bench scraper to avoid handling the dough too much.
- A Piping bag to pipe on the melted white chocolate (or use a spoon)
Storage
These biscotti will keep in an airtight container for up to three weeks at room temperature.
Don't make them too far ahead, though, as gifts, as you want to give them storage time once gifted
Recipe Tips
- Do not over-knead the dough. Just bring the wet and dry ingredients together. Use a bench scraper and handle the dough as little as possible. Overworking it develops the gluten and makes the biscotti rock hard.
- Tuck in the figs and almonds. If they stick out, they'll burn during baking.
- Cool the log down for the full 15 to 20 minutes so it firms up and the slices don't crumble. Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, and don't press down.
- Slice thickness sets the texture. 1 cm slices bake crisp but not rock hard.
- If adding the garnish, put the slices back together into a log and drizzle the chocolate in one go, then sprinkle the pistachios and rose petals while it's still wet so they stick.
- Cool completely before boxing and storing, or else they will soften.
FAQ
Not usually. Traditional biscotti are made with eggs and sometimes butter. This recipe uses neither, so it is vegan, but use vegan white chocolate if you make the garnish.
The name comes from the Medieval Latin biscoctus, meaning "twice cooked". The first bake sets the log so you can slice it; the second dries the slices out to give biscotti their crunchy texture, perfect for dunking in tea and coffee.
Some recipes use aquafaba (chickpea water) or a flax egg. This one doesn't need either: soya milk and melted plant butter bind the dough instead.
Several UK supermarkets sell vegan white chocolate, including the Free From ranges at Tesco and Marks & Spencer. In the USA, Walmart and Target supermarkets carry brands like Enjoy Life. Always check the label to make sure it's vegan.
Rock-hard biscotti are usually over-baked, over-kneaded or sliced too thick. Too soft means they're under-baked or were stored before cooling completely. Ovens vary, so I would recommend checking the second bake five minutes before the time in the recipe.
Yes. Replace the almonds with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, use vanilla extract instead of almond extract, and leave the pistachios off the garnish.
They keep for up to three weeks in an airtight container, so you can bake them ahead in good time. You can also do the first bake, slice the log and freeze the slices, then give them their second bake straight from frozen the day before gifting. Frozen, they will keep for three months.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Fig and Almond Biscotti
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Baking trays To bake the biscotti
- bench scraper To assist with kneading the dough
- Piping bag To pipe on the melted white chocolate (or use a spoon)
- Parchment paper To line the baking tray
- Serrated knife To slice the baked biscotti
- Heat-proof bowl To melt the white chocolate
Ingredients
Biscotti
- 130 g Plain flour
- 70 g Caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 18 g Vegan block butter
- 45 ml Soya milk
- ½ teaspoon Almond extract
- 65 g Dried figs
- 45 g Whole almonds
Garnish (optional)
- 55 g White chocolate vegan
- 15 g Pistachio shelled and unsalted
- Edible dried Rose petals A few for garnish.
Instructions
Biscotti
- Preheat the oven to 175℃ (fan-assisted) or 347℉, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Cut the dried figs in half or into quarters, depending on their size.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, caster sugar and baking powder.
- Melt the butter, then whisk in the soya milk and almond extract.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix into a dough, ensuring there are no dry spots.
- Add figs and almonds and work them into the dough. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, just until combined. The dough may be a bit sticky so use a bench scraper rather than your hands where you can; over-kneading makes the biscuit hard. Tuck in any fruit or nuts sticking out of the surface, as they will burn.
- Shape the dough into a log about 25cm long and 2.5-4cm wide, then place it on the lined baking tray.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave the log to cool on the tray for 15-20 minutes.
- Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut the log into 1cm-thick slices.
- Lay the slices on the baking tray and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden. Turn the tray halfway through for even colouring.
- Leave to cool completely.
Garnish (optional)
- Push the cooled slices back together into a log shape on the baking tray.
- Chop the white chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted, keeping the bowl and spoon completely dry.
- Roughly chop the pistachios.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscotti with a spoon, or pipe it from a piping bag.
- Sprinkle with the pistachios and rose petals straight away, while the chocolate is still wet.
- Leave the chocolate to set, then store the biscotti in an airtight container.
More Sweet Treats to Make
Still in the mood for baking? Here are a few more sweet treats from my kitchen you might like to try.
Leave a Reply