• Home
  • Our Story
  • Contact
MyGourmetConnection

MyGourmetConnection

Recipes, Cooking and Food Blog

  • Recipes
  • Quick & Easy
  • Side Dishes
  • Main Dishes
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dishes
  • Quick & Easy
  • Our Story
  • Contact

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

by Lynne Webb on December 12, 2022 (Updated December 17, 2022) // 6 Comments

Recipes » Baking » Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

by Lynne Webb on December 12, 2022 (Updated December 17, 2022) // 6 Comments

Made in the traditional Italian style, our cranberry pistachio biscotti are a great choice for holiday gift-giving and make a festive addition to any cookie platter.
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
Two cranberry pistachio biscotti on a red napkin next to a cup of black coffee with more biscotti in the background.

Table of Contents

  • Biscotti: The Perfect Anytime Cookie
  • Key Ingredients
  • How to Make Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
  • How to Store Biscotti
  • More Italian Cookie Recipes
  • Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Biscotti: The Perfect Anytime Cookie

Biscotti (Italian for biscuits) are a twice-baked, traditional Italian treat with a satisfying crunch and we love them for their versatility. Their crisp texture is perfect for dunking into a morning cup of coffee, an after-dinner espresso, or a glass of dessert wine. Plus, once you master a basic recipe for biscotti, it’s easy to vary the flavors too.

These cranberry pistachio biscotti are a favorite of ours for the holidays because of the festive red and green color combination of their ingredients. And, because the recipe is an authentic Italian-style version made without butter, they have a fairly long shelf life that makes them perfect for gift-giving.

Key Ingredients

In addition to standard baking ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, here’s what you need to make our cranberry pistachio biscotti:

  • Dried cranberries: Any brand of dried cranberries will do for this recipe, just be sure to plump them up in hot water and pat them dry before adding them to the biscotti dough. This extra step makes for better texture and more cranberry flavor in your biscotti.
  • Pistachios: Look for dry-roasted, unsalted pistachios for this recipe. You may be able to find them already shelled, but if not, be sure to measure them after shelling and allow a few extra minutes of prep time for the recipe.

How to Make Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

  1. Place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and pour just enough boiling water over them to cover. Soak until plump and softened, about 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly and pat dry gently with paper towels.
  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
  3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour.
  4. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  5. Add eggs and vanilla and combine just long enough to form a dough.
  6. Mix in the cranberries and nuts until well blended. Note: You can use an electric mixer to make the dough if desired.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, knead several times, then cut in half.
  8. Using well-floured hands, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and form each into a slightly flattened log.
  9. Space the logs about 3″ apart and brush them with egg wash.
  10. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
  11. Cool the logs on the baking sheet on a rack for at least 10 minutes before handling.
  12. Once cooled, transfer them to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut them diagonally into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices.
  13. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet (cut side down). You don’t need much space between them as they won’t spread during baking.
  14. Bake until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes total, turning once about midway through baking.
  15. Cool completely before storing.
Two photo collage, cranberry pistachio biscotti logs being brushed with egg wash prior to baking and baked logs on a cutting board, one sliced, one whole.

How to Store Biscotti

Because these biscotti aren’t made with butter, they have a relatively long shelf life for homemade cookies. Here’s how to store them:

Cool biscotti completely and store them at room temperature in airtight containers. They should stay fresh for about two weeks. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months.

Cranberry pistachio biscotti on a cooling rack next to a cup of coffee and two biscotti on a red napkin.

More Italian Cookie Recipes

  • Orange Rosemary Biscotti
  • Chocolate Dipped Orange Biscotti
  • Italian Ricotta Cookies

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

5 from 1 vote
  |  Leave a Review
Made in the traditional Italian style, our cranberry pistachio biscotti are a great choice for holiday gift-giving and make a festive addition to any cookie platter.
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time : 55 mins
Total Time : 1 hr 10 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Ingredients 

  • 1-1/3 cups dried cranberries
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pistachios, dry-roasted and shelled

For the egg wash:

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Instructions 

  • Place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and pour just enough boiling water over them to cover.
  • Soak until plump and softened, about 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly and gently pat dry with paper towels.
  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour.
  • Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add eggs and vanilla and combine just long enough to form a dough.
  • Mix in the cranberries and nuts until well blended. (You can use an electric mixer to make the dough if desired.)
  • Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, knead several times, then cut in half.
  • Using well-floured hands, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and form each piece into a slightly flattened log.
  • Space the logs about 3" apart and brush them with egg wash.
  • Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Leave the logs on the baking sheet and place it on a rack for at least 10 minutes to cool before handling them.
  • Once cooled, transfer the logs to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut them diagonally into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices.
  • Arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet (cut side down). You don't need much space between them as they won't spread during baking.
  • Bake until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes total, turning once about midway through baking.

Recipe Notes

How to Store Biscotti

Because these biscotti aren’t made with butter, they have a relatively long shelf life for homemade cookies. Here’s how to store them:
Cool biscotti completely and store them at room temperature in airtight containers. They should stay fresh for about two weeks. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Amount per Serving
Calories
195
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Cholesterol
 
62
mg
21
%
Sodium
 
185
mg
8
%
Potassium
 
142
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
 
30
g
10
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
20
g
22
%
Protein
 
5
g
10
%
Trans Fat
 
0.01
g
Vitamin A
 
133
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
32
mg
3
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.

Author: Lynne Webb | 

Course: Baking & Desserts
 | 
Cuisine: Italian

Orange Rosemary Biscotti PREVIOUS
Orange rosemary biscotti on a red napkin next to a cup of black coffee.
Cranberry Moscow Mule NEXT

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this Recipe:




Comments

  1. tobi says

    December 7, 2022 at 4:09 pm

    The logs were quite dry. I noticed that most biscotti recipes have butter as an ingredient. Is this an error?

    So instead, I will bake them for a shorter time and then cool, cut and rebake the slices.

    Reply
    • Lynne Webb says

      December 8, 2022 at 4:12 pm

      Hi Tobi,
      Traditional Italian biscotti recipes do not include butter. The cookies are supposed to be quite dry and crisp as they’re generally served with coffee or dessert wine for dunking. Versions made with butter are more Americanized. They do have a more tender texture, but also have a shorter shelf life and may crumble when dunked. We have two biscotti recipes made with butter here on the site: Chocolate-Dipped Orange Biscotti and Orange Rosemary Biscotti. We haven’t tested this one using butter, but it would probably not be hard to adapt.

      Reply
  2. lovetobake says

    November 9, 2022 at 10:02 pm

    Hi,

    I made this recipe this evening exactly as written.

    Absolutely delicious and beautiful. I’ll be mailing a batch tomorrow to my friend for her birthday. Of course, I’ll be making another batch tomorrow because I ate 4 pieces of my stash to mailing tomorrow! Lol. Great
    with a big cup of coffee tonight. Who needs “dinner”with a divine treat like this treat anyway? This was my “dinner!” Easy and fun to make and my kitchen smells wonderful. I might just need another biscotti for a MN snack, right? Thank you for this lovely, delicious, easy fun to make recipe. This biscotti tastes Iike I slaved in the kitchen!

    Reply
  3. Andrina G says

    December 12, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    I have never made biscotti but I love to eat it!

    Reply
  4. HoneyB says

    December 29, 2008 at 5:32 pm

    I so love biscotti! I haven’t made much this holiday season though…but I think before my break is over I must try the cranberry pistachio!

    Reply
  5. gaga says

    December 13, 2008 at 6:30 pm

    How pretty. The colors are great for the holidays and I love cranberries and pistachios, though I’ve never tried them together. It looks tasty!

    Reply

Hi there! We’re Lynne & Erika, seasoned home cooks and recipe creators here at My Gourmet Connection. Our aim is to bring variety and new flavors to your everyday meals and we’ve got hundreds of recipes for you to explore. Welcome!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

to start making
tastier meals?

Sign up to receive our free ebook and learn five easy ways to level up the flavor of your everyday meals.

Everyday meals, unique flavors

Serving platter with garlic crusted boneless pork roast, partially carved and garnished with fresh herbs.

Garlic Herb Crusted Boneless Pork Roast

A bowl of Instant Pot Italian chicken soup sprinkled with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup

Sliced apple cider brined turkey breast on a serving platter.

Apple Cider Brined Turkey Breast

Pork Chops with Pears and Blue Cheese

Boneless Pork Chops with Pears

Quick & Easy Recipes

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp Flatbread

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp Flatbread

Caprese Pasta

Our Best Crab Cake Recipe

Braised Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cabbage

Braised Pork Tenderloin with Cabbage and Apples

More Easy Recipes

Stay Inspired!

Sign up to get our recipes via email.

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility

© 2023 MyGourmetConnection

Site Credits