Vegan gingerbread biscotti – these easy vegan biscotti are spicy, crisp, simple to make and perfect for dunking.
They keep very well, so they make lovely handmade gifts. Egg-free and dairy-free.
Biscotti, or cantuccini, are twice-baked Italian cookies that are delightfully crunchy and traditionally enjoyed with a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet wine for dunking. On their own they’re quite firm, but dunking softens them and releases the ginger-spice flavours.
I especially like to bake these at Christmas. They store beautifully in an airtight container, making them ideal gifts if you can bear to part with them.
Although traditional biscotti recipes use eggs, they are straightforward to convert to a vegan version. Replacing the egg with a combination of oil and non-dairy milk gives the dough the right texture and flavour while keeping the biscotti crisp after baking.
These gingerbread biscotti are warmly spiced and studded with chopped crystallised ginger to intensify the ginger flavour.
What You Need To Make Vegan Gingerbread Biscotti
Flour: Plain (all-purpose) flour works best. I haven’t tested this recipe gluten-free.
Oil: Any neutral oil will do; olive oil works well. You can also use melted vegan block butter or coconut oil.
Milk: Any unsweetened non-dairy milk will work, though soy milk is preferable because its higher protein content better mimics egg.
Sugar: Light brown soft sugar gives extra depth, but caster, granulated or coconut sugar are acceptable alternatives.
Treacle: Molasses can be used instead.
Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice are used here; adjust to taste. Pumpkin spice could be a good substitute.
Baking powder: Required for lift — do not substitute baking soda.
Crystallised ginger: Use the dry, sugar-coated candied ginger (not stem ginger in syrup).
Citrus zest: Finely grated lemon zest is used here; orange zest would also be lovely or can be omitted.
Vanilla extract: Optional, but recommended for extra flavour.
How To Make Vegan Gingerbread Biscotti
(Full measurements and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below)
Begin by whisking treacle, sugar, oil, non-dairy milk, vanilla and lemon zest together in a large bowl until well combined.
Whisk in the ground spices, baking powder and salt, then fold in the flour to form a stiff dough. The dough should be firm, not sticky; add a little more flour if too wet, or a teaspoon more milk if too dry.
Mix in the chopped crystallised ginger until evenly distributed – using your hands can be the easiest way to do this.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape each into a log roughly 6 cm wide and about 18 cm long. Place the logs well spaced on a lined baking sheet and gently flatten and square off the edges for neat biscotti.
Bake the logs for 40–45 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature as directed in the recipe card.
When the logs are still slightly warm, slice them on the diagonal into pieces about 1½ cm thick using a very sharp serrated knife.
Place the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Flip each slice over and bake for a further 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp up.
Once completely cool, store the biscotti in an airtight container. They will keep for several months when stored in a cool, dark place.
Top Tips
For consistent results use metric weights and a digital scale rather than cups. Cup measures are imprecise for baking.
The dough should be stiff and hold together without being sticky. Adjust with a spoonful of flour if too soft, or a teaspoon of milk if too dry.
Allow the baked logs to cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Cutting while too hot or too cold will make the slices crumble.
Reduce the second bake time for slightly softer biscotti, or increase it if you prefer extra crunch.
Use crystallised ginger, not stem ginger in syrup, to avoid excess moisture. You can substitute some of the crystallised ginger with chopped nuts or dried fruit like cranberries.
How To Slice Biscotti
Slicing biscotti cleanly takes practice. Let the logs rest for about 20 minutes so they’re still warm but not hot. Use a very sharp narrow serrated knife and saw gently without pressing down. If the crust is too hard to cut, lightly spray the crust with water, wait a minute, then slice — this can soften the crust enough to make cleaner cuts.
More Vegan Christmas Cookies
- Vegan chocolate pistachio biscotti
- Vegan biscotti with almonds and cranberries
- Vegan chocolate orange shortbread
- Vegan cranberry orange shortbread
- Vegan pecan snowball cookies
- Vegan nussecken
- Vegan linzer cookies
- Vegan shortbread fingers
- Vegan gingerbread cookies
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Vegan Gingerbread Biscotti
Ingredients
- 50 g (2 tbsp) treacle
- 150 g (packed ¾ cup) light brown soft sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil (I use olive)
- 50 ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 300 g (2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 180 g (6½ oz) crystallised ginger, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk together the treacle, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla and citrus zest in a large bowl until combined.
- Whisk in the spices, baking powder and salt, then add the flour and stir to form a stiff dough. If sticky, add a spoonful of flour; if too dry, add a teaspoon of milk.
- Stir in the chopped crystallised ginger, using your hands if needed to distribute evenly.
- Divide into two even pieces and shape each into a log about 6 cm wide and 18 cm long. Place on the lined sheet and flatten gently.
- Bake the logs for 40–45 minutes until firm to the touch. Remove and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 160°C/140°C fan/325°F/gas mark 3.
- Slice the logs diagonally into 1½ cm thick slices with a sharp serrated knife, sawing gently.
- Place slices cut-side down on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake a further 10 minutes. For extra crunch, add 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then store in an airtight container.
Notes
- See the post above for tips and step-by-step photos.
- Using gram measurements with a digital scale will give the most reliable results for baking.
