Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

These Chocolate Cherry Biscotti are the kind of holiday cookie I come back to year after year. They’re crisp without being rock-hard, buttery without feeling heavy, and packed with little bursts of sweet candied cherry and semisweet chocolate. Almond extract ties everything together with that unmistakable bakery-style aroma, while a drizzle of white chocolate gives each biscotti a pretty, festive finish.

I especially like this recipe during the holidays because the cookies are sturdy, make-ahead friendly, and excellent for gifting or mailing. The second bake removes extra moisture, giving biscotti their signature crunch and helping them stay fresh much longer than softer cookies. They’re wonderful alongside hot coffee, tea, cocoa, or even a cold glass of milk.

This is also a forgiving recipe for a busy holiday baking day. You can bake the loaves ahead, slice them once cool enough to handle, and finish the second bake when you’re ready. The cheerful red cherries and chocolate make them look special without complicated decorating.

Love this recipe? Pin it to your Holiday Cookies board on Pinterest so you don’t lose it!

Ingredients

Biscotti Dough

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp almond extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup candied cherries, chopped

½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

White Chocolate Drizzle

½ cup white chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the eggs and almond extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the almond extract.
4. Make the dough. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until a thick dough forms. Fold in the chopped candied cherries and mini chocolate chips.
5. Shape the loaves. Lightly flour your hands and divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a loaf about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Arrange the loaves about 5 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake the first time. Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the loaves are set and lightly golden around the edges.
7. Cool and slice. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a cutting board and use a sharp serrated knife to cut them diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices.
8. Bake until crisp. Place the slices cut-side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Flip each biscotti and bake for another 5 minutes, until dry, crisp, and lightly browned.
9. Cool completely. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack. They will become noticeably crisper as they cool.
10. Finish with white chocolate. Melt the chopped white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval. Drizzle it over the cooled biscotti and allow the chocolate to set before storing.

Cooking Notes

Do not overmix the dough. Once the flour goes in, mix only until incorporated. Excessive mixing can make the finished biscotti unnecessarily tough.

Use a serrated knife. A gentle sawing motion produces cleaner slices and reduces cracking after the first bake.

Watch the second bake carefully. Biscotti should feel dry and lightly toasted rather than deeply browned. They continue to firm as they cool.

For slightly softer biscotti, shorten the second bake by a few minutes. For extra-crisp biscotti intended for dunking or mailing, use the full baking time.

Cherry substitution: Dried tart cherries can replace candied cherries, although the cookies will be less sweet and have a chewier fruit texture.

Chocolate substitution: Dark, milk, or semisweet chocolate can replace the white chocolate drizzle.

Storage: Once completely cool and the chocolate has set, keep the biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature. Their low moisture content makes them particularly suitable for holiday cookie boxes and shipping.

Nutrition

The recipe yields approximately 36 biscotti, or 3 dozen. A practical dessert serving is 1 biscotti, approximately 1/36 of the finished batch. Baking removes moisture from the dough but does not meaningfully remove the calories contributed by the butter, flour, sugar, eggs, cherries, and chocolate.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 114 kcal
• Fat: 5.0 g
• Carb: 17.0 g
• Protein: 2.0 g

Estimated additional values are approximately 3 g saturated fat, 55 mg sodium, and 8 g total sugars per biscotti. Exact values will vary with the brands of candied cherries and chocolate used.

Recipe Science

Biscotti get their characteristic texture from a two-stage baking process. The butter, eggs, and sugar create a rich cookie dough, while the relatively high proportion of flour provides enough structure for the dough to be formed into loaves. Baking powder supplies modest lift, preventing the biscotti from becoming excessively dense. Almond extract complements both cherry and chocolate and provides much of the recipe’s characteristic aroma.

During the first bake, the proteins in the eggs and flour set the structure of the loaves while starches absorb moisture. After slicing, the second bake exposes considerably more surface area to the oven. Additional moisture evaporates from the cut surfaces, producing the dry, crisp texture that distinguishes biscotti from conventional cookies. Cooling is also important because the slices continue to firm as their temperature drops.

The low final moisture content makes biscotti well suited to advance preparation, storage, and shipping. They can be kept airtight at room temperature, and the chocolate drizzle should be fully set before they are stacked or packaged. Dried cherries can substitute for candied cherries when a less-sweet, chewier result is preferred.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: Based on the stated nutrition, one biscotti supplies about 15% of the FDA Daily Value for saturated fat and about 2% of the Daily Value for sodium. Neither reaches the 20% threshold considered high. Added sugar varies by ingredient brand; much of the approximately 8 g total sugar is likely added sugar from granulated sugar, candied cherries, and chocolate. For a lower-sugar version, unsweetened dried cherries and higher-cacao chocolate can reduce added sweetness.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made for the Holidays: Red cherries, two kinds of chocolate, and almond flavor give these biscotti an instantly festive character.
• Excellent for Gifting: Their firm, low-moisture texture travels considerably better than delicate soft cookies.
• Coffee’s Best Friend: The crisp texture softens beautifully when dipped into coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
• Easy Make-Ahead Dessert: Biscotti keep well, making them useful when you want to finish holiday baking before guests arrive.
• Simple but Impressive: The white chocolate drizzle creates a polished finish without requiring advanced decorating skills.

FAQ

• Why did my biscotti crumble when I sliced them? Let the loaves rest for about 10 minutes after the first bake, then slice with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion. Cutting while extremely hot or waiting until the loaves are completely cold can both make clean slicing more difficult.
• Can I use dried cherries instead of candied cherries? Yes. Dried cherries create a tarter, chewier result and generally reduce the sweetness.
• How do I make biscotti less hard? Reduce the second baking time slightly. Remember that biscotti continue to crisp as they cool, so they do not need to feel completely hard when they leave the oven.
• Can I make these ahead? Absolutely. Their twice-baked texture is specifically suited to longer storage. Cool them completely before sealing them in an airtight container.
• Can Chocolate Cherry Biscotti be frozen? Yes. For the neatest appearance, freeze the baked biscotti before adding the white chocolate drizzle, then thaw and decorate before serving.

Conclusion

These Chocolate Cherry Biscotti are a wonderful reminder that holiday baking doesn’t have to be complicated to feel special. Recipes are meant to travel from kitchen to kitchen, so feel free to adjust the cherries, chocolate, or level of crispness until they’re exactly right for your family.

What’s your favorite drink for dunking biscotti: coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Happy baking, friends!