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Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Biscotti are crunchy twice-baked cookies sweetly flavored and enjoyed plain or with chocolate. This delightful cookie happens to be at the top of my Christmas baking list every year–but I don’t only bake it for the holidays, though! You’ll love its wonderful texture and festive flavors!
If you’re like me and can’t get enough Christmas cookies, try these crowd-favorite recipes for buttery whipped shortbread cookies and no bake gingerbread rum balls.
Quick Look: Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 25 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (including 45 minutes of cooling time)
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 12 biscotti
- 🌽 Cuisine & Heritage: Italian with a Southern American spin!
- 🍽️ Calories: 266 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🥦 Dietary Info: Dairy Free
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Oven Baked
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: This cranberry pistachio biscotti has lots of crunch, with a hint of sweetness and tang that is utterly irresistible.
- 🔑 Top Tip: Place a wooden ruler on your baking sheet as you shape the biscotti to help you get the perfect shape.
- 🍷 Drink Pairings: Enjoy these Christmas biscotti alongside a steaming cup of espresso, a spiced mulled wine, or a glass of Vin Santo for the perfect Italian-style holiday indulgence.
- ❄️ Storage: Biscotti freezes beautifully, and it’s the best way to keep it fresh in my opinion! Simply flash freeze them on a tray for 1 hour, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cornmeal in the Dough: I fold Carolina yellow cornmeal into the mix, giving these biscotti extra heft and sturdiness with a cheap, easy Southern twist.
- Flavor-Forward Mix-Ins: Dried cranberries, chopped pistachios, and orange zest brighten every bite of this festive Christmas treat.
- Easy to Slice: These biscotti slice cleanly after the first bake, thanks to the dough’s sturdy texture and the perfect knife technique I’ll show you.
- Gift-Worthy Holiday Treat: They’re ideal for cookie tins, dipping in chocolate, or decorating for gifting in Christmas cookie tins.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Your biscotti look so beautiful! What a lovely Christmas recipe…the cranberry and pistachio is a classic combo.”
Ingredients
Curious what key ingredients you need for this Christmas biscotti? Grab these key ingredients, along with a few others, and you’ll be ready to start baking!
- Yellow Cornmeal: This recipe is entirely ‘southernized’ by adding Carolina yellow cornmeal. It gives a dense, sturdy texture biscotti are known for, and it’s cheaper than using ground almonds. It’s a true ‘heavy lifter’ in this recipe and not so far off from many Italian biscotti methods that use farina di mais.
- Shelled Pistachios: Either salted or unsalted pistachios work beautifully in this recipe! Just be sure the shells are already removed to speed up the process. (If you love this nut, be sure to try my pistachio-cardamom bundt cake with rosewater glaze!)
- Dried Cranberries: Either sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries work well. I love the rich jewel color and tang that they bring to this biscotti! (If you have leftover fresh cranberries on hand from Christmas or Thanksgiving, you’ll also want to try my skillet cranberry upside down cake.)
- Optional Decorations: I love using a combination of melted dark chocolate, melted white chocolate, or melted milk chocolate to dip the biscotti into, then coat it in finely chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, orange zest, or holiday nonpareils. Do you whatever you like best!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Biscotti
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Prep & Preheat
In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, ginger, baking powder, and salt). Set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and a teaspoon of orange zest until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually add in the flour mixture. This is where you will be grateful for the stand mixer, as the dough will be very stiff. Add in the pistachios and cranberries.
2
Shape & Bake
Flour both hands. Working directly on the prepared baking sheet, scrape the dough from the mixer bowl and onto the parchment. Shape into a 12×4-inch log that is approximately three-quarters of an inch thick.
Flatten the top slightly. Bake until lightly golden and the top begins to haze and crack, about 35 to 38 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven leaving the oven on and allow the log to cool directly on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
3
Slice & Bake Again
Remove the log carefully to a sturdy cutting board. Use a long-serrated knife to slice the log into half-inch slices. Place the slices cut side down onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet and bake again for 8 minutes. Flip and bake for another 8 minutes, or until they’re golden.
4
Cool & Dip in Chocolate
Cool the biscotti directly on the baking sheet, about 45 minutes. Then remove each cookie carefully to a wire rack to harden for about an hour prior to dipping in chocolate.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate gently in a double boiler.
5
Cranberry Pistachio Sprinkle
Finely chop pistachios and dried cranberries and add to a bowl. Use your fingers to toss the two together. Dip one end of a biscotti into melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip. Immediately use one hand to gently sprinkle a bit of the pistachio-cranberry mixture over the melted chocolate.
Place the cookie back on the wire rack atop a parchment-lined cookie sheet to catch the drips. Follow the pistachio-cranberry mixture with a bit of additional freshly zested orange. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
6
White Chocolate Drizzle
After dipping the biscotti into the milk or dark chocolate, melt white chocolate and use a teaspoon to drizzle back and forth. (You can also omit the milk or dark chocolate altogether and use strictly white.)
Place the cookie back on the wire rack atop a parchment-lined cookie sheet to catch the drips. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing. Garnish your chocolate drizzled biscotti with finely chopped pistachios while chocolate is still soft if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Here’s how to avoid common biscotti baking mistakes! Measure the ingredients accurately, preferably with a kitchen scale. Avoid overhandling the dough, or it will become tough. Be sure to bake it twice: once in a log shape, and once after slicing. Flip the biscotti slices over halfway through, and let them cool on the baking tray so they harden properly.
The secret to a good biscotti has to do with the double bake! These hard cookies attain their texture during the first bake. The second bake solidifies their crunchy bite. Allowing them to cool slowly directly on the baking sheets ensures they’re thoroughly hardened.
The knife you select for this task is very important. Use a long, serrated knife with a back-and-forth motion while applying very little pressure on the knife. Yes, it will take a hot minute to slice each biscotti, but the finished cookies are gorgeous and look like they’ve been factory-sliced.
This cranberry pistachio biscotti stays fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of weeks, but you can absolutely freeze it as well!
Lay the biscotti on a baking sheet and pop the whole thing into the freezer for about an hour. Make sure no biscotti are touching one another. Once frozen, transfer to air-tight containers. Frozen biscotti will last up to three months.
To thaw, pull from the freezer and defrost at room temperature for several hours.
Serving Suggestions
Break out your French press (or your chocolate pot!) and prepare a lovely but strong cuppa. You’ll want something steamy for dunking this particularly crunchy cookie right into!
Enjoy with other Christmas treats, such as fudgy pecan bourbon balls, Southern pecan tassies, or Christmas fruit bread.
Expert Tips
- For the absolute tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients–especially for the chocolate.
- When shaping the biscotti log, I place a wooden ruler directly on my baking sheet so that my size is accurate, not just approximate. This matters because it ensure you’ll get the correct number and width of biscotti. If they’re thinner than ½-inch, they will be prone to breaking.
- Before slicing, turn the log slightly to an angle. Your biscotti will be slightly longer in length while giving you the same number of cookies.
- To cut biscotti without it breaking, use a long, serrated knife. Use a back-and-forth motion while applying very little pressure on the knife. Yes, it will take a hot minute to slice each biscotti, but the finished cookies are gorgeous and look like they’ve been factory sliced.
- Wait until biscotti are completely cool before dipping into chocolate.
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Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Equipment
- long, serrated knife
- double boiler for melting chocolate
Ingredients
For the Biscotti
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, freshly grated; more to taste
- ½ cup pistachios, shelled
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Optional Garnishes and Decorations
- milk chocolate, melted
- dark chocolate, melted
- white chocolate, melted
- pistachios, finely chopped
- dried cranberries, finely chopped
- orange zest
- colorful holiday nonpareils
Instructions
Making the Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, ginger, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and about a teaspoon (or slightly more to taste by about 1 teaspoon, if desired) fresh zest of an orange until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually add in the flour mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Add in the pistachios and cranberries.
- Flour both hands. Working directly on the prepared baking sheet, scrape the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into a 12×4-inch-long log that is approximately ¾-inches thick. Flatten the top slightly.
- Bake until lightly golden and the top begins to haze and crack, about 35 to 38 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven leaving the oven on and allow the log to cool directly on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- Remove the log carefully to a sturdy cutting board. Use a long-serrated knife to slice the log into ½-inch-wide slices. Place the slices cut-side-down onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet and bake again for 8 minutes before flipping and baking for another 8 minutes. the biscotti will be golden in color.
- Cool the biscotti directly on the baking sheet, about 45 minutes. Then remove each cookie carefully to a wire rack to harden for about an hour prior to dipping in chocolate.
Decorating with Pistachio Cranberry 'Sprinkles'
- Finely chop pistachios and dried cranberries and add to a bowl. Use your fingers to toss the two together. Dip one end of a biscotti into melted chocolate allowing any excess to drip. Immediately use one hand to gently sprinkle a bit of the pistachio-cranberry mixture over the melted chocolate.
- Place the cookie back on the wire rack atop a parchment-lined cookie sheet to catch the drips. Follow the pistachio-cranberry mixture with a bit of additional freshly zested orange. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
Drizzling with White Chocolate
- After dipping the biscotti into the milk or dark chocolate, melt white chocolate and use a teaspoon to drizzle back and forth. You can also omit the milk or dark chocolate altogether and use strictly white. Place the cookie back on the wire rack atop a parchment-lined cookie sheet to catch the drips. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing. Garnish biscotti with finely chopped pistachios while chocolate is still soft if desired.
Notes
- For the absolute tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients–especially for the chocolate.
- When shaping the biscotti log, I place a wooden ruler directly on my baking sheet so that my size is accurate, not just approximate. This matters because it ensure you’ll get the correct number and width of biscotti. If they’re thinner than ½-inch, they will be prone to breaking.
- Before slicing, turn the log slightly to an angle. Your biscotti will be slightly longer in length while giving you the same number of cookies.
- To cut biscotti without it breaking, use a long, serrated knife. Use a back-and-forth motion while applying very little pressure on the knife. Yes, it will take a hot minute to slice each biscotti, but the finished cookies are gorgeous and look like they’ve been factory sliced.
- Wait until biscotti are completely cool before dipping into chocolate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Your awesome post is featured on Full Plate Thursday, 671. Thanks so much for sharing with us and hope you will come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Helen!
WOW amazing, I just baked biscotti and am busy drying them out. This is super delicious looking, and I will make some for myself next time I do biscotti. Pinned it!
Your biscotti look so beautiful! What a lovely Christmas recipe…the cranberry and pistachio is a classic combo.
Tammy, why thank you! I am currently baking batch number three, promised to my dad who is my biggest fan when it comes to my biscotti! Merry Christmas, Tammy! x – Jenny
Oh my Jenny, these look amazing. I would not want to share with anyone. I am excited to try making these next week. Thank you for linking up with us at the Home Imagined link party. Have a great week and Merry Christmas.
Do you know how happy I am that I linked up with y’all? Thank you for hosting a fabulous page and party 🙂 Jenny
These look amazing! I love biscotti and love pistachios. Totally trying. Pinned and printing out. Found you from theantiquedjourney.
Lora, I am tickled! PLEASE let me know how you enjoy them 🙂 Jenny
Oh, my yummy! I found your recipe through the home imagined link party and I’m glad I did. It looks so good. I can’t wait to try it!
Jen! I posted in the link party today just by happenstance, so I am glad now that I did! Thank you for telling me this, and I do help you’ll let me know how you enjoy them! Merry Christmas 🙂 x – Jenny
Yumm Jenny these look so good! I’ve always wanted to make my own biscotti! I invite you to come link up some of your recipes at my weekly link party every week that goes from Wednesday-Sunday!
Nicolle! So happy to get a message from you, and I really hope your holidays are off to the best start EVER! I jst added your link to my spreadsheet! Thank you for the invitation to participate 🙂 Jenny