Cantucci (Italian Almond Biscuits)

Treat yourself to the easy cantucci Toscani and their small variation cantuccini Toscani, classic Italian almond biscuits authentically made with roasted almonds.

Optionally flavored with vanilla and citrus zest, they are perfect for your morning coffee or afternoon tea and as a holiday gift.

These crispy almond biscotti are a quintessential part of Tuscan cuisine and one of the most known Italian cookies. While Italians traditionally enjoy them dunked in sweet dessert wine Vin Santo, these cantucci biscuits can also be savored with sparkling wine or other liqueurs.

Jump to:

• Cantucci vs. biscotti
• Cantucci vs cantuccini
• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• Recipe variations
• How to make cantucci
• Expert Tips
• Storing and freezing
• Recipe FAQ
• Love cookies? Try these next!
• Recipe card
• Comments

These cookies, created in the 16th century in the Tuscan city of Prato (here is the name "biscotti di Prato"), were simple in form. However, in the 19th century, bakers began to enhance them with almonds, butter, and leavening agents to prolong their shelf life.

If you travel to Italy, don't miss out on trying traditional cantucci Toscani from a family business shop, Fratelli Lunardi.

Now, if you are curious about the best cantucci recipe of today, it is time to put on your apron and get to baking.

Cantucci vs. biscotti

Interestingly, most non-Italians think that Italian biscotti exclusively refers to a specific type of cookies.

Biscotti is a broad generic term for all kinds of Italian cookies and biscuits, with cantucci being just one variant of biscotti. So it makes sense when cantucci biscuits are called biscotti cantuccini or biscotti a cantucci.

The word biscotti is derived from the Latin bis (twice) and cottum (cooked) and means twice-baked. Therefore, when referred to in the singular, biscotto is the correct term.

Cantucci vs cantuccini

The singular cantuccio comes from the Latin word cantellus, meaning a "piece or slice." Cantuccini is the plural of cantuccio and means little cantucci. In short, cantucci are regular-sized biscotti, and cantuccini are their miniature version.

Why you should try this recipe

• It is an authentic cantucci recipe made with just five ingredients with flavorings as an option.

• Tuscan biscotti, or Prato biscuits, make the best breakfast biscuits and cookies for coffee or tea.

• This easy cantucci recipe (cantucci ricetta) is fully customizable with flavors and cookie size, making a smaller version of cantucci called cantuccini.

• Due to their long shelf life, homemade biscotti are perfect for including in a holiday cookie box during the holiday season.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Flour: The authentic cantucci recipe calls for Italian 00 flour, but you can easily use all-purpose flour. Replace regular flour with wholemeal flour to give cantucci biscuits a more rustic flavor.

For gluten-free cantucci, swap all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend or mix 3.5 oz (100 g) rice flour and 2.7 oz. (75 g) chestnut flour.

• Sugar: Use white sugar, granulated, or caster sugar interchangeably.

• Eggs: You will use 2 large eggs at room temperature.

• Almonds: The recipe calls for whole roasted almonds with skin on. To toast almonds yourself, bring raw almonds to the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes.

• Baking powder is used as a leavening agent. However, in the authentic cantucci recipe, a specific ingredient, ammoniaca per dolci, meaning ammonia for sweets, provides the cookies with a distinctive crunchiness and extended shelf life.

• Flavoring is optional. This recipe is made with vanilla extract and orange and lemon zest. You can replace vanilla extract with Tuscan dessert wine Vin Santo (or Vino Santo), rum, Grand Marnier, orange flower water, or a few drops of almond extract.

Recipe variations

Due to the mysterious nature surrounding the original recipe for cantucci, numerous variations of the classic Italian cookies exist.

• Butter: Some add a small amount of butter to the recipe, but it is believed that authentic Toscani cantucci with almonds (cantucci alle mandorle) doesn't contain butter.

• Flavorings are not added to the original cantucci recipe either, but you are free to explore different flavor combinations:

1. Cantucci with hazelnuts: use different nuts instead of almonds, such as hazelnuts, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds.
2. Cantucci with dried fruit: enhance the cantucci taste by adding candied citrus, raisins, cranberry, cherry, etc., and anise seeds.
3. Chocolate cantucci, known as cantucci Benedetta Rossi, use mini chocolate chips.

How to make cantucci

Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, citrus zest, salt, and vanilla extract using a fork (photo 1).

Add sifted dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and mix with the fork, then with your hands. Add whole almonds and knead well (photo 2).

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into two equal parts. You may add little extra flour if the dough sticks to your hands.

Pro tip: Avoid adding too much flour; use damp hands instead.

Shape two dough logs by using your hands to roll them on a flat surface (photo 3). Then, gently flatten the logs until they are approximately 1.5 inches (4 cm) wide. Transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet (photo 4).

Pro tip: Space two biscotti logs apart on a baking tray, as they tend to spread during the baking.

Bake the logs in the middle rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes, and transfer to a cutting board.

Cut the hot logs into ½-inch (1-1.5 cm) thick slices with a serrated knife slightly diagonally. Place the slices cut-side up on the baking sheet with parchment in a single layer (photo 5).

Pro tip: You can use any sharp knife to cut cookies with a sawing motion.

Bake them for 4 minutes on one side, then turn the cookies over and bake for another 4 minutes. Finally, remove the cantucci from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack (photo 6).

Expert Tips

1. This recipe yields soft cantucci, but if you prefer a crunchier and crispier texture, extend the baking time of the sliced cookies during the second time of baking for up to 10-12 minutes. It is not necessary to flip the cookies over during this process.
2. Brush the dough log with the beaten egg yolk if desired.
3. To make cantuccini of bite-size, shape three or four long logs. You might need to adjust the baking time.

Storing and freezing

Store cantucci in a tightly closed tin box, cookie jar, or another sealed container, away from humidity, for a long time - up to 30 days. Avoid the use of a plastic bag, as it may cause the cookies to soften.

Can you freeze cantucci? You can freeze the raw-shaped logs wrapped in plastic film and aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Then, when ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake.

You can freeze the baked cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQ

Love cookies? Try these next!

If you like this Italian almond biscotti recipe, you may like other cookie recipes on the website:

• Italian Shortbread Cookies
• Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies
• 3-Ingredient Cornstarch Cookies
• Coconut Macaroons

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.