Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti
Crunchy, festive and spicy, Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti make the PERFECT cookie for dunking in coffee or milk during the holidays. These twice-baked cookies are a deliciously spiced, flavorful twist on the classic Italian cookie. Bake up a batch of Gingerbread Chocolate Biscotti to spread cheer throughout the holiday season.
I was always that kid who turned her nose up at anything gingerbread come the holiday season.
Gingerbread houses? Too cardboard-y.
Gingerbread men? Too crunchy.
Gingerbread cookies? Too SPICY.
I swear, I’m not Goldilocks. I’m just really particular when it comes to ginger in baked goods.
In my opinion, a little ginger goes a long way, and when it’s too much, it’s overwhelming.
Consequently, you’re probably wondering why the HECK I made Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti to share with y’all today, right?
A few years back, I made Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. That recipe, well-loved by my husband and me, proved that I could enjoy gingerbread if it was done right.
So THAT’s the answer to why I made this for y’all. Because I discovered gingerbread can be good. And because I wanted to offer a twist on traditional biscotti with some traditional holiday flavors.
Why I love this recipe:
I love biscotti, I adore chocolate, and I wanted to put all of them together into one cookie recipe. Think of this crisp cookie as the best kind of mashup, combining a gooey chocolate cookie and a gingerbread biscotti recipe.
Gingerbread Chocolate Biscotti are the perfect crunchy cookie. They’re spicy and gingery with rich chocolate flavor.
They’ve got a delightful crunch and are a delicious treat for all the chocolate lovers out there.
Unsurprisingly, they pair well with both milk and your morning coffee. (Pro tip: Dunk them!)
This gingery chocolate cookie recipe is relatively easy to make, if you’ve got the tools and ingredients, and they’re a fun one to add to a cookie gift box or to bring to a cookie swap throughout the Christmas season.
They would also be a lovely to snack upon at a Gingerbread House Decorating Party or a great gift, too.
More cookie recipes to try: Gingersnap Cookies | Lemon Drop Cookies | Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookies with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze | Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry-Orange Glaze
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Sheet pan or rimmed cookie sheet
- Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper
- Kitchen scale
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer (a hand mixer or stand mixer are both good)
- Sifter or fine mesh strainer
- Rubber spatula
- Pastry scraper or sharp serrated knife
- Wire rack for cooling
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need:
- Unsalted butter — you’ll need a stick at room temperature. Set this out 30-45 minutes before you plan to mix the cookie dough so that it can be the proper temperature.
- Fresh ginger — it needs to be peeled and grated for the freshest and best ginger flavor. Ground ginger simply will not do in this recipe.
- Dark brown sugar — this adds a lovely flavor to the cookies, and I do not recommend substituting it with a light brown sugar or a white sugar.
- Unsulphured molasses — for the depth of gingerbread flavor and a little sweetness
- Eggs — I use large eggs from the grocery store.
- Dutch process cocoa powder — we need this for its mellow chocolate flavor and its color. It has different chemical properties than natural cocoa powder, so please do not swap that out with this.
- All-purpose flour — also know as AP flour or regular flour, this is our base for the cookies. I have not tried this biscotti recipe with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Baking powder — this is our leavener. Be sure yours is fresh.
- Kosher salt — or another medium grain salt, like sea salt. Table salt is saltier than kosher salt, so you will need to use less if that’s what you have on hand.
- Turbinado sugar — for sprinkling. You could also use a sparkling sugar if you don’t have turbinado.
- Chocolate chips — I used bittersweet, but you could use milk chocolate chips, semisweet or dark chocolate in this batter. You could also swap these with white chocolate chips, if desired.
How to make Gingerbread Chocolate Biscotti:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside for later.
Cream the wet ingredients together in a large glass bowl. This includes the softened butter, grated ginger, brown sugar and molasses together. You may use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I like to mix at a medium speed for about 2-3 minutes here.
Break the eggs into a small bowl. Pour them into the wet ingredients, and beat until smooth.
Sift together the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt) in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix at a low speed until the dough is smooth. It will be slightly sticky, but not overly so.
If you’re adding the chocolate chips, gently fold those in now using a rubber spatula.
Transfer the biscotti dough to the prepared baking sheet. You may either divide it in half to make two shorter logs or make one longer and wider log shape, patting it down until the dough is in a rough rectangular shape that is about 4”-5” across (and about 16”-20” long) and 1″ tall.
If your dough is sticking to your hands, you may spritz your hands with some nonstick baking spray or a little oil.
Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, and transfer to the oven for the first bake.
Bake the dough for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven, and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
When the biscotti has cooled enough to touch without burning yourself, use a pastry scraper or a sharp knife to cut the biscotti into ½” to ¾” slices.
Place the biscotti slices on their sides (to where the cut side is facing the sheet pan), and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet to bake for a second time.
Return the cookies to the oven, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes minutes, or until the biscotti have firmed up.
The exterior of the cookies should be pretty crispy, but they should break apart easily. Transfer them to a cooling rack with care. The cookies will firm up as they cool, too, but they should not become too hard.
Enjoy when cool with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee or hot chocolate or another holiday beverage of your choosing.
How to store:
Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Keep them separate from other cookies, as the ginger and chocolate will seep into other cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use room temperature ingredients and follow the recipe exactly!
I do not chill my biscotti dough for this recipe, but you certainly can, especially if yours feels extremely sticky.
I like my biscotti to have a crunch but not threaten my teeth! Keep an eye on your as the are in their second bake.
Quick tips and tricks to the best homemade biscotti:
- Use the correct ingredients to get the desired results. I have not tested this recipe with swaps and am concerned that the cookies might not have that hallmark crunchy texture if you swap things out.
- Add in those chocolate chips for more chocolate flavor!
- Store these in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep them separate from other cookies because the combination of ginger and chocolate is quite strong and will seep into other cookies.
More cookie recipes we love this time of year:
Who’s ready for some BISCOTTI?!? (If you’re not into gingerbread, check out my Cranberry Orange Ginger Biscotti.)
Finally, here’s how I made these beauts and how you can do the same:
Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips optional
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Equipment
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and set aside.
- Cream the butter, freshly grated ginger, brown sugar and molasses together until smooth using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer) in a large mixing bowl.
- Break the eggs, and add them to the wet ingredients. Beat until smooth.
- Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
- Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing at a low speed until the dough is smooth. It will be slightly sticky, but not overly so.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the chocolate chips, if desired.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. You may either divide it in half to make two shorter logs or make one longer and wider log, patting it down until the dough is in a rough rectangular shape that is about 4”-5” across (and about 16”-20” long) and 1″ tall.
- Sprinkle the top with the turbinado sugar, and transfer to the oven.
- Bake the dough for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- When the biscotti has cooled enough to touch it without burning yourself, use a pastry scraper or a sharp serrated knife to cut the biscotti into ½” to ¾” slices slices.
- Place the biscotti on their sides (with the cut side facing down), and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet for the second bake.
- Return the cookies to the oven, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes minutes, or until the biscotti have crisped up.
- The exterior of the cookies should be pretty crispy, but they should break apart easily, so transfer them to a cooling rack with care. The cookies will firm up as they cool, too, but they should not become too hard.
- Enjoy when cool with a glass of milk or your favorite holiday beverage.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I bet these smell as amazing as they look!
Goldilocks! Haha! I totally know what you mean about the other options 🙂 These biscotti! How fabulous. I’m putting them on my “to-make” list!
I’m in love with this giveaway… two of my favorite kitchen brands. But this biscotti is definitely catching my attention… looks amazing!!
I love the sound of chocolate and gingerbread together!
Great idea for a holiday biscotti! They look delicious.
I’m the same way with ginger. But these sounds great!
This biscotti looks SO good! I can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
These make such a great gift.
1/2 cup of salt? Is this correct?
Ah, shoot. Thank you for leaving a comment, Terry! It’s supposed to be 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. I just fixed it in the recipe. I appreciate you asking for specification because these cookies would be quite gross with 1/2 cup of salt…