Vegan Pistachio Lemon Biscotti
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Crisp twice-baked vegan biscotti dotted with roasted pistachios and zingy lemon zest. Uses oat coffee milk alternative swapped for almond milk to tweak flavor and texture. Slightly less sugar, a touch more flour to balance wet ingredients plus a pinch of baking soda for lift. The dough doesn’t get sticky but keeps crumbly enough for clean slicing after first bake. Biscotti baked twice until golden, crunchy edges with warm citrus aroma. Adapted from a classic vegan biscotti, perfect for dunking in tea or black coffee. No eggs, dairy, or gluten additives here. Simple pantry staples, no fuss or frills.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
48 min
Total:
Servings:
18 servings
#vegan
#dessert
#biscotti
#plant based
#nutty
#lemon
#twice baked
Sharp lemon zest hits first, mingled with warm nutty pistachios. Biscotti, twice-baked. Crunch matters here—dry yet buttery soft inside. Swapped oat coffee milk for almond milk vanilla. Smoother finish, less overtly grainy. Cut sugar by a touch. Baking soda added; lifts crumbs nicely, without egg. Dough feels dry but binds well—resist urge to load flour or oil. Shape rough rectangle on tray; no rolling pin necessary. Bake slowly, watch for golden hints on edges, toothpick tricks. Slice 1 cm thick carefully before second bake—crispy edges tell you all. Cool fully. Listen for snap when breaking, smell that lemon punch. Ideal dunkers. Easy vegan twist; ditch eggs and dairy for good.
Ingredients
- 200 g (1 1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 90 g (7 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 70 g (1/2 cup) roasted shelled pistachios
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) almond milk vanilla flavored
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) neutral vegetable oil
- 1 lemon, finely grated zest
About the ingredients
Flour ratio tweaked slightly to combat dough dryness or excess moisture issues—trust feel over exact grams. Sugar cut back a little to avoid overwhelming sting. Vanilla almond milk shakes off oat milk’s more pungent taste, smoother profile with same creamy texture. Pistachios toasted before added—nuts need crunch but no burnt bitterness, swirl in as is for rustic bites. Baking soda gives subtle lift and crumb lightness usually from eggs. Oil neutral; avoid olive or coconut for aggressive flavors. Lemon zest fresh-grated, essential for bright aroma and clean citrus notes. If no almond milk, use other plant milk but expect minor texture shifts. Flour hand dusting mandatory to ease shaping and slicing—skip and risk dough clinging big time.
Method
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Position rack mid-oven. Line baking tray with parchment or silicone mat.
- In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pistachios. Mix well to evenly distribute.
- Add almond milk, oil, and lemon zest. Use hands lightly dusted with flour—dough should be firm but pliable. If too wet, dust a little more flour, but resist overmixing.
- Shape dough on tray into a long rectangle about 28 x 10 cm. Don’t worry about perfect edges; rustic is fine. Press down just to even thickness.
- Bake 28–32 minutes. Look for light golden top, edges pulling slightly away from tray. Insert toothpick: should come out mostly clean. Let cool 5 minutes on tray, then transfer to counter to cool 10 minutes more.
- Using serrated bread knife, slice into 1 cm thick pieces. Don’t force or crumble will happen. Arrange slices cut side down spaced apart on tray.
- Back in oven for second bake, approx 15-18 minutes turning halfway. Watch for golden-brown edges, dry and crisp texture. Should snap clean when tested.
- Cool completely on rack before storing. Keeps several days in airtight container, good dunked, or crumbled over coconut yogurt.
Cooking tips
Preheat early; long wait kills dough moisture. Position rack center for even baking; too low burns bottom. Dry mix first—lumps in flour ruin texture. Incorporate liquids last; mix till combined but avoid overworking or gluten stiffens dough. Use floured hands; sticky dough is brittle when sliced. Form rectangle directly on baking sheet—no extra pans needed, less washing. Watch color and toothpick for doneness—30 minutes around mark but oven variances exist. Cooling first round critical—cut too warm and slices crumble, too cool and slicing dulls edges. Crisp recook flips for golden on both sides, watch closely final 5 minutes or burn fast. Full cool important, hot biscotti are soft and easily broken. Store airtight. Older biscotti improve dunking game, but don’t wait forever or lose crunch.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Flour balance tricky - small shifts fix dough dryness or excess moisture, but eyeball feel most reliable. Dough should be firm, not sticky or wet, dust hands and surface lightly with flour. Resist adding too much or bakes tough. For slicing, let first bake cool then cut with serrated knife carefully; forcing crumbs.
- 💡 Watch oven heat carefully; rack mid prevents burnt bottoms and uneven cooking. Golden edges show readiness, toothpick test for crumb doneness. Listen for quiet snap on second bake. If edges too dark before center bakes, lower heat or rotate tray early. Cooling fully important; hot biscotti crumble or bend, lose that crunch.
- 💡 Use vanilla almond milk over oat coffee milk swap for cleaner flavor, less grainy. Neutral oil needed—vegetable or canola preferable to avoid overpowering olive or coconut oil flavors. Toast pistachios lightly but watch close; burnt nuts ruin overall bite, keep rustic chunk texture by adding as is.
- 💡 Lemon zest must be freshly grated, none of that pre-packaged dried stuff. It’s aroma and brightness anchor. Add zest last with liquids; mix quickly to avoid overworking dough which toughens gluten. Dough texture feels crumbly but binds well—don’t overload flour. Dough shape: no rolling pin, form rough rectangle on tray, just even thickness.
- 💡 Second bake timing varies slightly; 15 to 18 minutes turning halfway works best. Watch color—edges go golden-brown, texture dry and crisp. Overbake and biscotti toughen too much. Let cool fully on rack before storage. Biscotti age well when stored airtight, dunking improves as they dry further. Old biscotti break crisply, great for crumbling.
Common questions
Can I substitute almond milk?
Yes, use soy, oat, or rice milk. Texture shifts slightly but still works. Vanilla flavor smooths other plant milks. Watch dough moisture; adjust flour if too sticky. Nut flavor reduced with neutral milks like oat.
Dough too sticky how to fix?
Add flour very gradually, dust hands and surfaces to ease shaping. Avoid mixing too much after liquid incorporation to prevent toughness. Refrigerate briefly if too soft before shaping. Sticky dough crumbles on slicing; dry feel better.
Baking soda purpose?
Provides subtle lift and crumb lightness missing with no eggs. Doesn’t change flavor much but cuts density. Baking powder alone lacks that crumb openness. Skip soda and biscotti denser but still edible. Balance both for best results.
How to store biscotti for freshness?
Airtight container room temp standard. Can freeze but texture shifts, thaw fully before crisping in low oven. Keep away from humidity or they'll soften fast. Older biscotti better dunkers but if stale, toast for revival. Avoid fridge storage; moist air ruins crunch.
