Celebrate fall with homemade Pumpkin Biscotti. This recipe is so easy, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making your own biscotti this whole time.
Perfect for dunking in Malted Hot Chocolate or serving alongside Salted Caramel Affogatos, these crisp “double-baked” Pumpkin Biscotti cookies are super fun and festive. At six cents each, they are a tremendous bargain to boot!
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Baking season is upon us! It seems that as soon as the weather starts to cool, the days begin to shorten, and the smoky nights of fall set in, I want to bake.
Baking is an art that I hope we’re not losing. It’s all too easy to snatch up packaged cookies, cakes, and even mixes at the store. But, it’s so incredibly easy to do yourself at home. And cheaper!
At just six cents a cookie, this recipe for Pumpkin Biscotti is a winner! The work is easy, even though the baking time is long. Make them while you have other things to do in the kitchen, or hang out nearby with a good book.
Why Make This
You can say you made biscotti yourself! Pumpkin Biscotti may look intimidating and are often packaged exotically at the holidays, but they are really easy to make and count as a fun kitchen accomplishment. Try Chocolate-Almond Biscotti next.
They’re a tasty treat to make. These uber-crisp cookies are delicious with coffee or tea and make a fun food gift.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make homemade pumpkin biscotti:
flour – I like to use unbleached, all-purpose flour in most of my baking recipes. I find that Wheat Montana is a superior, but affordable brand. I find it at Walmart.
baking soda and salt – These act as leaveners. You don’t want to leave them out.
spices: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves – Who doesn’t love pumpkin spice? You can add the spices individually or use a commercial pie spice blend.
eggs – You just need a couple. I haven’t yet tested making vegan biscotti, but I’ll let you know when I do.
pumpkin puree – Be sure to use puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use Butternut Squash Puree. It won’t technically be pumpkin biscotti, but it will still be delicious.
sugar – For best results use granulated sugar, but brown sugar could also be used as a substitute.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make pumpkin biscotti:
Prep step: Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves.
2. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, and sugar together until well blended.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold gently to combine.
4. Spoon the Pumpkin Biscotti batter into one long log down the center of the parchment. Bake for 50 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven. Leave the oven on. Wait 5-10 minutes, then transfer the baked log to a cutting surface and slice the large cookie log on the bias into ½-inch slices.
Place the slices on cookie sheets and bake for 25 minutes. You may need a second tray. Turn cookie slices over and bake another 25 minutes.
6. Cool on a rack. Store Pumpkin Biscotti in an airtight container for several weeks. For longer storage, store in the freezer.
FAQs
Biscotti is simply a cookie dough that’s baked into a log and then sliced and baked again. Biscotti = twice-baked. These cookies are actually baked three times, since you flip the slices and continue the process.
Again that’s due to the dough being baked twice. The first bake is done as a one whole log. Then they are sliced and baked again to create a crispy cookie perfect for dunking in a hot chocolate or cup of coffee!
Biscotti last for several weeks in an airtight container stored at room temperature. for longer storage, place them in the freezer.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
Here are my local grocer’s costs for Pumpkin Biscotti ingredients:
- flour: $0.35
- canned pumpkin: $0.40
- sugar: $0.22
- eggs: $0.30
- spices and leavening: $0.27
While your costs may vary depending on how or where you shop, you can expect to pay around $1.54 for a big batch of pumpkin biscotti, around six cents a cookie!
Fun fact: back in 2013 when I developed this recipe, the ingredients cost MORE than they do now. Go figure. I spent $1.75 on this recipe then. I guess somethings do improve over time.
Remember that I use the GCE system to keep my costs low and my pantry stocked.
More Great Pumpkin Recipes
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Pumpkin Biscotti
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- wire whisk
- rubber spatula
- parchment paper
- heavy duty sheet pan
- cutting board
- bread knife
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 egg
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin puree, and sugar together until well mixed.
- Add the dry to the wet and fold gently to combine.
- Spoon the batter into one long log down the center of the parchment. Bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Leave the oven on. Wait 5-10 minutes, then slice the large cookie log on the bias into ½-inch slices.
- Place the slices on cookie sheets and bake for 25 minutes. You may need a second tray. Turn cookie slices over and bake another 25 minutes. Cool on a rack.
- Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. For longer storage, store them in the freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 12, 2013. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Sarah
Just wondering Jessica have you made these and tasted Trader Joe’s version? I tried a recipe I found last year, said it was tasty and it was ok. I’m looking for one that tastes as close as possible to TJ’s. That one wasn’t. Which is why I’m curious since I’m the only one who will be eating it.
Jessica Fisher
I haven’t had Trader Joe’s. However, most of the reviewers liked these. Several doubled the spices so that the spice game was stronger. I’m due to remake these but it won’t be this weekend. Sorry I can’t be more help, Sarah!
Jennifer
I love biscotti but post whole30 it is just too sweet. How can I adapt a biscotti recipe to be sugar free or low sugar??
Jessica Fisher
Have you made these yet? They’re a lot less sweet than most other biscotti.
Dee
Mine are baking right now, and I read the comments because I was kind of second guessing the spices as well. I will double them for round two. Question – if you added a nut, would it be pecan – kind of like a spin on pumpkin pie with pecan/caramel topping, or pumpkin cheesecake. I’m also thinking of doubling the spices and adding maybe 1/4 C of chocolate chunks. Will report when finished!
Jessica Fisher
I’m laughing that folks are doubling the spices. I thought they were just the right amount. So, you’ll have to tell us once you have both batches. Pecans sound nice. I’d toast them before adding them in. I’ve found the nuts taste “soft” if not toasted first.
Dee
I think people have kind of been conditioned to expect “pumpkin spice” instead of “spices that ENHANCE actual pumpkin” – if that makes sense. It’s a different flavor when actual pumpkin is involved. You can add pumpkin PIE spice to things you wouldn’t add pumpkin to, like coffee for example. It’s the flavor of the SPICES (light cinnamon, ginger, cloves or nutmeg) that they’ve been taught to expect. It’s not you – it’s EVERYTHING that misleads the palate under the name “pumpkin spice.” In most cases, it should just be called SPICE, because it really doesn’t have anything to do with pumpkin. Those same spices are in apple pie and you don’t hear them calling everything under the sun Apple Pie Spice after the first day of fall. LOL
Jessica Fisher
Ha! I think you hit the nail smack on the head. In the old days, it was called Spice Cake, etc. If I say pumpkin spice, it really has pumpkin in it. 🙂
Miriam
I made these but doubled all the spices because I like a strong pumpkin spice flavor. They were so easy and came out perfect! Thanks!
rachel
Made these today (and a second batch with mostly pumpkin and a little bit of applesauce b/c there wasn’t quite the right amount of pumpkin puree left in the can) and have mixed feelings… some were sliced thinner and they are super crunchy and not real flavorful. The thicker slices were the opposite. They didn’t even bake enough to dry out completely on the second bake — crunchy on the edges and still chewy in the middle.
My problem is that I actually prefer a more crumbly biscotti over the crunchy kind. Any tips on getting the crumble version? (I came across a few recipes using cake mix, but that goes against my “made from scratch/homemade” goal). 🙂
Jessica Fisher
All my biscotti fall on the crunchy side. I’ll have to ask around. Sorry I don’t have an answer just yet.
Nikki
Making these for my women’s bible study..perfect thing to make 1) I have all the ingredients and 2) it is fall weather big time here in TN
peggy
I just made these. I have to tell you that they are pretty tasteless. I followed your recipe exactly. Just missing something to make them sweeter??? I’m not sure what but really didn’t come out very tasty.
Jessica Fisher
I’m sorry to hear that you were disappointed. I imagine that if you’re more accustomed to very sweet dishes, like a Pumpkin Spice Latte, they might pale in comparison. I prefer to make desserts less sweet than one often sees. You can add a powdered sugar glaze and that might give that thing you’re missing.
Joanne T Ferguson
G’day! Love biscotti but never had pumpkin ones before, true!
wish could come through the screen and sneak eat one or two! lol
Cheers! Joanne
Rachel
Can you add some indicators of done-ness we might be looking for as to not over or under bake?
Jessica Fisher
These are going to be very crisp after the second and third bakings.
Claire
So happy to know they freeze well!!!!
My children inherited my love for pumpkin anything 😀
CeCee
I am doing a no spend/pantry challenge this month and was wondering what to do about a housewarming gift for a friend. Ta-Da Pumpkin Biscottis for my friends who love coffee. I made them and packaged them with a little bag of coffee I already had and two coffee mugs. Total cost 4$ and a much appreciated gift :).
Jessica Fisher
Well, that’s fun!
Nancy
I made the biscotti recipe and a few other pumpkin recipes over the weekend.
http://intheblack.areavoices.com/2013/10/13/pumpkin-recipes-2/