Introduction
Want a biscuit with a proper snap and plenty of chocolate? These chocolate hazelnut biscotti are baked twice for a crisp finish, with roasted hazelnuts for crunch and dark chocolate throughout. They’re made without eggs or dairy, so you can dunk, dip and share them with your plant-based pals.
We’ve got a soft spot for chocolate and hazelnut at LoveRaw®, and these biscuits give both flavours room to shine. Serve them alongside coffee, add a drizzle of chocolate or pair them with a spoonful of hazelnut spread. They’re also a brilliant way to make a dessert feel a little more special without reaching for another baking tin.
Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti Recipe
Biscotti get their crunch from two trips to the oven. First, you bake the dough as a flat log. Then you slice it and bake the pieces again until the cut sides dry out.
This plant-based version adapts Beth Le Manach’s chocolate hazelnut biscotti recipe, using ground flaxseed in place of eggs and baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda.
Serves: About 18 biscotti
Prep time: 25 minutes, plus cooling
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 6 tbsp water, for the flaxseed
- 180 g plain flour
- 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 135 g soft light brown sugar
- 84 g dairy-free dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 150 g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp water, or cooled strong coffee
- Extra dairy-free dark chocolate, for dipping or drizzling, optional
Method
- Heat the oven to 150°C, or 130°C fan. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
- Mix the ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Leave for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, chopped chocolate and hazelnuts.
- Add the flaxseed mixture, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of water or cooled coffee. Mix until a firm dough comes together. If dry flour remains, add a little water at a time.
- Shape the dough into a flat log on the lined tray, roughly 23 cm long and 10 cm wide. Press together any loose nuts.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the log feels firm and set. Leave it on the tray for 15 to 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Transfer the log to a chopping board. Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut it diagonally into slices about 1.2 cm thick.
- Arrange the slices cut-side down on the tray. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, turn them over and bake for another 7 to 10 minutes, until the cut sides feel dry.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. If you like, drizzle or dip the cooled biscotti in melted dairy-free chocolate and leave it to set.
Tip: Chop the hazelnuts before adding them to the dough. Smaller pieces make the baked log easier to slice without knocking large nuts loose.
Getting the Crunch Right
What are biscotti and cantuccini?
Cantuccini are small Italian-style twice-baked biscuits. You might also see them called cantucci or biscotti. This chocolate hazelnut version follows the same useful idea: bake a log, slice it, then bake the slices until crisp.
The first bake gives the dough its shape. The second dries the cut surfaces and gives you that dunkable crunch. They’ll firm up further as they cool, so let one cool before deciding whether the batch needs more time.
How to slice biscotti without crumbling
A little patience helps. The log should be cool enough to handle but not rock hard when you slice it. Use a serrated knife and saw gently rather than pressing straight down.
If a slice breaks, don’t panic. Small pieces are excellent scattered over a chocolate dessert, and larger ones are still perfectly good for dunking.
Too soft, too hard or too crumbly?
If the centres still feel soft once cool, return the slices to the oven for a few more minutes. Check them regularly, especially at the thinner ends.
For a less firm biscuit, cut slightly thicker slices and keep an eye on the second bake. If the unbaked dough crumbles before you shape it, add water a little at a time, then press it together. It should be firm, not pourable.
Choose Your Chocolate and Hazelnuts
Use unsweetened cocoa powder rather than a drinking chocolate mix. The cocoa gives the dough its dark colour and chocolate flavour, while the chopped chocolate adds little pockets of extra choc.
Choose roasted hazelnuts for a deeper flavour. If yours are raw, spread them on a tray and toast them until fragrant, then let them cool before chopping. Rub them in a clean tea towel to loosen the skins if you like. A little skin left behind is fine.
Dairy-free dark chocolate works well in the dough and for dipping. Check the ingredients on your chosen chocolate, especially if you’re making the biscuits for someone with an allergy.
Add a different finish
A chocolate dip gives each biscuit a little extra snap once it sets. Melt the chocolate gently, dip one end of each cooled biscotti and place them on baking parchment. Scatter over finely chopped hazelnuts before the chocolate sets.
For something softer, serve the biscotti with our Hazelnut Cacao Spread "Choco Love" on the side. Spread it on just before eating so the biscuit keeps its crunch.
You can also add finely grated orange zest to the dough, or use the cooled coffee in the recipe for a subtle coffee note. Keep the base quantities the same whilst you experiment with flavour.
Serving, Storing and Gifting
Biscotti are made for a quick dunk in coffee, but they’re just as good with tea or a mug of hot chocolate. Try crumbling one over a scoop of plant-based ice cream, or put a few on a plate alongside fruit and a small bowl of melted chocolate.
Let the biscuits cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. A tin works well, provided the chocolate coating has set first. If they soften, a short spell in a low oven can bring back some crunch. Cool them again before storing.
For a gift, arrange the set biscotti in a food-safe bag or box. Include an ingredient list so the recipient can see that they contain wheat and hazelnuts, as well as anything else in your chosen chocolate.
More Chocolate and Hazelnut Ideas
Got hazelnuts, chocolate or a few broken biscotti left over? Put them to work. These ideas keep the same flavour pairing but give you a different kind of dessert, from a quick chocolate sauce to a layered centrepiece.
Make a tart, pie or layered dessert
For a simple chocolate hazelnut tart, press a mixture of crushed biscotti and melted dairy-free chocolate into a small lined tin. Chill until firm, then add a layer of cooled chocolate ganache and finish with chopped roasted hazelnuts. Slice it after the filling has set.
A pie gives you more room for a generous filling. Use a baked pastry case and spoon in chocolate hazelnut mousse, then chill and decorate just before serving. Keep the biscotti crumbs for the top if you want them at their crunchiest.
An entremet is a more structured layered dessert. For a chocolate hazelnut version, build a crisp biscuit base, add a layer of set mousse and finish with a thin chocolate topping. Chill the layers until firm before removing the dessert from its mould. It’s a good choice when you want neat slices and distinct textures.
Turn the pairing into brownies or cupcakes
For chocolate hazelnut brownies, fold chopped roasted hazelnuts into your favourite plant-based brownie batter before baking. Once the brownies are cool, add a thin drizzle of melted chocolate. A few biscotti crumbs on top give them a crisp contrast to the soft centre.
For cupcakes, make chocolate sponge and finish it with hazelnut chocolate frosting. Add the frosting only when the cakes are completely cool, then top each one with a small piece of biscotti or a chopped hazelnut.
Our M:lk® Choc Cre&m® Wafer Bar also makes a crunchy cupcake topping. Chop it and add the pieces shortly before serving, rather than baking them into the sponge.
Mix a sauce, ganache or frosting
For a quick chocolate sauce, gently warm 50 ml of plant-based drink and stir in 50 g of chopped dairy-free dark chocolate until smooth. Spoon it over biscotti, pancakes or a frozen dessert. Add a splash more drink if you want a thinner sauce.
For ganache, use plant-based cream with chopped dairy-free chocolate. Warm the cream, pour it over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Let it cool and thicken before using it as a tart filling or spreading it over a cake. The texture depends on the chocolate and cream you choose, so add a little more melted chocolate if it’s too loose.
For hazelnut chocolate frosting, beat a spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread into your usual plant-based buttercream. Add more spread to taste, keeping the frosting firm enough to hold on a cupcake. A pinch of salt can balance a particularly sweet frosting.
Make chocolate-covered hazelnuts and truffles
Chocolate-covered hazelnuts are wonderfully straightforward. Stir cooled, roasted hazelnuts into melted dairy-free chocolate, lift them out with a fork and place them on baking parchment. Separate them before the chocolate sets if you want individual pieces.
For little clusters of chocolate hazelnut candy, leave a few coated nuts together instead. Once set, they’re ready to serve alongside the biscotti.
To make truffles, chill a thick chocolate ganache until firm enough to scoop. Roll small spoonfuls into balls, then coat them in cocoa powder or finely chopped roasted hazelnuts. If the mixture is too soft to roll, chill it longer or mix in a little more melted chocolate and chill again.
Make a chocolate hazelnut bar
A homemade chocolate hazelnut bar can be as simple as melted dairy-free chocolate and roasted hazelnuts. Spread the chocolate over a lined tray, scatter over the nuts and leave it to set. Break or cut it into pieces.
For extra crunch, press small biscotti pieces into the chocolate before it sets. Keep the layer fairly thin so it’s easy to break and you get chocolate and hazelnut in every piece.
Blitz a hazelnut chocolate spread
For a homemade chocolate hazelnut butter, blend roasted hazelnuts in a food processor until they become a paste. Add cocoa powder and a little icing sugar to taste, then blend again. Pause to scrape down the bowl as needed.
The result will depend on the nuts and your processor. If it’s thicker than you’d like, blend in a little neutral-tasting oil. Spread it on toast, serve it with biscotti or swirl a spoonful through porridge.
Try granola for a crunchy topping
For chocolate hazelnut granola, bake oats and chopped hazelnuts with a little oil and your preferred sweetener, stirring as they toast. Leave the mixture to cool completely before adding chopped chocolate. That way, the chocolate keeps its shape rather than melting into the tray.
Serve a handful over plant-based yoghurt or a bowl of fruit. You can also scatter it over mousse for a crunchy topping, adding it just before serving.
Go cold with mousse, gelato or semifreddo
For chocolate hazelnut mousse, fold melted, cooled dairy-free chocolate and a spoonful of hazelnut spread into a suitable whipped plant-based cream. Spoon into small glasses and chill until set. Top with biscotti crumbs when you’re ready to eat.
Gelato and semifreddo both make lovely cold partners for the flavour, but they need different handling. For chocolate hazelnut gelato, use a plant-based chocolate gelato recipe and churn its chilled mixture according to your machine’s instructions. Stir in finely chopped hazelnuts near the end.
For semifreddo, fold chocolate and hazelnut spread into a whipped plant-based mixture, spoon it into a lined tin and freeze until firm. Let it soften briefly before slicing. Serve either dessert with a biscotti on the side for contrast.
Bake a babka or roll up a roulade
A chocolate hazelnut babka starts with an enriched dough. Roll it out, spread with chocolate hazelnut filling, then roll and twist the dough before baking. Keep the filling thin enough that it stays mostly inside the layers.
For a chocolate hazelnut roulade, use a plant-based sponge recipe designed for rolling. Once baked and cooled as directed, spread it with chocolate hazelnut filling and roll it up gently. Finish with chopped hazelnuts or a light chocolate drizzle.
A Final Crunch
Chocolate hazelnut biscotti are at their best when they’re crisp enough to dunk and generous with the choc. Make a batch for coffee, save the crumbs for dessert and let the chocolate coating set before packing any up.
- Use roasted, chopped hazelnuts for flavour and easier slicing.
- Let the log cool a little before cutting it.
- Cool the finished biscuits completely before storing.
Tip: For a ready-made chocolate hazelnut partner, try LoveRaw’s Hazelnut Cacao Spread "Choco Love" alongside your biscotti.
FAQ
Are chocolate hazelnut biscotti vegan?
The recipe above uses ground flaxseed instead of eggs and contains no dairy ingredients. Choose dairy-free dark chocolate and check the labels on the other ingredients if you want the finished biscuits to be vegan.
Why are my biscotti soft in the middle?
They may need a little longer during the second bake. Return the slices to a low oven until the cut sides feel dry, then let them cool completely before checking their texture.
Can I make the dough without coffee?
Yes. Use the 2 tablespoons of water listed in the recipe instead. The cocoa, chocolate and roasted hazelnuts will still give the biscuits plenty of flavour.
Can I use whole hazelnuts?
You can, but roughly chopped hazelnuts make the log easier to slice. If you use whole nuts, take extra care with a serrated knife and expect a few more crumbs.
