Italian orange pistachio biscotti cookies are crunchy on the outside with a softer inside and practically melt in your mouth when they are dipped in your morning coffee!

Orange Pistachio Biscottis are played on parchment paper after they are baked.

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Orange biscotti

These twice-baked Italian cookies and made with the simplest ingredients and have light and sweet buttery flavor. The orange and pistachio give this cookie a delicate salty sweetness that is just out of this world.

Biscottis are often thought of as a rather dry cookie with lots of crumbs and an even louder bite. They are first shaped into logs of dough, then baked (the first time). After they come out of the oven, they are cut into the biscotti shape, then placed on their side and baked a second time.

They are generally dry because they are rehydrated with the coffee you dunk them in! They are delicious with a strong (or spiked!) coffee and offer a sweet flavor after a gulp of a bold espresso.

You could also take a more traditional approach and serve these orange pistachio biscotti with Vin Santo, which is a sweet Tuscan dessert wine.

A layer of egg wash is applied to the biscottis and then they are sprinkled lightly with sugar. It adds a beautiful gleam to the tops of the biscotti cookies and really adds to the appeal!

This recipe is the perfect balance of textures! A classic Italian biscotti is dry, crunchy, and light. This recipe yields a cookie that is crunchy on the outside (with that perfect glossy sugar finish) and a softer inside. They were put to the test and dunked in many coffees and they held up beautifully! These are the best soft Italian biscottis!

Orange Pistachio Biscottis ingredients are displayed individually.

Orange pistachio biscotti recipe ingredients

Butter- Unsalted butter is perfect for this recipe. Allow it to come to room temperature before making this recipe so it fluffs with the sugar.
Sugar- You can use any sugar but I prefer non-bleached sugar from the USA, like Florida Crystals.
Orange- This recipe uses a fresh orange because the zest adds the perfect amount of flavor!
All-purpose flour
Vanilla extract
Pistachio nuts- Make this recipe even easier by picking up the roasted and salted pistachios with no shells. This will save your fingertips, I promise!
Salt/baking powder
Eggs

The wet and dry ingredients are stirred in separate bowls to make the Orange Pistachio Biscottis.

Chef’s tips

Use lots of flour. This is a wet dough and it can get really sticky. Flour your work surface and put flour on your hands.
Use room temperature ingredients. Using room temperature eggs and butter will make these cookies fluffier and more delicious!
Put the biscotti dough in the fridge. If the dough is just too stick to work with, put the dough in the fridge for an hour. Once the dough is cold, it will be easier to shape into the logs.

The dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients to make Orange Pistachio Biscottis.

Pistachios are folded into the Orange Pistachio Biscotti dough.

Orange Pistachio Biscotti dough is mixed, then poured on a floured surface.

How to make the best Italian biscottis

I’ve eaten many biscottis in my day, from store-bought to homemade and basically any chance I can. Biscotti is derived from the Latin word biscoctus, which means ‘twice baked’, which can make these cookies very dry.

The cookies need to be on the dry side because they are meant to be dunked into a hot beverage, and you don’t want the cookie to fall apart in your drink!

That’s why this recipe is the best Italian biscotti recipe- ever! They are crunchy on the outside and softer on the inside. They hold up perfectly to a hot drink and don’t fall apart, score!

Here is my very best Italian biscotti recipe- from me to you!

A loaf of Orange Pistachio Biscotti dough is shaped into a log before it is baked.

Make the biscotti dough. First, cream the butter, orange zest, vanilla extract, and sugar together until it is fluffy in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Next, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to stir each one in well before you add the next. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Do not overmix. Stir in the pistachio nuts. Stir again to just combine. The dough will be sticky.
Shape the biscotti dough into logs. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Flour your work surface, then dump the dough out onto it. Flour your hands before shaping the dough. Divide the biscotti dough in half if you want smaller biscotti cookies, or you can shape it into one large log so it makes larger biscottis.
One log: Shape the biscotti dough into a 12-inch long, 4-inch wide log, then flatten the edges to the pan.
Two logs: Divide the biscotti dough in half. Shape the logs into 10 inches long, 3-4 inch wide logs.
Make an egg wash and brush it on the tops of the biscotti logs, then sprinkle sugar.
Bake the biscottis- twice! First, bake the biscotti log for 30 minutes if you are making two logs, or 40 minutes if you are making one large log. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Cut the biscotti diagonally so they are 1 1/2 inch thick. Place the oven on 350 degrees, Place the cookies on their sides, then bake again for 10 minutes. The biscotti should be lightly browned.
Serve! Enjoy the biscotti cookies with a warm cup of coffee! These are my favorite cookies to make on a rainy day, I grab my coffee, dunk my biscotti, and watch the rain trickle down a window!

Orange Pistachio Biscottis are sliced after they finished with their first bake.

How to cut the biscottis

First, allow the biscotti to cool for 10-20 minutes after the first bake. Use a serrated knife to cut the biscottis after the first bake. They may crumble just a little, but no worries!

If you let the biscottis get too cool, they will crumble even more. The key is to cut them at just the right temperature! When you can handle the logs without burning your hands, that’s your time to shine! Cut the biscottis to your desired thickness ( usually 1 1/2 inches) and move on to the second bake!

Orange Pistachio Biscottis are cut, then placed on their side.

What to serve with Italian biscotti cookies

Coffee

Biscottis can be eaten any time of day (yes, these are my favorite breakfast food!), so grab a warm cup of joe and dunk your biscottis!

A bold espresso pairs beautifully with the lightly sweetened biscotti cookies, as well!

An iced latte or chia latte is a fun, cool way to enjoy a biscotti if you aren’t feeling a hot beverage.

Orange Pistachio Biscottis are plated next to an espresso latte.

Vin Santo

Traditionally, biscotti cookies are dunked in Italian dessert wine called Vin Santo. The wine is made from white grapes in Tuscany and is a perfect way to end a dinner.

Tea

Whatever floats your boat! Dunking a biscotti in tea isn’t a common way to enjoy them, but if you like it, then why not!? A warm chia tea, raspberry tea, or any kind of slightly sweet tea would work well!

How long will biscotti cookies keep

Biscottis are dry and crunchy, so their shelf life is rather long. These cookies are known to have made it on long sea voyages, travels, and because their dry texture, they kept perfectly.

Store the biscottis in a Ziplock bag or airtight container on the counter. These cookies will stay good for 4 weeks at room temperature!

A hand is dunking a Orange Pistachio Biscotti in a warm coffee.

Can biscottis be frozen

You can also freeze the biscottis if you’d like to prolong the shelf life. Place them in an airtight container, then place them in the freezer. They will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you would like to defrost them, remove them from the container and place them in a single layer on a pan. Place them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes for the “fresh out of the oven” warmth!

Can biscotti dough be refrigerated or frozen

Biscotti dough can be both refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to bake them.

If the dough is too sticky, you can stick the dough in the fridge until it is hard enough to handle, anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the dough so it does not dry out.

If you would like to freeze the dough, shape it into logs, then wrap them in plastic wrap. Place the logs in the freezer. When you would like to bake them, remove them from the freezer and allow them to defrost in the fridge overnight.

Orange Pistachio Biscottis are plated next to an espresso.

Why did my biscottis become soft during storage

There are a few reasons that biscottis can become soft during storage. First, make sure that you allow the biscottis to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Additional ingredients like dried fruits can add moisture to the cookies, and when placed in an airtight container, they can become soft.

You can fix this by leaving the container open for a few hours, or placing the biscottis in the oven at 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes to make them hard (and warm) again.

Sophia is holding a biscotti while dunking it in a coffee.

More sweet treats

Fresh berry pavlova is an easy to make New Zealand dessert that has a crisp outside and a marshmallowy inside. This dessert can be topped with fresh berries, honey, whipped cream, and more!
This easy, creamy cake batter ice cream is prepared in minutes and is the perfect frozen summertime treat!
Mango and Tajin paletas are a perfect combination of Mexico’s classic sweet and spicy flavor mixture. Juicy, fresh mango are pureed, then combined with spicy tajin and frozen into Mexican paletas, or popsicles.
Strawberry quick bread is delicious, moist, and loaded with fresh strawberries. The strawberry lemonade cream cheese frosting is the perfect addition to this bread!
Deep fried, pillowy raspberry filled beignets topped with lots of powdered sugar will transport you right to New Orleans!

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