Chickpea Flour Biscotti (Vegan, Grain-free)

Crunchy, vanilla and cinnamon-scented biscotti made without eggs, dairy or grains! It’s my Vegan Chickpea Flour Biscotti. It is vegan, grain-free & gluten-free.

My First (Ever) Batch of Biscotti

It was a gusty, snow-slosh of a day; I trudged 45 minutes from my apartment to campus (the buses were down) to arrive 10 minutes late to the last day (and holiday party) of my favorite class: Sociological Research Methods. Tucked under my arm was a shoebox full of  biscotti.

It was my first semester of graduate school, and I spent most of those first three months in a state of abject terror and anxiety, mostly from fears of failure, and coupled with a hefty dose of homesickness.

My  research methods with professor Randy Hodson was my weekly reprieve. He turned what should have been a durge of a course into hours of interest, enlightenment and fun. It was no surprise that, of all my professors, he was the (only) one to insist on making the last class of the year a combination of review session and holiday party.

I decided to make something special. It had to be portable, affordable, and special. I made Italian biscotti, my first-ever batch.

I arrived to class in a bizzardy blast and within minutes I felt warm and festive, in every way enlivened by by my fellow first year classmates, Dr. Hodson, a lively review of research ethics, and an assorted menu of chips, Oreos, bagels, donut holes, hot cocoa, and my apartment-made biscotti.

The biscotti was loved by all, especially Dr. Hodson; I’ve loved baking, sharing, and eating biscotti ever since.

Recipe Benefits

• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Grain-free
• Gluten-free
• Straightforward to make
• Endlessly variable with different flavors and add-ins

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.

• chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour or besan)
• baking powder
• ground cinnamon (or other spices, such as cardamom, ginger or allspice)
• fine sea salt
• coconut sugar (or natural cane sugar, or your choice)
• virgin coconut oil (melted) or oil of choice
• water
• vanilla extract

In order to share my love of biscotti with friends who cannot eat grains gluten, eggs or dairy, I turned to my favorite multi-purpose flour: chickpea flour. 

Chickpea flour takes the place of both eggs and flour in this recipe, so there is no need for binders such as flax, chia, or xanthan gum. The results are crunchy, truly delicious and everything biscotti should be! Just as appealing, the recipe is a cinch.

How to Make Chickpea Flour Biscotti

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet

Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step Two: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

Whisk the chickpea flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

I strongly encourage the use of spices in the biscotti. Chickpea flour has a slight bitterness in sweet baked goods. It is very faint in these biscotti, even when left plain.

But add some spices, and it is gone altogether. In addtion to cinnamon, consider spices such as ginger, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, or the combination of your choice.

Step Three: Add the Wet Ingredients

Once the dry ingredients are whisked, add the remaining ingredients: coconut sugar (or the sugar of your choice), coconut oil, water, and vanilla extract. Stir until blended.

Step Four: Shape the Dough into a Log

This next step may sound difficult on paper, but in reality, is quite simple. 

Scoop the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Scoop it in the general shape of a log. Next, with your fingers (wet fingers work best for this sticky dough), smoosh & smooth the dough into a prim, 14×2-inch rectangle. 

Step Five: The First Bake

Don’t get nervous about the “first” in this heading. This is going to be so much easier than you thought. All that you need is a bit of patience.

Slide the biscotti log into the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. The surface of the log should appear dry and the center, while slightly soft, should nonetheless feel set.

Temperature Tip: It is very important to bake at 300F (150C), no higher. Sweet chickpea flour baked goods can quickly turn from underdone to burnt at higher temperatures. Low and slow is the key to success.

Step Six: Cool and Chill the Biscotti Log

Now, patience: remove the pan from the oven and let the biscotti log cool completely (go ahead and turn off the oven). Next, loosely cover it and chill it. You can even leave it in the refrigerator until the next day. This is key to perfect slices.

Step Seven: Slice the Chilled Biscotti

Once chilled, the log is ready for slicing! The chilling allows for thinner, sturdier (less likely to break or crumble), and more precise slices. It is 100% worth the wait!

Place the log/loaf on a cutting board. For short biscotti, slice directly across the log (I recommend a serrated knife). . For longer slices (my preference), simply cut the log at a deep angle. Aim for slices that are about 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thick.

Step Eight: The Second Bake

Preheat the oven to 275F (190C).

Place the slices flat, cut side down, on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the biscotti remain in the oven for an hour longer (this dries out the biscotti).

Your biscotti are ready!

Flavor Variations

Turn one recipe into many by changing the flavorings and add-ins for this simple chickpea flour biscotti recipe. Consider one, or a combination of several, of the following options:

• Spices: Aa mentioned earlier in the post, swap out the cinnamon for your favorite spice, such as nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, ginger, Chinese five spice, or pumpkin pie spice. Or add a combination of spices (no more than 1.5 teaspoons total).
• Dried Fruit: Add up to 1/2 cup of chopped dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or dried figs.
• Chocolate: Add up to 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, or add 3 to 4 tbsp cacao nibs. Alternatively, dip, glaze or drizzle the cooled biscotti with melted dark chocolate.
• Nuts or Seeds: Add up to 1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds, such as walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds.
• Extracts or Zests: Swap out the vanilla extract for another option, such as almond extract or lemon extract. Or add one to two teaspoons of finely grated lime zest, lemon zest or orange zest.

Storage

Store the completely cooled biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week, the refrigerator for 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months.

May these biscotti mark the beginning of many more batches and fond memories. Happy baking!

More Delectable Biscotti Goodness:

• 2-Ingredient Healthy Coconut Biscotti {vegan, grain-free}
• 4-Ingredient Almond Flour Biscotti
• Protein-Powered Breakfast Biscotti
• Quinoa Flour Biscotti
• Coconut & Chickpea Flour Biscotti 
• Chickpea Flour Biscotti Thins