Last updated on February 16th, 2024

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Lemon Biscotti, Easy Low Carb, Keto and Gluten-Free Recipe

Have you always wanted to know how to make delectable crunchy biscotti, like the ones displayed in cute glass jars on top of coffee shop counters? They’re so tempting, aren’t they? But if you’re trying to cut back on carbs, like me, you know your carb count will skyrocket after eating one of those cookies.

Furthermore, as keto biscotti is rarely available at local coffee shops, it’s hard to resist indulging in one when it’s staring at you right in your face.

…you’ll love sharing them

Gratefully, that temptation can be nipped immediately once you know how to make low-carb Lemon Biscotti at home. You’ll love sharing them (maybe not) with work colleagues who may also be doing low-carb. No doubt that’s a good way to keep the team spirit going!

My hubby shared a small batch of these Lemon Biscotti with some of his buddies at work, and needless to say, they enjoyed dunking them into their hot coffees and couldn’t believe the biscotti were low-carb and gluten-free too.

…dunk into a coffee or tea

Surprisingly making biscotti at home is very simple. Before making the recipe, follow my tips and recommendations below for the crunchiest low-carb Lemon biscotti you can dunk into a coffee or tea during a break at work.

Here’s a heads up, if you are new to biscotti, the dough for this Lemon Biscotti is baked twice, in the same way as traditional biscotti. But trust me. It’s worth the patience required for each biscotti’s deliciously crispy, lemony bite. Just so you know!

What’s to love about Lemon Biscotti

• Fresh lemon is all you need to flavour this biscotti if you like anything made with lemons.  
• The flavour is far from bitter or sour when you combine lemon juice and zest with sweetener and butter.
• This Biscotti is slightly sweet and refreshing; you’ll LOVE dunking it into your coffee. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
• Sweet buttery Lemon Biscotti will stay crunchy when stored well for several days.
• It’s a perfect tea-time snack, especially during a much-needed break.
• There’s no need for any electrical gadgets to make this recipe; mix everything by hand.
• These Lemon Biscotti are low-carb, keto and gluten-free. (scroll down to the end for a dairy-free option)
• Serve these Lemon Biscotti for the Easter holidays, or make them as gifts for friends and family.

How is Lemon Biscotti Dough Baked Twice?

Biscotti is an Italian word for ‘cookie,’ It originates from the Latin phrase ‘biscoctus,’ which means twice-baked. For many people worldwide, biscotti has become a type of cookie that you purposely bake twice to dry it out.

…know what to expect

Even though the biscotti are baked twice, it’s a three-phase process (IMO), resulting in crisp, crunchy biscotti. Therefore, I will briefly break down each baking phase so that you know what to expect when baking Lemon Biscotti dough in this recipe.

Baking Lemon Biscotti (Phase one)

The biscotti dough is shaped log-like and baked for about 20 minutes. While baking, it will spread a little and increase in size. The baking ingredients in the dough help it to bake evenly. After 20 mins, the dough is partially baked and cooled for 30 mins. I like to sprinkle some sweetener over the surface at this stage to give the biscotti a sugary topping.

Baking Lemon Biscotti (Phase two)

After a 30-minute cooldown, the partially baked dough is cut into slices and placed on the baking tray, cut side down. The biscotti are then baked at a lower temperature to dry them out for that desired crunch.

Cooling Lemon Biscotti (Phase three)

This is the part I call the third phase because, after the second bake, the biscotti will still be soft and must be left alone to harden for that crunchy texture.

How many carbs are in each Low-Carb Lemon Biscotti?

1.5g net carbs/each biscotti

These cookies are made with almond flour with much fewer carbs than regular flour. Indeed, these lemon Biscotti are one tea-time snack you don’t need to worry about eating on a low-carb diet.

Slicing the biscotti dough at a slight diagonal makes each piece longer and easy to dunk into a hot drink. This recipe makes 12 biscotti, and 1 serving (one Biscotti) has 6.8 grams of total carbs and 5.3 grams of fibre. Each serving has 1.5 grams of net carbs and 97 calories.

Ingredient Notes on Lemon Biscotti

Almond Flour – Use good quality blanched almond flour like the Kirkland brand from Costco or Bob’s Red Mill, a great alternative.

Sweetener – like Lakanto’s Monk Fruit / Erythritol blend, which I use, but you can use any preferred sweetener.

Baking powder – helps make the biscotti dough rise slightly and become less dense.

Baking soda – makes the biscotti crispy and helps the dough to spread wider so that the centre stays crisp.

Egg-beaten ensures an airy biscotti texture. Crack the egg into a small bowl and lightly whisk it with a fork.

Unsalted butter – melted helps to control the crispiness of the biscotti and the amount of salt in the recipe but omit the salt ingredient if you only have salted butter. Allow it to cool down before adding it to the recipe to prevent a crack from forming on the surface of the biscotti dough.

Lemon rind or zest – undeniably gives the biscotti its lemon flavour, and I like to see specks of rind in the texture. Use a good quality zesting tool that gives slightly thicker rinds.

Lemon juice – adds an extra punch and zesty boost to the biscotti.

Vanilla Extract – balances the lemony flavour with the sweetener.

Extra sweetener – sprinkled over the biscotti dough (after the first bake) to give the biscotti a sugary topping.

How to Make Crunchy Lemon Biscotti

Preheat the oven and prepare the baking tray

Preheat the oven to 325F/160C, line a baking tray with parchment paper, and have another sheet of parchment paper ready to use later.

Mix the dry ingredients

Whisk the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, sweetener, salt and lemon zest in a medium-sized bowl.

Whisk the wet ingredients

Combine the melted butter (cooled), vanilla extract, lemon juice, and beaten egg in another bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine them to make a sticky dough ball.

Shape the sticky dough into a log

Using wet hands, transfer the dough onto one of the baking trays and shape the sticky dough into a rectangle-sized log about 7×3 inches. You may need to keep wetting your hands to handle the dough properly.

Bake the dough (the first bake).

Transfer the baking tray to the heated oven, place it on the middle shelf and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool the partially baked log.

After 20 minutes, switch off the oven, remove the baking tray and allow it to cool down on the counter for 30 minutes. Sprinkle sweetener over the surface while it cools.

Slice the log into biscotti

After the partially baked dough has cooled, preheat the oven to 250F/120C. Lift the log using the parchment paper’s sides and transfer it onto a cutting board. Using a very sharp long knife (see my tips and notes), slice the log at a slight diagonal into 12 pieces about half an inch thick.

Bake the biscotti (the second bake)

Line the baking tray with the second sheet of parchment paper and lay each biscotti cut side down onto the tray carefully, using the long knife. Return the tray to the oven and bake the biscotti for 25 minutes, then flip the biscotti over and bake for 15 minutes more.

Cool completely.

Switch off the oven, remove the tray of biscotti and allow them to cool down completely on the baking tray.

Best Tips and Recommendations

Making lemon biscotti is straightforward if you’ve baked with almond flour before, but if this is your first time, it can be tricky since almond flour does not bake the same way as regular flour.

I realize how intimidating the baking process may seem, and since I’ve made these cookies countless times, here are some useful notes and tips from all my trials to ensure you have dunkable crisp Lemon biscotti every time.

Before Baking

• Please read my section on how biscotti is baked twice above before you begin making this recipe.
• Beat the egg in a small bowl before adding it to the dry ingredients to make the biscotti texture airy and less dense.
• Cooling the melted butter before adding it to the dry ingredients prevents the surface of the dough from cracking during that first bake.
• I use this citrus lemon zester tool to make long curly thick rinds and cut them into smaller pieces because I like to see specks of lemon rind in the biscotti after they’re baked. Using a good-quality Microplane will produce tiny zest curls.
• Keep the Biscotti dough sticky, don’t add more flour; use wet hands to transfer it to the baking sheet. Moist hands will also help with shaping the dough into a rectangle.

During Baking

• In the first bake, It’s ok if the dough log doesn’t rise too much and spreads a little, so it will also increase in width due to the baking soda.
• Use a good-quality unserrated knife to slice the dough. I like using a long sharp one like my Henckels Utility Knife, which is part of the Henckels Knife Block set. Which is long enough to slice the partially baked dough to keep the biscotti pieces intact. Initially cut into the log surface in a see-saw action, then slice straight down and separate it.
• Slice the partially baked dough using an up-and-down motion. Some recipes suggest using a serrated knife and cutting it in a see-saw motion which may work well for that particular recipe but with low-carb biscotti dough. I find it easier to slice it with a sharp knife and in an up-and-down motion.
• Slice the dough at a slight diagonal to make each biscotti piece slightly longer for dunking, and they’ll also look like traditional Italian Biscotti.
• Flip the biscotti pieces halfway during the second bake to dry them out evenly. They brown quickly on one side, so flipping them halfway ensures a drier centre for that desired crunch.

After baking

• Allow the cookies to cool down completely before storing them in a container.
• Once cooled, the biscotti will be crunchy and ready to enjoy and dunk into a hot drink. They even will become more crispy the next day if stored correctly.

Variations and Suggestions for making Lemon Biscotti

• Lemon extract – add 1 tsp of lemon extract if you don’t have fresh lemons.
• Dairy-free – use vegan butter, nut butter, or coconut butter instead and make an egg substitute by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed and three tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Wait a few minutes until the mixture becomes gelatinous, like an egg.
• Candied lemon peels – make candied lemon peels, chop them into small pieces and toss them into the dough instead of the lemon rind. You may need to reduce the sweetener.
• Omit lemon altogether, and add toasted walnuts, pistachios or pecans. Grind them a little before adding them to the batter to slice the baked dough without crumbling.
• Drizzle keto lemon frosting over the biscotti after cooling to enhance the lemony flavour.
• Add low-carb dried cranberries and almonds to the batter before baking.

How to store Lemon Biscotti

Here is the best way to keep these delicious biscotti crunchy:

• Wrap them in foil and store them in an airtight container for several days at room temperature.
• Wrap them in foil and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• These biscotti freeze well but leave them out for about 15mins at room temperature before consuming.

Did you make this recipe?

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