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These crunchy pumpkin spice biscotti are made with pumpkin purée and warm fall spices, then finished with a sweet pumpkin spice icing. They are perfect for dunking into coffee or tea and make a great fall or Thanksgiving treat.
Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Biscotti
Last Sunday, I shared my Pumpkin Scone with Pumpkin Spice Icing recipe on the blog, which was a hit with the readers.
While taste-testing my scones, I knew I could change the recipe and make Italian Pumpkin Spice Biscotti.
Pumpkin Scones Turn Into Pumpkin Biscotti
I love it when recipes can double up, which means you can create two recipes simultaneously.
This is always handy when you have a bake sale to bake for, have a party, or have lots of guests over to the house.
My wife adores biscotti because of its crunchy texture, especially when served in a hot cup of strong coffee or tea.
The last Italian cookie I made was Nicola’s lemon biscotti because Mrs. CBB wanted me to try her recipe.
She was thrilled that I was finally making pumpkin biscotti, and when they were done, she gave me the thumbs up, which made me proud.
I never knew how a recipe would turn out, but I was confident that this one would succeed.
I’ve made many Italian biscotti recipes but never created one from a scone recipe. I’m daring.
Making Biscotti With Scone Dough
If you’ve already made my pumpkin scones, you will notice that this biscotti recipe is identical.
The only difference is how I roll and form the dough to make the Pumpkin Biscotti instead of the scones.
Instead, I make two large flattened logs shaped like biscotti and bake them in the oven.
I just wing it when shaping the logs, but I try to keep the length longer by dipping my biscotti in coffee or milk.
Anytime I follow a recipe, I am cautious about baking time because everyone has a different oven.
The baking time for the biscotti will be longer as they are twice-baked and crunchy but worth the extra effort.
Once the pumpkin biscotti are baked, let them cool completely before cutting them so you get an even cut.
I am very rustic in baking, so I just took them and made slices about 3/4 inches thick.
You can make them as thick or thin, but traditionally, they are thicker.
Biscotti Return To The Oven For The Second Bake
This is where biscotti earns the title for one of the best crunchy Italian cookies on the market.
Once the pumpkin biscotti were cooled and cut, I preheated the oven to 200 degrees and let them bake for 2 hours.
The slow and low-second bake for the pumpkin biscotti will allow them to harden up.
Test a biscotti before you pull them out to see if you get your desired ‘crunch factor’; otherwise, leave them in for longer.
They have a bit of a different texture than a typical biscotti, but they still turned out perfect.
Keep in mind this was a pumpkin scone recipe.
The great thing is you can save time and money when you’re able to flip a recipe.
Once the pumpkin biscotti cooled again, I made the same batch of pumpkin spice icing as I did for the scones and drizzled it on top.
I’m afraid I’m not a pastry chef, so the drizzle is thicker in some areas.
If you are neater than I am, you can make them even prettier.
I was happy with the way the pumpkin spice biscotti turned out and will be making them again.
How To Make Crunchy Italian Pumpkin Biscotti
You can use canned pumpkin puree if baking pie pumpkins aren’t available.
If you are using fresh pie pumpkin, you can roast and purée it at home. For more ideas on using pumpkin, browse our 35+ Best Pumpkin Recipes for Fall.
Optional Pumpkin Biscotti Ingredients
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Chopped Pecans
- Toasted Almond Slices
- Chopped toasted hazelnuts
- Pumpkin cranberry biscotti (add dried cranberries to the dough)
- Chocolate chip Pumpkin Biscotti (add chocolate chips to the dough)
Pumpkin Biscotti Baking Info
- Recipe Type: dessert
- Author: Mr.CBB
- Prep time: 20 mins
- Cook time: 2 hours 20 mins
- Total time: 2 hours 40 mins
- Serves: 20
If you love biscotti, try these fantastic pumpkin biscotti I made using my pumpkin spice scone recipe. It is easy to make and has less fuss in the kitchen for two recipes.
Ingredients
- 4¼ cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- (I make my own with cinnamon, all-spice, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg) see recipe above
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 cup cold butter cubed
- 1½ cups of pumpkin puree
- 1 cup buttermilk or (1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Let sit for 10 mins)
- Pumpkin Spice Icing
- Combine these ingredients:
- 2.5 cups of confectioner sugar
- 4 tablespoons of milk (adjust if you need more)
- 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven- 350 degrees
- Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices in a large bowl, then mix. Add the cold butter and cut it with a pastry blender or two butter knives until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- In a second bowl, add your wet ingredients- eggs, pumpkin, and ½ cup of buttermilk and mix.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix until combined. Do not over-mix
- Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and knead it about 8-10 times.
- Make two dough mounds shaped like a biscotti (see photo), about 11/2 inches thick.
- Place them on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining buttermilk
- Bake in the middle rack of your oven.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (Test with a toothpick to see if they are done)
- Once completely cooled, cut the biscotti length-wise to about the same thickness and bake them again in a 200-degree oven for 2 hours to harden. This is dry baking.
- Once cooled, you can drizzle the pumpkin spice icing on them and enjoy.
This was a fun recipe, and I hope you try these Italian pumpkin spice biscotti.
Please leave me a review below to let me know what you think of them.
-Mr.CBB
Pumpkin Spice Biscotti With Icing
Crunchy pumpkin spice biscotti made with pumpkin purée and warm fall spices, then finished with a sweet pumpkin spice icing. Perfect for dunking into coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- 4¼ cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- (I make my own with cinnamon, all-spice, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg) see recipe above
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 cup cold butter cubed
- 1½ cups of pumpkin puree
- 1 cup buttermilk or (1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Let sit for 10 mins)
- Pumpkin Spice Icing
- Combine these ingredients:
- 2.5 cups of confectioner sugar
- 4 tablespoons of milk (adjust if you need more)
- 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
- Cut in the cold cubed butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin purée and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 to 10 times.
- Divide the dough in two and shape into two long, flattened logs about 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Transfer the logs to a baking sheet and brush with the remaining buttermilk.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely, then slice into evenly sized biscotti.
- Reduce the oven to 200°F and return the slices to the oven for the second bake. Bake for up to 2 hours, checking periodically, until they reach your preferred crunch.
- Cool completely before drizzling with the pumpkin spice icing.
Notes
For the icing, whisk the icing sugar, milk, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla until smooth, adding a little more milk if needed. Optional add-ins include pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans, toasted almonds or hazelnuts, dried cranberries or chocolate chips.
Related articles
- Keto Pumpkin Spice Chaffle Waffles
- Pumpkin Brownies
- Keto Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
- Mr. CBB’s Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake
- Roasted Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup
- Turkey and Pumpkin Lasagna
Check out my full Recipe Index Here.
This looks so yummy!!!! I will have to have a look at my pumpkin in the freezer at the amounts to see what I can use for these and the scones!!!!
Thanks they are great. Every so often I pull one out of the freezer to dip in my coffee. Mmm
I think I have just found a good recipe that my kids would surely love especially this coming Halloween. I am really a fan of this pumpkin biscotti. Thanks Mr CBB.
My mom loves to make pumpkin biscotti! 🙂 Btw, it looks very delicious, I can imagine the smell of it.