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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.
2 chcikpea flour biscotti with a cup of coffee and colorful napkin

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 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.

Chickpea Flour Biscotti, My New Favorite

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 not need for binders such as flax, chia, or xanthan gum. The results are truly delicious and everything biscotti should be! Just as appealing, the recipe is a cinch.

How to Make Chickpea Flour Biscotti

Begin by whisking 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. Consider spices such as ginger, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, or the combination of your choice.

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.

Shape the Dough into a Long 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. 

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 a preheated 300F (150C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes. The surface of the log should appear dry and the center, while slightly soft, should nonetheless feel set.

It is very important to bake at 300F, 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.

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.

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!

First, preheat the oven to 275F.

For short biscotti, slice directly across the log. 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.

The Second Bake

Place the slices flat, cut sides 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!

Do not be afraid to load these up with all kinds of goodies, such as chocolate chunks/chips, nuts, seeds, or chopped dried fruit. Or wait until the end for a drizzle of melted chocolate. Sigh.

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

More Delectable Biscotti Goodness:

Chickpea Flour Biscotti {vegan, grain-free, gluten-free}

Chickpea Flour Biscotti {vegan, grain-free, gluten-free}

Yield: 40 biscotti
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (180 g) chickpea flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (85 g) coconut sugar (or natural cane sugar, or your choice)
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) virgin coconut oil (melted) or oil of choice
  • 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. To the mixture of flour, add the remaining ingredients. Stir until blended (dough will be sticky).
  4. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in a line (see photo). Using moistened fingers, shape the dough into a 14 by 2-inch rectangle.
  5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and the centers are set. Remove from the oven and and let cool completely on the pan (turn off the oven). Loosely cover the log and chill until cold (up to 24 hours).
  6. Preheat oven to 275F. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) slices. Place the slices flat, cut sides down, on the baking sheet. 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).

Notes

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.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1 biscotto
Amount Per Serving Calories 74Total Fat 4.1gSaturated Fat 1.6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 9mgSodium 28mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 1.4gSugar 4.5gProtein 2.2g

Did you make this recipe?

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Andrea

Saturday 6th of January 2024

This looks like a great recipe. Would it be possible to use maple syrup instead of sugar?

Camilla

Tuesday 19th of March 2024

Hi Andrea--yes!

Vic

Monday 27th of March 2023

Omg this recipe is legit I been trying new recipes with chickpea flour and I’m absolutely impressed how good this biscotti are!!! I added almond flour and chopped walnuts… I have a new obsession

Camilla

Wednesday 29th of March 2023

Whoohoo so glad you love these biscotti, Vic! I love the sound of your additions :)

Natasha

Monday 12th of December 2022

I'm making a second batch now, filled with orange zest and pistachio, for xmas presents!

Camilla

Monday 12th of December 2022

You have some very lucky recipients!!! How generous of you, and so happy you like the recipe, Natasha!

Hannah

Monday 19th of September 2022

I made a double batch of these yesterday! One of them I flavored with a half teaspoon of anise oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla and the other with powdered Earl Gray tea and vanilla extract. Both of them turned out so great! I've been searching hard for good chickpea flour recipes, so I'm thrilled to find your blog.

Camilla

Wednesday 26th of October 2022

Yum, and yum and yum. Earl grey is my favorite tea, so I am going to have to follow your lead, Hannah!

Jill

Monday 31st of May 2021

This may sound like a stupid question but when the instructions say “turn off oven and let cool completely in the pan” I’m not sure if you remove the pan from the oven to cool on the countertop or you leave it in the oven to dry out and cool. Can you please clear up my confusion? Thank you!

Camilla

Wednesday 2nd of June 2021

Hi Jill, Not a stupid question at all! I am so glad you asked because I went back and read the post and recipe--I definitely need to be more clear. I've made the changes (thank you!).

So after the first bake, remove the pan from the oven and let the biscotti log cool completely on pan, and then chill the log (turn off the oven since it will be a while until the next bake). For the second bake, you leave the biscotti in the oven on the pan to dry out.

Again, thanks Jill! I am sure other people may have had the same question.

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