Chestnut flour has a low GI and also naturally has a sweet tendency, so it is perfect if you happen to need something to keep you going in the afternoon but can’t eat much sugar.
Instead of the regular white sugar, I used mostly honey and some raw sugar for this recipe. The key to any biscotti recipe of course is the double-cooking (biscotti literally means “twice cooked”): the first as a loaf, which then gets sliced while still warm, then the slices are put back in the oven to crisp up and harden, making them perfect for dipping into a warm drink.
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Holiday Season Treat – Chestnut Flour Biscotti
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 20 biscotti 1x
Description
These chestnut flour biscotti are naturally sweetened with honey and raw sugar, featuring a delightful crunch from walnuts and dried figs. Perfect for dipping into a warm drink.
Ingredients
- 200 gr of chestnut flour
- 100 gr of plain, wholemeal or spelt flour
- 3 eggs
- 75 gr of honey
- 25 gr of raw sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 70 gr of walnuts, shelled and chopped roughly
- 70 gr of dried figs, chopped roughly
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- A splash of vin santo or any other dessert wine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Sift the chestnut flour and your choice of plain, wholemeal, or spelt flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and mix well.
- Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Crack the eggs into the well and beat them lightly, incorporating them gradually into the flour mixture.
- Add the honey and raw sugar to the mixture, stirring until well combined.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts and dried figs, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape the dough into a loaf and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the loaf is firm to the touch and lightly golden.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. While still warm, slice the loaf into 1 cm thick slices.
- Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet and return them to the oven.
- Bake for an additional 20 minutes, turning the slices halfway through, until they are crisp and golden brown.
- Allow the biscotti to cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing.
Notes
- Chestnut flour has no gluten, so it needs to be mixed with another flour like plain, wholemeal, or spelt.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container to keep them crisp.
- These biscotti make a lovely gift for the holiday season.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscotti
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 40
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 30
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Italian Castagnaccio Cake
- Pistachio Orange Biscotti
- Sicilian Specialties: Reginelle Biscotti
- Tuscan Specialties: Cantucci Biscotti and Vin Santo
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t you make biscotti from 100% chestnut flour?
Chestnut flour contains no gluten, so on its own it won’t form a dough that holds together and slices cleanly. The recipe mixes 200g of chestnut flour with 100g of plain, wholemeal, or spelt flour to provide the structure needed for the biscotti loaf. 
What does the double-baking process actually do?
The first bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 minutes cooks the loaf through. While still warm, it is sliced into 1 cm pieces, laid flat, and returned to the oven for another 20 minutes — turning halfway — to crisp and harden each slice. The article notes that “biscotti” literally means “twice cooked.”
Why does this recipe use honey and raw sugar instead of white sugar?
The article explains that chestnut flour already has a natural sweetness and a low GI, so using 75g of honey and just 25g of raw sugar keeps the sweetness level in check and complements the flour’s inherent flavor rather than masking it with plain refined sugar.
