Red Velvet Biscotti
Give coffee time a festive makeover with a batch of these Red Velvet Biscotti!
This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
It’s hard to beat a good mid-morning or mid-afternoon cup of coffee. Sure, I make a cup in the morning when I first wake up, and that coffee tastes delicious. But in those early hours, I’m still waking up and preparing for the day ahead. By mid-morning? Now I can have that cup of coffee and truly appreciate the taste!
If you want to take coffee time to a new level, then serve that mug of steamin’ joe with a biscotti. And not one of those store-bought biscotti in the plastic wrappers. Homemade biscotti! Surprisingly, biscotti are not too difficult to make at home. After all, biscotti are basically cookies…just in a different shape.
Red Velvet Biscotti
Whether you’re looking for a fun treat for Valentine’s Day or Christmas, or you’re just looking to mix things up a bit, a batch of these Red Velvet Biscotti will do the trick. They’re festive…and more importantly delicious!
To make these Red Velvet Biscotti, I started with my go-to biscotti recipe and gave it a red velvet makeover. Red velvet treats are known for their bright red color. In times past, the reaction of cocoa powder with vinegar and buttermilk would give red velvet desserts their signature color. Nowadays, partly thanks to Adams Extract Company, red food coloring is most often used to bring that bright red color.
In addition to the red food coloring, these biscotti also include cocoa powder. After all, chocolate is the primary flavor of red velvet treats. To offset the addition of the dry cocoa powder, a bit of cream goes into the batter as well. Once the batter is made, that’s when the fun part begins!
Biscotti comes from Latin, and it means “twice baked.” Initially the batter is shaped into a large rectangle. After baking for 25 minutes, you essentially have a large cookie. That cookie is then sliced into long, thin strips and baked again until it turns crispy. That’s it. Homemade biscotti.
Cream Cheese Drizzle
Red velvet desserts are almost always paired with cream cheese frosting, and I wanted to bring that iconic flavor to these Red Velvet Biscotti. Once the biscotti cooled, I drizzled them with a simple mixture of cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and cream. The taste is spot on! (Note: The moisture from the frosting will soften the biscotti if you let them sit too long. I recommend drizzling the frosting on top of the biscotti shortly before serving.)
American Style Biscotti
Biscotti originated in the Italian city of Prato. The European version of biscotti are very dry, and the cookies (or biscuits) are traditionally dipped into a dessert wine called vin santo. While American biscotti bear many similarities to the European version, they do include a bit of butter. The result is a crumblier cookie that can be eaten by itself.
American biscotti are still on the dry side (as compared to say a chocolate chip cookie) which is why they go well with a cup of coffee. So give that mid-morning cup of coffee a festive makeover with a batch of these Red Velvet Biscotti! Happy baking!
How to Store Leftover Biscotti
Leftover biscotti can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you know you will have leftovers, I recommend waiting and drizzling the cream cheese glaze on top before serving. (Just keep the glaze in a bag in the fridge and drizzle it on before serving.)
Biscotti also freeze well. Just place the unfrosted biscotti in a freezer bag and store for up to 4 months. Let thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving.
I hope you enjoy this festive treat as much as we do around our house! Cheers!
Did you bake this Red Velvet Biscotti recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Red Velvet Biscotti
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Biscotti
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ Tbsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp red food coloring i.e., 1 ounce
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ Tbsp white vinegar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Red Velvet Biscotti
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set pan aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~3-4 minutes on medium speed).
- Add cocoa powder, salt and baking powder; mix until well combined.
- Add eggs, whipping cream, food coloring, vanilla extract and vinegar; mix until well combined.
- Add flour; mix until well combined.
- Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet. Shape dough into a 5”x10” rectangle. (Tip: The red food coloring will leave your hands red. To prevent this, wear disposable gloves.)
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Transfer biscotti to a cutting board and slice crosswise into 5”x¾” pieces. Place each piece cut-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Continue baking for 25-30 more minutes, or until biscotti are slightly crispy to the touch.
- Let biscotti cool for 5 minutes on pan before transferring to wire racks until completely cool.
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- Using a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth.
- Using a piping bag with a small round tip (or a ziptop bag with one tiny corner snipped off), drizzle the glaze over the cooled biscotti.
Looking for more red velvet recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me and I love chocolate BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
I know you love chocolate, Ramya, so you should definitely make these biscotti!
Beautiful! Did you know there’s red cocoa?! I bought some but haven’t used it yet. I am pretty sure it’s not this red!!!
Hmmm – I knew about red chocolate, but I’ve never heard of red cocoa. I guess it makes perfect sense. I think red chocolate is more of a burgundy color, but I’ve heard it has a super deep flavor. Might be fun to use that for these biscotti!
wow these are red! I love a red velvet cake so these must be good too! Yum to the cream cheese glaze.
cheers
sherry
Yup – the red food coloring definitely gives it a bright red color. Valentine’s Day is coming up, though, so it’s a fun recipe for the season! Thanks, Sherry!
Love the colour David and the cream cheese glaze. I’ve made biscotti a few times but yours really have me intrigued. Looking forward to making these.
You should absolutely try this recipe, Pauline! The cream cheese glaze will soften the biscotti if you try to store them in a container, though…so just add it before you serve. I absolutely love baking “American style” biscotti at home!
I have a very interesting relationship with the Red Velvet. I’m not a huge fan of the cake itself (a tad too boring to my liking). On the other hand, I love when the idea is represented in the form of other treats and concoctions like cookies, truffles, and even crepes. I told you it’s interesting haha! So these biscotti are right up my alley – and they look stunning!
You should try baking a batch of these biscotti at home, Ben – I love homemade biscotti!
What a beautiful vivid red color, and such a creative recipe, David! Never would’ve thought of red velvet biscotti, but it totally makes sense!
This recipe combines two favorites into one…and it’s perfect for this time of the year with Valentine’s Day approaching quickly. Thanks, Michelle!
Wow – these are stunning! Yes! Totally agree – that cup (or 2) AFTER the first “wake me up” cup are indeed to be savored – and what better way than with one of these STUNNING biscotti!
Haha – the first cup of coffee doesn’t even count. It’s the wake up cup. Then the next one is when I get to savor the flavor…which means it’s perfect to pair with homemade biscotti! 🙂
I love how you’ve transformed a classic coffee-time treat into something festive! Red Velvet Biscotti is such a fun twist, and I’m all about adding that cream cheese drizzle—such an iconic pairing.
I have no idea why red velvet + cream cheese frosting go so well together…but I can’t imagine one without the other!