These cranberry biscotti with orange and white chocolate are crisp, slightly sweet, and full of festive flavor. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, gifting, or dipping in tea and coffee. They stay fresh for weeks.

Hand dipping a cranberry orange biscotti with white chocolate into a cup of coffee.

“Biscotti” means “twice baked” in Italian, and it’s also the general word for cookies. While Americans call these biscotti, in Italy they are traditionally known as cantucci.  

The classic version is made with almonds, but I like to bake a big batch every couple of weeks and switch up the flavors. Today I’m sharing a seasonal twist: cranberry orange biscotti with white chocolate.

They are crisp and fragrant, with tart dried cranberries, bright orange zest, and a drizzle of white chocolate.

Recipe Highlights

  • Easy to make: The dough comes together in one bowl, no mixer is required.
  • Customizable: Add nuts, chocolate chips, or other dried fruits.
  • Perfect for gifting: These white chocolate biscotti stay fresh for weeks, making them ideal for cookie boxes or edible gifts. Pair them with baci di dama or flourless chocolate cookies for a festive assortment.

Key Ingredients & Easy Swaps

  • Four: All-purpose flour gives the best texture. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but a 1:1 blend should work.
  • Eggs: Act as a binder, holding the biscotti together and giving them structure. I always use large, room-temperature eggs.
  • Sugar and honey: This combination makes the cookies slightly softer and chewier. Honey can be replaced with all sugar if preferred.
  • Orange zest: Lemon zest or vanilla extract can be used instead.
  • Dried cranberries: Unsweetened, or try dried cherries or craisins.
  • White chocolate: Chopped white chocolate or good-quality chocolate chips. You can also skip the drizzle or swap it with dark or milk chocolate.

See the recipe card below for a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.

How to Make Cranberry Biscotti

  1. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then stir in the eggs and honey until the dough comes together. Fold in the cranberries. The dough might look crumbly at first, but keep kneading, and it will become softer and slightly sticky.
  2. Shape and bake: Form the dough into a log and bake until lightly golden.
  3. Slice and bake: Let the log cool briefly, then slice and bake until crisp.
  4. Drizzle with white chocolate: Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the cooled biscotti. Let it set before serving.
Cranberry biscotti cooling on a wire rack.
Cranberry biscotti drizzled with white chocolate on a wire rack.

Recipe Variations

  • Different fruits: Add diced dried apricots, figs, pineapple, papaya, cherries, or crystallized ginger for a new flavor.
  • Nuts: Almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts add crunch.
  • Chocolate chips: White, dark, or semi-sweet chips work beautifully. For a fun twist, try butterscotch or peanut butter chips.
  • Mix & match: Combine any of the above to create your own holiday biscotti recipe.

Elena’s Tips

  • Bring the eggs to room temperature for even mixing.
  • Measure the flour correctly with a kitchen scale or the spoon-and-level method.
  • The dough is rather crumbly at first. Keep kneading, and it will come together.
  • If the dough is sticky when shaping, slightly wet your hands.
  • Adjust the second bake to your preferred texture: shorter for softer cookies or a bit longer for extra crispness.
  • Let the baked log cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
  • Slice with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.

How to Store & Freeze

Storage: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Freezing: Freeze plain biscotti (without the white chocolate drizzle) in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then drizzle with chocolate if desired.

Close-up of crunchy cranberry orange biscotti with white chocolate drizzle.

More Festive Recipes

If you’ve made these festive cranberry biscotti, leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to know how they turned out for you.

Cranberry orange biscotti placed on a cooling rack, drizzled with tempting white chocolate for an extra touch of sweetness and visual appeal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

How To Make It: Cranberry Biscotti with Orange and White Chocolate

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies
(5 stars) 2 ratings
These cranberry biscotti with orange and white chocolate are crisp, slightly sweet, and easy to make. Perfect for holiday baking, gifting, or enjoying with coffee and tea.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups + 1 tablespoon (250 g) all-purpose flour sifted
  • ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (175 g) granulated sugar
  • 1½ tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • the zest of 1 orange grated
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup (125 g) unsweetened dried cranberries

For the white chocolate drizzle:

  • 3 oz (90 g) white chocolate chopped

Equipment

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Mix the dough

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar.
  2. Add the eggs, honey, and orange zest, and stir until a crumbly mixture forms. Mix in the dried cranberries.
  3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and slightly sticky.

Shape and bake

  1. Shape the dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) long, 2-inch (5 cm) wide log.
  2. Place the log on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Slice and second bake

  1. Remove from the oven and let the log cool for about 10 minutes.
  2. Place it on a cutting board and, using a sharp, serrated knife, cut it diagonally into ½-inch (1.5 cm) slices.
  3. Return the slices to the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp.
  4. White chocolate drizzle
  5. Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 15-second increments, stirring after each one, until smooth.
  6. Transfer to a pastry bag with a small round tip, or use a Ziploc bag with one corner snipped off.
  7. Drizzle over the cooled biscotti and refrigerate briefly until set.

Notes

  • Flour: All-purpose works best.
  • Honey: You can also replace it with all sugar.
  • Cranberries: Substitute with other dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, or mix-and-match your favorite combination.
  • Storage: Keep the biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. 
  • Freezing: Freeze plain biscotti (without the white chocolate drizzle) in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then drizzle with chocolate if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 118 kcal, Carbohydrates: 23.4 g, Protein: 2.2 g, Fat: 1.8 g, Saturated Fat: 0.9 g, Cholesterol: 18 mg, Sodium: 10 mg, Fiber: 0.6 g, Sugar: 13.1 g
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #aseasyasapplepie. We’d love to see what you come up with!
Author: Elena Tomasi
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: Italian