Easy Anise Biscotti
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These super easy anise biscotti are a breeze to make in one bowl. They are simple yet deliciously crisp, flavorful, and amazing with your coffee.
Make a BIG batch, as they keep well and make a sweet gift too.
I’ve already shared a few biscotti recipes, including Traditional almond cantucci, simple lemon biscotti, and more festive cranberry biscotti. We love them all, especially their distinctive, oh-so-delicious, twice-baked, crunchy texture.
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And today, I thought it was time for another favorite of mine: anise biscotti.
This is one of the easiest biscotti recipes in my repertoire. You can make them in one bowl using budget-friendly staples and aniseed (or anise seeds), which have an aromatic, licorice-like sweet flavor that shines in cookies and biscotti.
All you have to do is combine the ingredients, shape the logs, bake them, then slice them into biscotti and bake them again at a lower temperature. This step is essential and creates that wonderful crispiness that only biscotti have.
Nothing fancy, no stand mixer, and no-frills ingredients.
Anise biscotti are truly simple, not overly sweet, but incredibly moreish and sure to please with their texture and flavor.
And if you haven’t baked them before, this straightforward recipe is just perfect for you. Enjoy!
List of ingredients
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Honey
- Butter
- Flour + baking powder
- Aniseed
- Orange zest
How to Make Anise Biscotti Recipe
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Mix the eggs in a bowl.
- Scoop out 1 Tbsp of beaten egg and set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and combine.
- Shape two logs and brush them with the reserved eggs.
- Bake until golden, then slice the logs into biscotti shapes.
- Bake them again at a lower temperature until crispy.
Biscotti are traditional Italian biscuits, and their name literally means twice (bis) cooked (cotti). The double-baking dries them out nicely, achieving their trademark crumbly crispness.
Anise seed biscotti ingredients
Eggs: You need two medium eggs for this recipe (about 100 grams/3.5 oz in total), and I recommend reserving a little bit (2/3 tbsp) of beaten egg to brush the logs for a golden-brown finish, which looks much better than a pale color.
Sugar: Any brown or white sugar with fine granules works well, and powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar) is excellent and dissolves very well. And we use only half a cup here, so they’re not overly sweet.
Butter: This anisette biscotti recipe calls for only 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter (30 grams), making the biscotti perfectly crunchy, but not too hard, and enjoyable for snacking even without a cup of tea. Either salted or unsalted butter works fine.
Aniseed: It’s also called anise seeds or anice, but here we are talking of the small seeds which are the dried fruits of the anise plant. They taste with hints of licorice, fennel, and star anise. They are quite popular in Italy, but in the UK and in the US you can find them on Amazon or in specialty stores. You can also use anise liquor instead of the seeds.
Flavor: Although not traditional ingredients for Italian anise biscotti, I love adding orange zest and honey, which pair so well with that wonderful anise flavor and make the biscotti extra delicious.
Anise, aniseed, or anise seeds?
Anise is the common name of the plant, while aniseed or anise seeds refer to the small seeds used in baking. Aniseed is a more common term in the UK, while anise or anise seeds is more common in the US.
TIPS FOR PERFECT anise BISCOTTI
- Don’t over-bake, or biscotti will be rock-hard!
- Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Make sure the two logs have the same size and shape.
- Brush the logs with beaten egg for a beautiful finish.
- Slice the logs when they’re still warm—not hot- to avoid crumbling!
- Either a chef’s or a serrated knife works for this recipe.
- Try to get uniformly sized biscotti.
Storage tips
They keep very well for about 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container (these types of metal tins are best for storing biscotti!), but it’s best to consume them when they’re crunchy and fresh.
More cookies & biscotti…
For more cookie recipes, check out this amazing list of Christmas cookies.
Below are a few of our favorites:
- Fig cookies (Italian cucciddati)
- Chocolate orange cookies
- 1-bowl Orange chocolate cookies
- Vegan almond biscotti
- 4-ingredient coconut cookies
- Chocolate biscotti
- Lemon biscotti
- Chocolate chip biscotti
If you make this anise biscotti recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
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Anise Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized eggs
- ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoon (30 grams) butter
- 1 orange, zest
- 1 ½ tablespoon honey
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon aniseed (aka anice seed, or 2 tsp anisette liquor)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C) and position the rack in the center. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then scoop out about ¾ tablespoon of beaten egg (for brushing the logs before baking) and set aside.
- Next, add the sugar and whisk with a fork or whisk until light in color and the sugar is fully dissolved. Then add melted butter and honey.
- Add the flour, sprinkle with baking powder, and anise seeds. Mix until the flour is incorporated and using your hands gently bring the dough together inside the bowl making sure the dough is fully combined.
- Divide the dough into two flat logs (approx 2 inches wide), arrange them apart on the baking tray, and flatten slightly. Try to make them as uniform in size and shape as possible. If you find the dough a bit sticky, simply wet your hands.
- Brush the logs with the reserved eggs to give your biscotti golden shiny color, but you can skip this step if you wish
- Bake them for about 25-30 minutes, until the surface is firm to the touch. Do not switch the oven off, as these will need to be baked again, but reduce the heat to 250℉/120℃.
- Let the logs cool on the baking tray for about 10-15 minutes, then gently slice them with a sharp knife into 1/2-inch pieces. Better if you slice them on a chopping board.
- Place the slices on the baking tray cut side down and return them to the oven for the second bake. Bake for about 10 minutes on each side, for a total of 20 minutes. Done!
