Red Velvet Biscotti

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5 from 2 votes

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These red velvet biscotti are incredibly easy to make thanks to the red velvet cake mix. Perfect with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa!

Red velvet biscotti on a heart shaped plate.

YOU WILL LOVE HOW EASY THIS BISCOTTI RECIPE IS

If there’s a type of recipe I’ve made the most from my site, believe it or not, it’s biscotti. While there are over 125 cookie recipes on my site, biscotti are my absolute favorite to make (and eat!).

I often find that people struggle with biscotti because the dough seems hard to work with, but it’s really not. I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me they gave up on bringing their biscotti dough together because it was too crumbly, but this is where the magic happens.

Because biscotti are meant to be crunchy, there isn’t a whole lot of moisture in the dough. This can steer people away from making them because it gives off “difficult” vibes, but if you trust my recipe and my process, you will be delighted to find a crisp and flavorful accompaniment for your coffee or tea on the other side of your kitchen adventure.

Aerial photo of red velvet biscotti on a heart shaped plate.

This version of the recipe I typically use for all of my biscotti stars with a box of cake mix, which makes it super simple to bring together. In fact, if you have a box of red velvet cake mix in your pantry, you are likely all set to make these biscotti.

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And because it starts with a box mix, you don’t even need any red food coloring. 

WHAT ARE BISCOTTI?

Biscotti are Italian almond biscuits (also known individually as biscotto) that are typically oblong-shaped, slightly dry, and twice-baked for extra crunch. Because of their dry nature, they are often (almost always!) accompanied by a cup of coffee or tea. 

I happen to have several biscotti recipes on my site. If you’d like to try your hand at some more variations, be sure to check out my traditional anise biscotti, chocolate chip biscotti, white chocolate chip pistachio biscotti, or snickerdoodle biscotti.


RED VELVET BISCOTTI RECIPE INGREDIENTS

This particular biscotti recipe starts with a box of red velvet cake mix, and the rest of the ingredients are probably ones you have on hand already!

Aerial photo for ingredients for red velvet biscotti with text overlay.

For this red velvet biscotti recipe, you will need:
• unsalted butter
• vegetable or canola oil
• egg
• vanilla extract
• red velvet cake mix
• all-purpose flour
• salt
• white chocolate chips and sprinkles (optional)

HOW TO MAKE RED VELVET BISCOTTI

STEP #1

Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Lightly flour the middle and set this aside.

STEP #2

Start by whisking together the melted butter, oil, egg, and vanilla extract until combined, then set this mixture aside.

STEP #3

Next, toss together the red velvet cake mix, flour, and salt.

STEP #4

Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with a large wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula until everything starts to come together. The mixture will be very crumbly, and this is ok. It will come together in the next step.

STEP #5

Turn the biscotti dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and, with floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangle about ½” thick. My rectangle is always 6″ wide and 8″ long (using a ruler or a ruled silicone baking mat is helpful here).

STEP #6

Brush entire slab (top and sides) with egg wash.

STEP #7

Bake the dough slab for 18 minutes, or until the slab looks set. Remove from the oven, but do not turn off the heat, and place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

STEP #8

Once the dough is cool enough to touch, cut it into 1″ thick slices using a sharp knife. Cut these 1″ slices in half, making a perpendicular slice down the entire slab.

STEP #9

Set individual slices cut sides up on the baking sheet.

STEP #10

Return the baking sheet to the oven to bake for 6 minutes, then remove the biscotti from oven, turn each biscotto over, and bake the other side for 6 minutes.

STEP #11

Once cool, decorate with white chocolate and colorful sprinkles, if desired.

YES, THE DOUGH WILL BE CRUMBLY

I get comments all the time that people gave up bringing their dough together because “there wasn’t enough moisture.” Yes, there is. I promise that there is! I make biscotti all the time and always with the same wet ingredients.

​As I mentioned, biscotti are meant to be crunchy cookies, so the dough itself is quite dry. Trust that it will come together and be patient while you bring it all together with your hands (just like pie crust or biscuit dough). 

HOW DO YOU SERVE BISCOTTI?

Biscotti are best served with a cup of milk, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or even wine. Personally, I like to eat my biscotti with my morning coffee or milk because I am a total dunker, but you can eat them with whatever warm or cold beverage you prefer. 

CAN I FREEZE BISCOTTI?

You can freeze biscotti to make ahead of time or to bake on-demand when you’re feeling the urge! 

​Freeze biscotti fully baked for up to 3 months. Thaw uncovered at room temperature to prevent sogginess. 

If you want to freeze biscotti before baking, you can freeze them once they’ve cooled from their first bake and slice. Bake on demand by the individual biscotto or as a whole batch by picking back up with the recipe at step 7.

SUCCESS TIPS

It is so important to keep in mind that the biscotti get a lot harder and drier as they cool. Don’t wait for them to be completely hardened from the oven or you’ll wind up with rock hard or burned biscotti.

Resist the urge to add any wet ingredients or another egg into the biscotti dough. I promise that the recipe works as written as I’ve made biscotti from this base recipe dozens and dozens of times. 

If you want longer biscotti, you can skip the vertical slice down the center. Bake time will be the same, but you will have fewer cookies.

A stack of red velvet biscotti on a plate with milk in the background.

RED VELVET BISCOTTI RECIPE FAQs

If your biscotti aren’y crunchy, you either didn’t bake them long enough, or you added wet ingredients to the dough because you thought it was too dry.

Biscotti are supposed to be hard. This is not a personal preference but rather a staple. If you don’t like crunchy cookies, biscotti may not be for you!

Biscotti are often made without any butter or oil at all. I personally prefer a little bit of both to bring some buttery flavor and also some moisture without making the biscotti moist. Just a touch of each ingredient gives structure and flavor without making the dough too wet. 

Biscotti dough is supposed to be crumbly and dry. Use your hands to bring it together into a slab and trust that the recipe and ingredient list are written exactly as intended.

Aerial photo of red velvet biscotti on a heart shaped plate.
5 from 2 votes
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Easy Red Velvet Biscotti Recipe

These red velvet biscotti are incredibly easy to make thanks to the red velvet cake mix. Perfect with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa!
Prep Time10 minutes
Bake Time30 minutes
Cooling Time10 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Recipe Author Lynn April
Servings: 16 cookies

Ingredients

BISCOTTI

  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter melted
  • 3 Tablespoons (42mL) vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 and ¼ cup (200g) red velvet cake mix
  • ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water optional

DECORATION

  • 2 ounces (57g) white chocolate chips or chopped bar optional
  • festive sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ªC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Lightly flour the baking sheet and set aside.
  • In a medium size bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Set aside.
    1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, 3 Tablespoons (42mL) vegetable or canola oil, 1 large egg, 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • In a large bowl, toss together the red velvet cake mix, flour, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with a large wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula until everything starts to come together. Mixture will be crumbly. This is ok. It will come together in the next step.
    1 and ¼ cup (200g) red velvet cake mix, ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • Check out this Instagram reel to see how I make my biscotti. Turn dough out onto lightly floured baking sheet and, with floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangle about ½" thick. My rectangle is always 6" wide and 8" long (using a ruler or a ruled silicone baking mat is helpful here). Brush entire slab (top and sides) with egg wash.
    1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
  • Bake the dough slab for 18 minutes, or until the slab looks set. Remove from the oven, but do not turn off the heat. Place baking sheet on a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  • Once the dough is cool enough to touch, cut into 1" thick slices1 using a sharp knife. Cut these 1" slices in half, making a perpendicular slice down the entire slab. Set slices cut sides up on the baking sheet.
  • Return baking sheet to the oven to bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven, turn biscotti over, and bake the other side for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet (cookies will become crunchy as they cool). Transfer biscotti to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Decorate with white chocolate and sprinkles, if desired. You can also leave them plain or give a simple dusting of powdered sugar. Biscotti stay fresh in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. Baked biscotti may be frozen2 up to 3 months.
    2 ounces (57g) white chocolate chips or chopped bar, festive sprinkles

Notes

  1. Slicing the slab: I like to cut off each end of the slab so that every piece has an exposed side. See photos in the post above for an example.
  2. Freeze biscotti: you can freeze fully baked biscotti or freeze after slicing and before baking individual biscotti on their sides. Take care moving the biscotti as they will be slightly fragile until they’re fully baked. 
Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

 

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6 Comments

  1. I can understand Matt not wanting to share more than one of these – they look and sound delicious! I love how easy you have made these by using a cake mix! I would never have thought you could use a cake mix to bake biscotti! You are a genius Lynn!
    Definitely sending the love from Australia to our US friends in this strange time <3 <3

  2. 5 stars
    ( Uses a megaphone )TRUST THE PROCESS !!!
    This is truly not a difficult recipe to make at all. I measured ingredients by weight for extra accuracy. I followed the instructions exactly as described, and besides my own decorating skills being a flop, these were delicious! It is crumbly, yes. After using a spatula I then used my hands and “smooshed” the crumbles together more before forming on the baking pan. My forming was a tad uneven but overall this came out great!
    Again. I repeat. TRUST THE PROCESS
    I will absolutely be making more biscotti from Lynn! Another great recipe from you!.

    1. Haha! MY favorite review ever! Thanks so much, Monica! I hope you love all of the biscotti recipes as much as we do 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing your recipes. I made the red velvet biscotti. It was easy to make and directions were very easy to follow. I recommend this recipe to try. It looked good and tasted nice
    Leanne Fry