Just because you’re following a low carb / Keto diet, doesn’t mean you have to give up delicious baked goods. This crunchy low carb Keto almond biscotti recipe is made with almond flour and a sugar substitute and is perfect to dunk in your morning coffee.
This rcipe is from a great new cookbook. The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking: Master All the Best Tricks for Low-Carb Baking Success, by Carolyn Ketchum. Carolyn blogs at All Day I Dream About Food and is the queen of low carb baking.
Carolyn posted in a FB group we’re we both a part of
Two days ago, I released the cookbook of my life, my big Keto Baking book. I poured my heart and soul into this thing, trying to essentially make it so comprehensive, it would be like the America’s Test Kitchen of keto baking.
How could I not buy the cookbook and try the recipes after that!
My husband loves almond treats, so when I saw the Almond Biscotti recipe in the cookbook, I knew he’d like it. You could even call it a triple almond biscotti, there are almonds on top, almond extract in the batter, and almond flour instead of wheat flour.
The cookbook has lots of great info about cooking with almond flour, and Carolyn has lots of Low Carb Baking With Almond Flour tips on her site.
Baking Low Carb Keto Almond Biscotti
Carolyn mentions in the recipe tip, an erythritol-based sweetener like Swerve is the key to getting these biscotti to crisp up properly. Carolyn has a great ingredients section in the front of the cookbook that explains the ingredients you’ll use in low carb baking, including erythritol sweeteners.
I rarely bake with artificial sweeteners and this was my first time baking with Swerve. I like that the biscotti didn’t have a funny artificial taste from the Swerve, however, both my husband and I had the odd mouth-cooling sensation that Carolyn talks about in the Erythirotol section. Just something to be aware of if you haven’t baked with erythritol before.
Since almond flour can be difficult to measure from the little pouch it comes in, I decided to weigh my almond flour to make it easier to measure. Fortunately, Carolyn gives the almond flour measurement in grams in the cookbook.
The dough comes together quickly and easily. Just be sure and press the almonds firmly into the dough so they stay in place better.
One change I did make was to cut the biscotti into 12 pieces instead of 14. It was just easier for me to visualize.
First, cut the biscotti in half, cut each half in half, and then cut each quarter into thirds and you’ll have 12 pieces.
The ends of my biscotti were already pretty brown, so my husband and I sampled those instead of putting them back into the oven for the second cook time to crisp up the biscotti. (They really were looking too irresistible.)
Carolyn has lots of other fun low carb biscotti recipes on her site you’ll want to be sure and check out.
I like that the recipes in The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking use mostly easy-to-find everyday ingredients. I’ve booked marked several other recipes that I want to try, including the Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Berries, Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Glaze, and Fresh Herb and Ricotta Scones.
If you are trying to cut some carbs from your diet, you’re going to want to add this cookbook to your collection.
Low Carb Keto Almond Biscotti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups 200 g almond flour
- ⅓ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon butter melted but not hot, divided
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Stir in ¼ cup melted butter, egg, and almond extract until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and form into a low, flat log, about 10 x 4 inches. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter and firmly press the sliced almonds into the top.
- Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250F.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log crosswise into 12 slices. (A straight up and down motion works better than sawing back and forth). Place the slices back on the baking sheet. Bake another 15 minutes, then carefully flip them over. Turn off the oven and let the biscotti sit inside until cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Chris
I did not have straight erythritol in the house. Had a xylitol/erythritol blend and some Madhava (allulose, monk fruit blend). Used the Madhava and the biscotti were a disaster; did not crisp up and were very gritty and tasteless. (Even using pure almond flavoring). Word to the wise: apparently it is necessary to use straight erythritol to obtain the desired result. I will try again another day.
Carolyn
I’m also going to post an actual review of the medical data on erythritol for people’s edification…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027869159800091X
Final line of the abstract: It can be concluded, based on the available studies that erythritol did not produce evidence of toxicity.
Carolyn
Hi Leda and Loretta – I think you both need to do more research on erythritol, as it’s actually NOT a “chemical food” and is found naturally in fruits and fermented foods. Mercola’s article is not very well researched either and it’s complete clickbait (as is much of his work), and I have done extensive research on alternative sweeteners. Sugar is far more dangerous, especially to me as a diabetic, than erythritol.
I have been using Swerve for almost 10 years with no averse effects. I don’t take things like this lightly as someone in the health field. Here are some more articles you should read which do a much more balanced look at the subject…
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/erythritol#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318392#erythritol-and-digestive-ailments
Carolyn
Barbara! Thank you… I am not even sure I realized you did this review! And I apologize that a few folks gave you a hard time about Swerve, when in fact it’s one of the safest sugar alternatives on the market. Much healthier than sugar and certainly far less dangerous to some of us with health issues like diabetes. 🙂
Barbara Schieving
Congratulations on a terrific cookbook!
loretta
I would have loved to try these biscotti’s, but will not be wanting to use the Swerve at all. Surely there are better alternatives for sweetener for keto diets. After all isn’t the objective to be healthy? What You Need to Know About Erythritol – https://articles.mercola.com/erythritol.aspx
Pretty serious information.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Loretta – I’m confident that Carolyn is comfortable using erythritol or she wouldn’t recommend it. I didn’t find anything troubling in the article you linked to, just one opinion, and overall what I got from the article was overconsuming sugar and artificial sugars is the problem.
Leda
I am glad to read the critique on a chemical “food” that is concerning. Frankly, Barbara if your confident without researching current knowledge on SWERVE then you have no leg to stand on. Further, disappointed for you lack of integrity here I am done. Forget my interest, as HEALTH First matters, especially now with COVID!
This response Barbara is simply very sad. In 2020 with Drumpf researching all the facts matter most of all.
Kris
These were fantastic! You can always just use regular sugar or coconut sugar as a substitute if you don’t want swerve… simple as that! Happy baking!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kris – so nice to hear you loved them. I agree, use whatever sugar you are comfortable using.
Carolyn
Hi Leda and Loretta – I think you both need to do more research on erythritol, as it’s actually NOT a “chemical food” and is found naturally in fruits and fermented foods. Mercola’s article is not very well researched either and it’s complete clickbait (as is much of his work), and I have done extensive research on alternative sweeteners. Sugar is far more dangerous, especially to me as a diabetic, than erythritol.
I have been using Swerve for almost 10 years with no averse effects. I don’t take things like this lightly as someone in the health field. Here are some more articles you should read which do a much more balanced look at the subject…
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/erythritol#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318392#erythritol-and-digestive-ailments
Chris
Mercola is sincere. I’m in the health care field and have been following him for more than a decade. Even experts differ in their opinions. We often have to choose the lesser of two evils. And what works for one is not necessarily the best choice for someone else. Glad the erythritol is working for you!
Carol
Well those look downright delicious! You would never guess they’re low carb.
My son in law has been doing low carb-not really Keto-for a while now and has lost over 40 pounds. He’s cut out most sugar, potatoes, rice, bread, pasta…it’s become a lifestyle change for him now. I don’t know if I could ever give up all that he’s given up, but he looks and feels great.
I’ll have to tell Robin about these-I know she has almond flour……
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Carol! Let me know if she gives them a try.