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Two walnut praline biscotti on a plate with a bowl of cookies behind.

Walnut Praline Biscotti Recipe (vegan)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Servings: 16 biscotti
Author: Tracy Halasz

Equipment

  • stand mixer
  • candy thermometer

Ingredients

Walnut Praline

  • 1 cup walnut halves (90 grams)
  • cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar (79 grams)
  • 2 tbsp water

Dough

  • 2 cups all purpose flour (280 grams)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 6 tbsp vegan butter, softened (85 grams)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
  • 6 tbsp aquafaba
  • 1 ½ tsps pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Drizzles

  • ½ cup vegan chocolate, melted
  • ½ tsp coconut oil
  • maldon finishing salt

Instructions

Walnut Praline *extra time required to toast and cool the walnuts

  • Preheat oven to 350º F. Oven rack in middle position.
  • EXTRA TIME REQUIRED for walnuts to toast and cool (can be done several days in advance)
    Toast the walnuts in a single layer on the baking sheet for 10 - 12 minutes until toasty and golden. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
  • Prepare the baking sheet with a parchment paper.
  • Put the sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottom saucepan. Stir in the water and shake to level the sugar.
  • Cook without stirring over medium-high heat until the caramel turns amber (about 8-12 minutes) ~350º F on a candy thermometer.
    *The time will vary depending on your pan and stove setting.
    **After the caramel starts to liquify and turn amber, I take the pan off the heat and swirl the liquid in the pan several times.
  • NOTE: The original recipe calls for 383º F on an instant read thermometer. I don't have an instant read and on a standard candy thermometer that made the caramel too dark for my taste.
  • Take the pan off the heat and immediately stir in the toasted walnuts using a silicone spatula. Dump onto prepared baking sheet, spreading it evenly into a single layer. Let cool completely.

Making the Dough

  • Sift the flour and baking powder.
  • Using a stand (or hand) mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (~3 minutes).
  • Add the aquafaba and vanilla and beat until blended, scraping down the sides of he bowl as needed. It may look a little curdled (separated) but not to worry.
  • Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix on slow speed just until incorporated.
  • Remove ¾ cup (195 grams) of the dough and set aside to make a blanket for the log.
  • Chop the cooled praline walnuts into bite-size pieces. Stir them into the dough in the bowl.

Shaping the Biscotti Log

  • Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
    With damp hands, shape the dough into a log ~3 x 10".
    Warning: the praline shards can be sharp so be careful when handling.
  • Lightly roll and pat the reserve dough into a blanket to cover the top and sides of the log. Moisten hands and pat and patch the dough so all praline pieces are covered.

Baking the Biscotti (first bake)

  • Place log into oven and bake for ~35 minutes until the top and sides of the log are golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
  • Reduce oven temp to 300º F.
  • Place the cooled log on a cutting board and using a sharp serrated knife cut into ½ - ¾" thick slices.
  • Place back on the baking sheet and do a second bake for 25-30 minutes (flip ½ way).
    The longer the second bake, the more dry, crunchy, hard the cookies become.
  • OPTIONAL - top each biscuit with chocolate drizzles and a few flakes of finishing salt.

Notes

Aquafaba - vegan egg replacement that acts like egg white adding structure and protein to recipe. Aquafaba is the leftover liquid in canned beans (typically chickpeas).
Store aquafaba in an air-tight container in the fridge for a week. For a longer storage, pour into ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop them out and place in a freezer bag to be used over the next several months.
Toasted Walnuts - walnuts can be toasted and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge a week or so before time.
Candy Thermometer - I used an old fashion candy thermometer so adjusted the temperature of the praline. The original recipe cooked to 383º F and used an instant read thermometer. That higher temperature was burning my caramel.
Toppings - the toppings are optional, but if you want to elevate your biscotti's decadence level, drizzle some salted caramel and/or melted chocolate on the biscotti with a pinch of Maldon salt flakes before serving.