These Almond Cranberry Cookies are delicious 5-ingredient cookies with a classic biscotti crunch filled with cranberries and almonds. They are made with no eggs, no dairy, and no wheat flour!
I love to make a ton of cookies for Christmas and I always have several cookie boxes full of many varieties of cookies, like my Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies, Almond Snowball Cookies, Easy Gingerbread Cookies, or Pumpkin Stick Cookies. It’s a bit of a familial and regional tradition where I’m from!
I have already made Vegan Biscotti but I wanted to make a different, healthier version full of cranberries. These cookie follow the same principles of baking the cookies twice for a perfect crunch.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need 5 ingredients to make these cookies.
- Almond Flour – The main base for these cookies, lending a subtly sweet and nutty flavor. For a similar texture, almond meal can be used, but it will produce a slightly grainier result. Do not swap it for all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour.
- Arrowroot Flour – This adds a lightness and helps bind the dough, giving these cookies a crisp texture. Tapioca starch or cornstarch may work as substitutes, but the texture might vary slightly.
- Melted Coconut Oil – Provides moisture and a mild richness. You can substitute it with melted plant-based butter, which will give a slightly richer flavor.
- Soft Brown Sugar – Sweetens the cookies and adds moisture. For a lower-glycemic option, coconut sugar can work well, though it may make the cookies darker.
- Dried Cranberries – Adds a chewy sweetness and tartness. Feel free to experiment with other dried fruits, like chopped dried cherries or apricots, for variety.
How to Make Almond Cranberry Cookies
Here are a few pictures of how to make these cookies. Read further down for printable instructions.
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Make a well and pour the melted coconut oil into the dry ingredients.
Add the cranberries and the optional crushed almonds.
Combine the batter with a silicone spatula.
Stir the batter until it’s moist and sticky.
Flatten the dough into a thick rectangle on a baking sheet.
Cut the dough into sticks and bake them for 20 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Take them out of the oven, let them cool down, separate them and bake them again for 10 minutes.
Carine’s Tips
I’ve included below a few more tips that didn’t fit in the recipe card.
- Make sure coconut oil is cooled – Adding hot oil can change the dough’s consistency and make it overly greasy.
- Shape with an oiled spatula or spoon – This makes handling the sticky dough much easier and gives the cookies a neat appearance.
- Use a serrated knife for cutting – When forming the biscotti-like sticks, a serrated knife cuts through the sticky dough more easily, especially with a bit of oil on the blade.
- Bake twice for extra crunch – The first bake sets the shape, while the second creates that crisp, biscotti-like texture.
- Space cookies just slightly apart – The dough will hold its shape, so a bit of separation is enough. They don’t need as much spacing as traditional cookies.
- Cool on the sheet – Allowing the cookies to cool on the baking sheet helps them harden slightly, making them easier to handle before the second bake.
- Decorate with care – If drizzling with white chocolate, wait until cookies are fully cooled, or the chocolate won’t set correctly.
- Try additional flavoring options – A dash of cinnamon or orange zest can add a holiday-inspired twist.
Serving Suggestions
These Almond Cranberry Cookies pair well with matcha latte, peppermint hot chocolate, or pumpkin spice latte, especially around the holidays. You can serve them alongside a warm drink or even gift them in a festive tin, layered with parchment paper to keep them fresh and intact.
Storage Tips
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze them in a sealed container for up to a month, separating each layer with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Did You Like This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!
Almond Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cup Almond Flour - (note 1)
- 6 tablespoon Arrowroot Flour - (note 2)
- 6 tablespoon Melted Coconut Oil - cooled, or melted plant based butter (note 3)
- ⅓ cup Soft Brown Sugar - (note 4)
- ⅓ cup Water - lukewarm, not cold
- ⅓ cup Dried Cranberries - chopped
Optional
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Roasted Almonds - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil with a cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk almond flour, arrowroot flour, and brown sugar.
- Add melted, cooled coconut oil, vanilla extract if used, and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until it looks crumbly.
- Stir and gradually add lukewarm water until it forms a sticky dough.
- Fold in the cranberries and roasted chopped almonds. Stir to incorporate.
- Now, you can shape cookie dough balls and press them down on the baking sheet, or follow the directions below to shape cookie sticks – a bit more challenging since the dough is sticky.
- Press the dough ball on the prepared baking sheet. I like to press it with a rubber spatula because the dough is super sticky and sticks to your fingers. Form a log about 10 inches in length and 1/2 inch thick. (25 cm x 1.3 cm).
- Oil the blade of a long, sharp knife, or cookie dough cutter, then cut the log crosswise (from the smallest side) into 10 sticks of about 1/2 thick (1.3 cm). The thickness matters, if too big they take ages to bake. The dough is super sticky, that's normal, oil the blade again before cutting the next cookie.
- Push each cookie dough stick from each other a little, jiggling the knife to separate them a little, you want to make sure they don't stick to each other but it is ok if they are quite close.
- Bake them 20 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until golden brown, then cool down on the baking sheet for 10 minutes without touching them at all.
- Carefully spread each cookie on the baking sheet, and bake them again for 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool again for 15 minutes on the baking sheet, and decorate them by drizzling melted white chocolate on top and sliced almonds.
Can you freeze these? Thanks
Sure, freeze in sealed airtight containers and thaw at room temperature the day before.
It looks amazingggg
This worked exactly as written, thanks everyone loves them
I’m looking forward to making these cookies. I have family that needs the gluten free items. Thank you
hi, can I use honey instead of sugar?
Not really, honey will had moisture and the dough won’t firm up and crisp as well.
ALMOND CRANBERRY COOKIES: can I use REGULAR FLOUR in this recipe or all ALMOND FLOUR?
No, sorry the recipe is created to use only almond flour. You can not use all-purpose flour here, but you can make my biscotti recipe made with regular flour, and add cranberries in them.
Are your recipes good for someone trying to lower cholesterol
It depends, most baked goods use fat that are not good for cholesterol. My salad, sides and meals could be better for you but I am not a doctor and I can’t tell if this will lower cholesterol.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!