Description
Made with gluten free oat flour, creamy nut butter, and plenty of festive cranberries, this Vegan Cranberry Cookies Recipe is a better-for-you cranberry cookie perfect for every occasion. Whip up a batch for holiday parties, tasty gifts, on-the-go snacks, or even quick breakfasts!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup to 2 cups (195 grams) gluten free oat flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch or cornstarch (about 35 grams; see notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of ground ginger
- 1/2 cup creamy nut butter or sunflower seed butter (thick and well-stirred, not oily)
- 1/2 cup fine sugar or sugar substitute
- 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
- 4 Tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 Tablespoons non-dairy milk, divided
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup sparkling sugar or sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the oat flour, arrowroot starch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the nut butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
- Pour in the molasses and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Gradually, in batches, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The batter will be very thick.
- Mix in 4 Tablespoons of milk and scrape the batter down from the sides of the bowl. Fold in the dried cranberries.
- Add an additional 3-4 Tablespoons of milk, and gently mix until the batter is firm enough to roll into a large ball. If the batter is too thick, add an additional Tablespoon of milk. If the batter is too thin, place it in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes.
- Place the ¼ cup sparkling sugar in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
- Roll cookie dough, 1 Tablespoon each, into balls. Roll each ball in the sparkling sugar and place on a cookie sheet, pressing down slightly.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. For chewier/softer cookies, bake for 11-12 minutes. For crispy cookies, bake longer or about 14 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Troubleshooting Note – If your cookies spread too much, the dough is likely too soft. Mix in 1–2 Tablespoons oat flour or chill the dough for 20–30 minutes before baking. Oat flour and nut butter brands vary—start with less liquid and add only as needed.
Texture Tips – I love using tapioca flour as a substitute for arrowroot, but it’s more sensitive to flour measurements and can cause extra spreading if the dough is too soft. We retested this recipe using cornstarch as a backup option with great results—choose arrowroot or cornstarch for more structure, or tapioca if you prefer a chewier cookie.
Storage Tips: Portion raw cookie dough into balls (without sugar coating) and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 20 minutes or until firm. Transfer frozen dough balls to an airtight container or ziplock bag and return to the freezer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 111
- Sugar: 10.1 g
- Sodium: 169.3 mg
- Fat: 3.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
