Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy with tart cranberries, sweet orange and rich dark chocolate. They're made with almond flour, almond butter and coconut oil, so they're grain-free and dairy-free. They also make a great addition to your holiday cookie exchange!

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I have a serious love for Cranberry + Chocolate + Orange.

While I enjoy gingerbread and peppermint for the holidays, cranberries, chocolate and orange have a special place in my holiday heart. The smell of the tart and sweet combo gets my taste buds tingling and reminds me of Christmas.

And when it's in chocolate chip cookie form, even better. So, naturally, I love these holiday cookie bars I'm sharing today.

Why you'll love these fresh cranberry chocolate chip cookies too

• They're bars, which are much easier to make than drop cookies.
• They're soft and chewy, just like a chocolate chip cookie.
• Lots of rich, dark, melty chocolate chips.
• A punch of festive flavour from the cranberries and orange.
• They're gluten-free and dairy-free.
• You can make them now and freeze them for the holidays.

Ingredients for these cranberry cookie bars

• Cane sugar
• Almond butter
• Coconut oil
• Eggs
• Orange zest
• Vanilla
• Almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Baking soda and salt
• Fresh cranberries
• Dark chocolate chips

How to make almond flour cranberry cookies

You'll need a few bowls, a 9-inch baking pan (greased or lined with parchment paper) and an electric mixer. It might sound involved, but these cookies are super easy to make in a few simple steps.

• Add your sugar, almond butter and coconut oil to a large bowl and cream together using your electric mixer.
• Beat in the eggs (one at a time), orange zest and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the almond and coconut flours, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet mixture and mix on medium speed until well combined.
• Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips.

• Spread the cookie dough out into your prepared pan and bake on 375F for 23-26 minutes, or until the edges pull away and the top is brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

FAQs

• How do I store these cookies made with almond flour? Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
• Can I freeze these almond flour cookies? Yes, just let them cool fully, then cut into squares and place them in a freezer safe container, either in a single layer or in between sheets of wax or parchment paper. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, just leave at room temperature for a few hours.
• Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh cranberries? Absolutely!
• Can I use frozen cranberries? Yes, but I would defrost them first and pat them dry. Be careful mixing them into the batter as they may be a bit soft.
• Can I use butter instead of coconut oil? Unfortunately, I haven't tested this recipe with butter but if you give it a try, please let me know how it turns out.
• Can I use another type of sugar other than cane sugar? Coconut sugar or brown sugar will work as replacements, but the bars will be darker and have a hint of caramel.
• I don't have almond butter, what can I use as a replacement? Any kind of natural nut or seed butter should work as a replacement, however they will change the taste of the cookies.

Additional recipe tips and suggestions

• Your coconut oil should be very soft, but not melted. You want it to cream together with the sugar and almond butter easily.
• Ensure your cold ingredients (such as eggs, almond flour, almond butter) are brought to room temperature. If they are still cold, they may cause the coconut oil to harden.
• I sprinkled some turbinado sugar on the cookies before baking, but that's completely optional. You can also use flaked sea salt.
• If you like your cookies on the softer side, you'll want to bake them for around 23-24 minutes. If you like your cookies firmer, bake them for 25-26 minutes. They will also firm up in the pan as they cool.
• This recipe calls for a 9-inch square pan, but you can also use an 8-inch square pan for a thicker cookie. Just increase the baking time by a few minutes.
• To cut the cookies out easily, I suggest lining your baking pan with parchment paper. Once baked, let the cookies cool completely and use the edges of the parchment paper to lift them out of the pan and onto your cutting surface.

More cranberry orange recipes

• Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins are perfect for busy holiday mornings. They're made with whole wheat flour, oats, orange, fresh cranberries and dark chocolate chunks.
• Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies are great for a Christmas cookie exchange, with orange cranberry filling and dark chocolate drizzle. They're also grain-free and dairy-free.
• You can also find other delicious cranberry combinations over on my Cranberry page.

If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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📖 Recipe

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy with tart cranberries, sweet orange and rich dark chocolate. They're made with almond flour, almond butter and coconut oil, so they're grain-free and dairy-free.

5 from 20 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Author: Leanne

Ingredients

• ▢ ¾ cup cane sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup natural almond butter, room temperature
• ▢ ¼ cup virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, softened (but not melted)
• ▢ 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 2 tablespoons orange zest, about half an orange
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups almond flour
• ▢ ¼ cup coconut flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¾ cup fresh cranberries
• ▢ ½ cup dark chocolate chips, dairy-free

Instructions

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Pre-heat oven to 375F and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, almond butter and coconut oil using an electric mixer.
• Beat in one egg at a time, orange zest and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the almond and coconut flours, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and mix on medium-speed until combined.
• Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips.
• Spread the dough out into the prepared pan and bake for 23-26 minutes, or until the edges pull away and the top is brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool in pan before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

1. Your coconut oil should be very soft, but not melted. You want it to cream together with the sugar and almond butter easily.
2. Ensure your cold ingredients are brought to room temperature. If they are still cold, they may cause the coconut oil to harden.
3. If you like your cookies on the softer side, bake for 23-24 minutes. If you like your cookies firmer, bake for 25-26 minutes. They will also firm up in the pan as they cool.
4. You can also use an 8-inch square pan for a thicker cookie. Just increase the baking time by a few minutes.

 

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Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer

Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.

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