Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 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!

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.

Here’s why you’ll love these cranberry chocolate chip cookie bars 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 Cranberry Chocolate Chip 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 Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

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.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• 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 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 tips and suggestions for making these cranberry chocolate chip almond flour cookies:

• 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 your bake time by a minute or two.

• 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.

Pin these Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars to make for dessert!

If you’re a fan of Cranberries, Chocolate and Orange, here are a few other recipes you might enjoy:

• Cranberry Orange Overnight Oatmeal Muffins are perfect for busy holiday mornings. They’re made with whole wheat flour and overnight oats and studded with dark chocolate chunks.

• Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies are great for a Christmas cookie exchange, with orange cranberry filling and white chocolate drizzle. They’re also grain-free.

• You can also find various other cranberry combinations over on my Cranberry page.

If you make these Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)

★★★★★ 5 from 20 reviews

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Gluten-Free

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Description

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 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.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 1/4 cup natural almond butter, room temperature
• 1/4 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, room temperature
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, almond butter and coconut oil using an electric mixer.
3. Beat in one egg at a time, orange zest and vanilla. Set aside.
4. 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.
5. Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips.
6. 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.
7. 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.

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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 your bake time by a few minutes.

Keywords: almond flour cookies, cranberry cookies, chocolate chip bars