Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries are incredibly soft, chewy and thick. Perfect for your holiday cookie tray! These healthy almond cookies are naturally gluten free and deliciously soft. They are sweetened with maple syrup and are full of fiber and protein!
The base recipe of this cookie dough is the same one that I’ve used for The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie and it never fails. These cookies bake up perfectly everytime and stay soft and chewy for days. You could even mix some chopped almonds, cashews or pistachios into this cookie dough too.
Cranberry Cookies are a classic during the holidays and this recipe is quick and easy to make! These cookies are perfectly soft with rich buttery flavor every time!
How to make these cookies
- Use 2 baking sheets because you will be baking 26 cookies in total, 13 almond cookies per each baking sheet.
- Use a round measuring tablespoon to scoop out batter onto the baking sheet.
- Flatten the almond cookies with the back of the regular tablespoon to make them even on top and prevent them from not rising during baking.
- Make sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake until the edges are ONLY slightly golden brown and the cookies are porous, 9 to 12 minutes. Do not over bake! They should be very light in color and airy.
- When you remove the baking sheet from oven – let the almond flour chocolate chip cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove them.
- Also do not remove them immediately after baking because they will fall apart when hot right out of the oven.
Are almond cranberry cookies healthy?
Absolutely! Due to the protein and fiber content of these gluten free almond cookies, they are perfectly healthy either as a healthy snack or even a breakfast choice! Not only will they fill you up, but these cranberry almond cookies will not make you feel guilty when eating them.
Can I use a different sweetener?
Yes! These cookies work great with coconut sugar, brown sugar, honey and Erythritol (low carb sweetener). All of these with the exception of erythritol can be substituted 1:1. When using Eruthrito, use ¼ cup only.
You can also use orange juice!
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Yes, make sure to use 6 tablespoons of coconut oil.
How to work with almond flour cookie dough
TEXTURE: Cranberry Almond Cookies are made out of blanched almond flour and I just love their texture and the softness. If you ever tried almond flour, you know how moist and cookie-like the dough is! That’s what makes these cookies so soft and chewy, just like any good cookie should be.
STICKINESS: Because the almond flour dough is stickier than regular dough, it can be challenging trying to roll it into balls. What always does the trick is to get your palms wet and roll the dough in between the wet palms.
Blanched Almond Flour vs. Almond Meal
I used blanched almond flour in this recipe. What is blanched almond flour? The almonds are first blanched to remove the skin, and then ground up. This process and the absence of skins creates a soft, light-colored flour.
Almond meal, by contrast, has a much coarser texture because it is made from unblanched almonds (almonds with skins). If you make these cookies out of almond meal, they will be darker in color and harder in texture, but equally tasty.
Why use maple syrup in this gluten free cranberry almond flour cookie recipe
Maple syrup is unrefined and natural sweetener that contains higher levels of beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals than white table sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
What can I use instead of cranberries?
You can use a variety of dried fruit: dried mangos, dried pineapple, cranberries, you name it.
You can also use lemon zest or orange zest together with cranberries or without them!
Health benefits of almond flour
LOW ON CARBS: Almond flour is a powerhouse, with its low glycemic index, high fiber content, and incredible protein profile (1 serving has 6 grams of protein compared to 5.5 grams in one egg). It’s also grain-free, for those who are gluten intolerant, or following a Paleo lifestyle, and offers an amazing nutty taste.
HEART HEALTHY: It’s also heart-healthy. 64% of the fats found in almonds are monounsaturated fats and according to the American Heart Association, these fats help lower harmful cholesterol as effectively as expensive pharmaceutical drugs in addition to lowering the risk of heart disease.
VITAMINS: Along with being a rich source of protein, one ounce of almonds has 35% of your daily recommended value of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. According to The Journal of the American Association (2002), the high vitamin E content of almonds has been linked to protecting against Alzheimer’s disease.
And if that’s not enough, almond flour also contains high amounts of calcium, iron, and dietary fiber.
How to store gluten free cranberry almond flour cookies
These cookies will stay fresh and soft for about a week if kept in air tight container. And you can also refrigerate them to keep them fresher longer.
You can also freeze them by placing the parchment paper in between each cookie and sealing them in the air tight plastic bag.
Interested in more recipes made with gluten free flours? How about these Quinoa Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies and Buckwheat Flour Dairy Free Double Chocolate Cookies?
Watch how to make Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with cranberries here:
More gluten free cookie recipes
White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Flour Cookies
The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries and Maple Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 cups Blanched Almond Flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg, large
- 1 cup dried cranberries, (or dried pineapple, mango)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 degrees C). Prepare 2 large baking sheets (to make 26 small cookies) and line each one with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt and set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In another medium bowl, whisk melted butter and maple syrup together. Next whisk in egg and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk together with a whisk, fork or a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the cranberries and any other dried fruit of choice (diced dried pineapple, mango, etc.).
- Scoop a tablespoon of dough and place on the baking sheet gently flatten the cookies with a back of a large tablespoon to about ⅜″ thick. They should be small and not be too thin.
- Bake until the edges are slightly golden brown, 9 to 14 minutes. Do not over bake! Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove them.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Video
Notes
Amazing! I added the zest of 2 oranges and replaced half the maple sugar with orange juice. Everything else the same and they are delicious! I made them a little too big and had to bake a little longer, but they have good structural integrity and don’t fall apart.
I am sure the orange zest perfumed the entire kitchen! I love this idea!
Made these today for my vegan daughter and my GF one. Substituted Becel vegan butter and a flax egg. They browned nicely, top and bottom and taste great – but after they cooked they were very fragile, falling apart when I picked one up. They seem undergone in the middle. I have them back in the oven now at 300 degrees for a while. Perhaps a longer cooking time at a lower temperature might have been better. I hope these dry out a bit and become easier to enjoy.
I love your substitutions for the vegan version. Flax egg definitely won’t hold them as well as a regular one, but sounds like it nevertheless worked out!
Just made this cookies. And they’re delicious and addicting!
Thank you for sharing 🩷
They were absolutely delicious. But only makes a dozen.thank you for sharing
I am making these cookies today…can I substitute apple sauce ( how much) or fresh cut and cubed apples instead of dried pineapples..
I hope you enjoyed the cookies, Sharon!
Can maple Syrup be left out.
You can use coconut sugar a bit just to add some sweetness