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 bake these gluten free almond flour 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.
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 this be made with 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 1/4 cup only.
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
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.
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.
Benefits of almond flour
Almond Flour is low on carbs, high in fiber and heart healthy
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.
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.
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:
Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries and Maple Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 cups Blanched Almond Flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp 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 3/8" 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.
Video
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Can I sub butter with coconut oil?
You can substitute, but use only 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Also, keep in mind that it will add a different texture and flavor when used in place of butter.
can you use fresh/frozen cranberries?
I would not recommend to use fresh or frozen, because they will introduce more moisture than necessary, and the taste and texture as well as sweetness will be different.
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup?
Absolutely!
Would the process change if you were to use something like erythritol?
It should be fine. I think the cookies will stay moist enough due to the amount of butter.
Can you freeze these cookies also?
Yes!