Vegan and Gluten-Free Cranberry Chocolate Cookies
Vegan and Gluten-Free Cranberry Chocolate Cookies. The perfect healthy cookie to add to your holiday dessert platter.
I suppose it’s officially holiday cookie time. I have such fond memories of spending hours in the kitchen every December as a child, rolling out batch after batch of cookies to gift to neighbors and friends. While we experimented with a few new cookies each year, the classic must-make was the pizzelle, an Italian waffle cookie that takes hours to prepare, thanks to needing a special iron to press each one out of. It also doesn’t help that my grandmother’s recipe yields 12 dozen. Yup, 144 cookies from each batch, minus the ones my sister and I would nibble hot off the press. It’s probably no surprise that pizzelle day was my favorite of the holiday season; we would put on festive music and spend all day creating gifts of love.
Now that I’m on my own, I’ve crafted my own tradition of this special day. This weekend, I’m hosting a few girlfriends for a cookie exchange; I’m planning on a few warm cocktails, appetizers, plenty of cookies and lots of festive cheer.
While I will still make a batch of pizzelles, it’s tradition after all, I wanted to have a cookie that everyone can enjoy. Dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free yet still packed with flavor. I tested these out last week and only after BL polished off an entire batch did I mention what was lacking. Of course, he couldn’t tell (or care) and really, that’s the point. Just because cookies aren’t packed with butter, eggs and sugar doesn’t mean they are any less decedent.
I adapted these cookies from Angela’s recipe, adding a few holiday flavors like cinnamon, walnuts and chewy cranberries. They are the perfect cookie to add to your holiday table, to gift, and to enjoy with loved ones.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Cranberry Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/ 4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1/8 cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup oat flour*
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl, mix together the almond butter, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, oil, sugar and vanilla until very smooth.
- Add in the ground flaxmeal, salt, oat flour, almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir until combined.
- Fold in the cranberries, chocolate chips and nuts.Â
- Using a cookie scoop (or a spoon), place mounds of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet, keeping 3 inches between each cookie as they will spread while baking.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cookies are spread out and just golden.
- Cool the cookies directly on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to harden. Gently transfer each cookie directly onto a cooling rack for another 10 minutes, where they’ll firm up even more. Let cool completely before eating and storing.
Notes
These have been tested both with oil and without. Both worked but I found the cookie to be chewier and glossier with added oil which is why it’s in the final recipe. You can also remove the added cane sugar, but I feel like it balances the tart cranberries nicely. If you swap in raisins instead of cranberries (which are sweeter) then I don’t think you need the added cane sugar. Don’t omit the maple syrup as it will affect the wetness of the batter. *To make oat flour, place rolled oats in your blender or food processor and blend until a powdered flour forms.