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Last Updated on February 19, 2025 by Megan Jones
Enjoy the warm and tart flavors of Cranberry Cardamom Oat Cookies, a tasty treat that's both dairy and egg-free! These cookies combine the tangy zest of fresh cranberries with the warm, aromatic spices of cardamom and cinnamon, all wrapped up in a chewy oat base!
I'm excited to share with you a special recipe that came to life in an unexpected yet wonderful way. I originally set out to create a classic raisin oat cookie but found myself without raisins! I decided to experiment with fresh cranberries instead of the usual sweet, dried ones because that's what I had on hand.
With helpful tweaks of the recipe from my fiancé, a former sourdough baker and chef with over 15 years of experience, this cookie not only came out delicious, but the addition of fresh cranberries added a unique, tangy, and tart flavor that perfectly complemented the oats!
Dairy & Egg Free Cranberry Oat Cookies
These delicious cranberry oat cookies are also dairy and egg-free! In place of traditional dairy products, we use vegan butter, which imparts a rich buttery flavor while maintaining a light and tender texture. Eggs are replaced with psyllium husk powder in this recipe. This plant-based alternative not only binds the ingredients together but also adds a subtle nuttiness, enhancing the overall flavour profile.
Enjoy them as a cozy breakfast companion with your morning coffee or as an afternoon pick-me-up with a glass of almond milk. They're a hit at holiday gatherings, adding a festive touch with their cranberry bits and warm spices. These cookies also make the perfect gifts, wrapped in pretty packaging for friends and family!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All Purpose Flour - Acts as the base structure of the cookies, giving them form and substance.
- Fresh Cranberries - Provide a tart, juicy burst of flavor, contrasting beautifully with the sweet elements of the Vegan Butter - Replaces traditional butter to keep the recipe dairy-free while still offering a rich, creamy texture and flavor.
- Sugar (white and light brown) - White sugar adds sweetness and helps with browning, while light brown sugar imparts a deeper flavor and moisture, contributing to the cookies' chewy texture.
- Rolled Oats - Offer a chewy, hearty texture and a subtle nutty flavor, making the cookies more filling and nutritious.
- Vanilla Extract - Enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies with its sweet and warming aromatic essence.
- Orange Zest - Adds a citrusy brightness and aroma, complementing the cranberries and spices.
- Psyllium Husk Powder - Serves as a gluten-free binding agent in place of eggs, adding fiber and helping to hold the cookies together.
- Cinnamon and Cardamom - These spices contribute warm, aromatic notes that elevate the cookie's flavor.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies.
- Baking Powder - Gives the cookies a slight rise to add classic cookie texture.
How To Make Cranberry Cardamom Oat Cookies
- Process the cranberries: Wash the fresh cranberries in cold water. Weigh them out, then place them in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is processed but larger chunks of fruit remain. You can also use a sharp knife to do a rough chop.
- Cream butter and sugar: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened vegan butter and the white and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. You can also use a hand mixer and mixing bowl for this step.
- Add dry ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, Psyllium husk powder, and salt. Mix until fully combined. Pour the entire dry mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined without overworking.
- Add flavours: Gently add in the oats, orange zest, and cranberries on low speed until fully incorporated and a thick and sticky dough is formed.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl and add to the fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes. This will help prevent the cookies from spreading.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape the cookies: Once the dough is chilled, roll the dough into balls that are two tablespoons in size. A preportioned cookie scoop works best, as the dough can be sticky. Place the cookie dough balls two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake and cool: Bake for 12-13 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. The centers will look soft and under-baked. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely as they set properly. Enjoy!
Helpful Baking Tips
- Use a measured cookie scoop to ensure each cookie is uniformly sized. This promotes even baking and results in a consistent batch.
- When zesting the orange, only take the outer, colored part of the peel, avoiding the white pith underneath, which can add bitterness.
- Chill the Dough: The chilling is an extra step but is worth it as they spread much less, and they end up being a slightly chunkier cookie. For best results, chill for at least 60 minutes.
- Bring the vegan butter to room temperature, before creaming it with the sugars for a smoother mixture.
- Fold in: oats and cranberries gently to avoid overmixing, which can lead to tough cookies.
- When placing dough balls on the baking sheet, leave about 2 inches between them to allow for spreading.
- Each cookie weighs 60g, and the entire recipe makes 16-18 cookies, depending on the size.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Keep fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will maintain their quality for up to 5 days.
Freezing: These cookies can be frozen, cooked, or unbaked. Either pre-portion the cookies and place them in a freezer bag or roll the dough into a log wrapped in parchment paper or plastic wrap. They can be frozen for up to 3 months, ready to be baked or enjoyed later.
Reheating: To reheat frozen baked cookies, let them thaw at room temperature or gently warm them in a preheated oven at 300°F for a few minutes. If you've frozen the dough, cut slices from the log and bake them as per the original instructions, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time if necessary.
FAQ
To reheat frozen baked cookies, let them thaw at room temperature or gently warm them in a preheated oven at 300°F for a few minutes. If you've frozen the dough, cut slices from the log and bake them as per the original instructions, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time if necessary.
Yes, dried cranberries can be used as a substitute for fresh cranberries. Keep in mind they will give a sweeter, less tart flavor to the cookies, along with a slight change in texture.
If you don't have psyllium husk powder, ground flaxseed mixed with water is a great vegan alternative. Use one tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water to replace the psyllium husk powder. Note that this recipe has not been texted with a flax egg replacement.
You can use other spices like nutmeg for its sweet, nutty undertones or ground cloves for a bold kick. For a Ground ginger offers a zesty twist that complements the tanginess of the cranberries.
More Tasty Cranberry Recipes
- Cranberry and Sweet Chili Jam
- Cranberry, Harissa, and Butternut Squash Hummus
- Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
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Cranberry Cardamom Oat Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 grams All purpose flour
- 150 grams Fresh cranberries roughly chopped (or pulsed in a food processor)
- 115 grams vegan butter room temp
- 125 grams Light brown Sugar
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 250 grams rolled Oats
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 medium orange zested
- 1 Tablespoon Psyllium Husk Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ Teaspoon fine salt
- ½ Teaspoon Baking powder
Instructions
- Weigh out and roughly chop or pulse the fresh cranberries in the food processor, don't chop / process too fine, you still want big chunks of fruit through the mixture.
- Cream butter + sugars: Use a hand or stand mixer to cream the softened butter with both sugars and vanilla extract until smooth, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Dry ingredients: Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, Psyllium husk powder and salt together in a separate bowl. Pour this into the wet ingredients. Combine together on low or with a wooden spoon if doing by hand.
- Add the extras: Beat in the oats, orange zest and cranberries on low speed. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Chill: Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes. (do the full 60 minutes if you’re afraid of the cookies spreading too much)
- Roll: Roll cookie dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. (about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. I recommend using a cookie scoop since the dough can be sticky.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 350°F (177°C) for 12-13 minutes until lightly browned round the edges. The centers will look soft and under-baked. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.
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