Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies (With Vegan Option) 

I love the combination of cranberry, orange, and cinnamon in baked goods. The flavors are synonymous with the holiday season to me. And these Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies are always one of the first recipes I make to get into that holiday mood. They’re soft, tender, and have just the right amount of chew thanks to the oatmeal. Plus, they pair perfectly with an afternoon coffee, a good book, and a cozy blanket. 

This cookie recipe is the one I most often bring to holiday parties and potlucks. It’s always a huge hit and rarely a duplicate of what someone else brought. Which is weird to me since it’s such a classic flavor combination. There’s no reason chocolate chips should get all the fun, right?

How To Make Gluten-free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

I love using oat flour as the base for cookie recipes. It’s one of the easiest to find and least expensive gluten-free flour alternatives available. If you have a high-speed blender, you can make your own oat flour from rolled oats. 

I don’t have a blender that can handle the task, so I buy my oat flour from the bulk bins at the Good Earth Market near my house. They sell it for less than $3 a pound, which is a steal. If there’s a grocery store with bulk bins near you, definitely give them a look and see if you can find oat flour there. It’s always cheaper than buying the bagged stuff. 

To make these gluten-free cranberry orange oatmeal cookies cookies a bit more tender, I added in some tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch). I’ve used several different starches interchangeably in cookie recipes, like cornstarch, arrowroot starch, potato starch, etc. So if you already have a starch at home, feel free to swap it in. 

In place of the usual egg, I used an “extra-thick” flaxseed egg. I combined two tablespoons of flaxseed with three tablespoons of water to keep from adding too muc liquid to the batter. The flaxseed “egg” helps bind everything together. 

I’ve used both butter and coconut oil interchangeably in this recipe and they both turn out great. So feel free to use whichever you prefer. I haven’t tested this recipe with a vegan butter substitute but I assume that would work, as well. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

Almond butter adds to the proper texture and chew you expect from a cookie. I prefer almond butter in this recipe since it has such a mild flavor. You can use peanut butter instead of almond butter but it will make the cookies taste distinctly of peanut butter. Any other nut butter also works. Cashew butter would be a great alternative, too, since it has such a mild, creamy flavor. It’s just so dang expensive I don’t use it often.

These cranberry orange oatmeal cookies are sweetened with a combination of maple syrup and brown sugar, which gives them a richer flavor than plain sugar. While I’ve never used coconut sugar in place of brown sugar, it’s my understanding that you can sub out brown sugar for coconut sugar at a 1:1 ratio if you’d like to keep these cookies refined sugar-free.

And finally, the cinnamon, orange zest, and dried cranberries. The stars of this cookie show. This trio of flavors is perfect in so many baked goods, like cookies, muffins, quick breads, and scones. If you want to add a dash of cozy, holiday flavor to a baked treat, you can’t go wrong with this flavor combination.

The usual baking soda, salt, and vanilla, and this cookie recipe is ready to go. 

How To Store The Cookies

You can store these cookies in a lidded container at room temperature for about a week. The texture is best in the first few days but they’re still solidly good after that. At least, I think they are.

You can also freeze the dough to bake later. Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer until the cookie dough balls are frozen solid. Transfer the frozen dough to a freezer bag and store for up to 6 months in the freezer. 

You can bake the cookies from frozen the same way you do for thawed cookie dough. Just add a minute or two to the baking time. 

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Gluten-Free Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

These gluten-free cranberry orange oatmeal cookies are soft and tender with just the right amount of chew from the oats. They’re quick and can easily be made vegan.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 16

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons flaxseed 10 grams
• 3 tablespoons water
• ¾ cup (80 grams) rolled oats
• ¾ cup (75 grams) oat flour
• ¼ cup (30 grams) tapioca flour/starch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (65 grams) almond butter
• ¼ cup (75 grams) maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter or coconut oil melted
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) brown sugar
• Zest from one orange about 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and water. Whisk together to combine and let sit for about 10 minutes until it thickens.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, oat flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, add the almond butter, maple syrup, melted butter or coconut oil, brown sugar, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Add in the thickened flaxseed “egg” mixture to the almond butter mixture and whisk again until combined and smooth.
• Pour the almond butter mixture into bowl with the oat mixture and stir to combine. Then add the dried cranberries and stir until incorporated.
• Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie as they will spread a bit.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes until set and the edges are just starting to turn golden. Be careful not to over-bake as these cookies tend to dry out when over-baked.
• Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely for the best texture (if you can wait that long). Enjoy!
• Store cookies in a covered container at room temperature for up to a week.
• If you want to freeze the dough, scoop it out into individual cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the dough balls are frozen solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Bake them the same way, adding a minute or two to the baking time as needed.