Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies
Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies- made with orange zest and cranberry jam, these cookies make for a delicious and festive treat. No one will ever guess they are vegan and gluten-free!
Can you guys believe that we’re only a few weeks away from Christmas? If you haven’t solidified your baking list yet, you should definitely add these cookies to your list.
These are based off of my Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Cookies. Have you tried them yet? They’re one of my favorites! One bite instantly brings me back to childhood.
The main difference with this recipe is that we’re incorporating orange zest in the cookie base, cranberry jam instead of jelly, and a milder nut (or seed) butter that allows the cranberry and orange flavors to shine through. They are so festive I can barely stand it. Not to mention that the cookie base is made with wholesome ingredients like oatmeal and almond flour so they’re nutritious enough to eat for breakfast.
Ingredients and Possible Substitutions
- Almond Flour- Almond flour is key for giving these cookies their soft and buttery texture so I don’t recommend any substitutes. Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to brand because it’s ground superfine making it ideal for baking. Plus I love that it’s certified gluten-free for all of my friends who can’t have gluten.
- Oat Flour (Rolled Oats)- You can use all oat flour or sub 1/2 cup of the oat flour for rolled oats. I’ve made them both ways (the version using all oat flour is pictured here) and I prefer the chewy texture that using rolled oats give them. Make sure your oat flour is also certified gluten-free if you are baking for someone with allergies. All-purpose flour would also likely work as a substitute.
- Baking Powder and Salt- We don’t want the cookies to rise too much so just a bit of baking powder will do. Using a little bit of salt helps balance out the sweetness. I usually opt for 1/2 teaspoon but feel free to reduce it to 1/4 teaspoon if you’re sensitive to salt (or omit if your nut butter is salted).
- Cashew Butter- I find cashew butter to be the most mild flavored option so I chose that in order to highlight the cranberry and orange flavors. I’ve also used tahini with good results as I personally find tahini to be pretty mild. Almond butter would be another good option although keep in mind that it will add more of an almond butter flavor to the cookies. I haven’t tested these with coconut oil or vegan butter although it seems like the latter would work well. If you want to try coconut oil, I would probably reduce the amount to 1/3 cup.
- Pure Maple Syrup- Using a liquid sweetener adds moisture to the cookies so unfortunately it can’t be equally exchanged for a granulated sugar. Honey is thicker so it may require a little water to help thin it out.
- Vanilla Extract- If you ran out of vanilla, don’t worry. You can make them without. They are better with vanilla but it’s not a make or break ingredient.
- Orange Zest- Fresh grated orange zest makes these cookies come to life. It is essential.
- Cranberry Jam- Making homemade cranberry jam is super simple. I have a recipe here (you can leave the chia seeds out, if desired) that I make all of the time using fresh or frozen cranberries. You can also use store-bought jam if you’re in a pinch. Just make sure you taste it first as some brands can be very tart.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies
- Sift together the almond flour, oat flour, rolled oats (if using), baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, stir together cashew butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and orange zest.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet. Stir until a dough forms.
- Roll the dough into balls then press down in the center using the back of a teaspoon (or your thumb works too).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Spoon cranberry jam into the center, and enjoy!
Storage Tips
If you’d like to make these ahead of time for an event, I suggest waiting to add the cranberry jam until the day of.
Otherwise, to store leftovers, layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper in between. Seal then store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups oat flour, sub ½ cup flour for rolled oats, if desired
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup cashew butter, see notes for subs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water or milk
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cranberry jam, store-bought or homemade
Instructions
- If preparing homemade cranberry jam, complete this step first and allow your jam to set while you prepare the cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, combine the cashew butter, maple syrup water or milk, orange zest and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour (and rolled oats, if using), almond flour, baking powder and salt. Sift together then add to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir together until a dough forms.
- Using a scooper or spoon, scoop out roughly 1 large tablespoon of dough at a time. Use your hands to roll into balls and place on the cookie sheet a few inches apart. Using the back of a teaspoon, press into the center of each ball while flattening the cookie. This should leave you with a depression in the center for the cranberry jam. Once you have done this to all of the cookies, bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Once the cookies have cooled, spoon about a tablespoon of the cranberry jam into the center of each cookie. Serve immediately and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
This post was created in partnership with a brand that I have used and loved for years, Bob’s Red Mill. As always, all opinions and text are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make it possible for me to bring you quality content. For more delicious recipes and a coupon for $1.00 off any product, please visit Bob’sRedMill.com.
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YUM! These look amazing and having a healthier cookie option this time of year is PERFECT!
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I love sweets with a hint or orange– these look so tasty!
Cranberry bliss here Sarah! Thank you for this and all the delicious links! I’m needing a healthier recipe for cookies right now… the food balance is way out of whack! These cookies look just fabulous and so festive!
I hear ya, Traci! I think I need to lay off the cookies for a while, haha! ;)
These cookies look amazing- love the jam!
I just want to say thank you for the wonderful recipes.
Aw, thank you so much Ruth! That makes me feel so good to hear. :)
Mmm, I want some thumbprint cookies right now! My co-workers and I were just talking about baking Christmas cookies.
These look amazing! Cranberry cookies just sound so Christmasy. Which is important right now because I have not yet make a single Christmas cookie this month. Ahhh only one more week!
Oh man. These need to happen because I’m all for things thumbprint cookie-eque and the cran/orange duo is pretty bang on.
Yum! Love the orange zest addition. They’re so adorable! All the recipes look great!
The orange cranberry combo is one of my favourites, and I love the way you incorporated it into these cookies. Having healthier cookie options on hand is awesome around the holidays… especially since I eat so many of them around this time of the year :lol:
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I agree, I really can’t believe it is just a few days until Christmas! I’m not ready!! These cookies look amazing though! I love when fruit is added to desserts and I’m pretty sure I could eat all these cookies!
Hi Sarah, Love your recipes and this sounds great however, I cannot eat almonds, another subs for the almond flour? Many thanks!!
Hi
Can you sub coconut butter for cashew butter l?
I’m not familiar with baking with coconut butter so it’s hard to say for certain but it seems like it should work!