These plant-based orange cranberry shortbread cookies are the perfect winter cookie to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. They’re easy to make and they freeze well too!
I initially made these cookies for Christmas, but then I realized that they’d be perfect for the rest of winter too, so I made another batch and popped them in the freezer to save for a chilly day when we need a treat. The bright flavours are the perfect winter pick-me-up and I love how these feel a little bit fancy without actually being difficult or fussy to make at all. Try these plant-based orange cranberry cookies for yourself and let me know what you think!
Plant-Based Treat Recipes
I’ve been making it my little mission lately to share some easy, cozy plant-based recipes and I’m continuing with that into the winter months! A lot of people tend to get a bit nervous when they have plant-eating friends and family coming over for dinner or just a casual gathering because they have no idea what in the world they can serve them. Actually, you can make a lot of your favourite recipes with just a few small adjustments and treat all of your guests to a wonderful home-cooked meal (or treat, in this case). Plant-based food doesn’t have to be crazy or unfamiliar. 🙂
If you ever find yourself in that situation, make sure you pin this post so you have some easy options ready to go!
Here are a few past ideas that I’ve shared that work well for all kinds of cozy winter gatherings with guests:
- Plant-Based Chocolate Dipped Macaroons
- Crock Pot Chocolate Peppermint Sauce
- Veggie Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
- Slow Cooker Sugared Almonds
- Chocolate Ritz Cracker Bark
- Bow Tie Pasta and Veggie Meatball Appetizers
Plant-Based Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
The base for these cookies is exactly the same as my basic shortbread recipe that I shared just before Christmas. The only real difference here is that I added in a few simple flavor elements to make them a little more exciting. 🙂
Just a note: Be sure to chop the cranberries super super finely or you may find that the chunks of cranberry get in the way when you’re trying to slice the dough into rounds.
This dough can also be rolled out and cut out using cookie cutters, just as I did with the plain shortbread, but the bigger your chunks of cranberry, the more difficult it will be to get nice, crisp shapes. For that reason, I just went with simple sliced rounds for these.
Here’s the full printable recipe!
These plant-based orange cranberry shortbread cookies are the perfect winter cookie to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. They're easy to make and they freeze well too!
- 3/4 cup Plant-based butter substitute (such as Earth Balance)
- 3/4 cup Confectioner's sugar
- 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1/2 large orange, zested
- 1/3 cup finely-chopped dried cranberries
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Preheat oven to 325. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter substitute and mix on medium speed until well combined and smooth.
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With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour, a little at a time. Keep mixing until a nice dough forms.
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Add in the zest and the chopped cranberries. Continue mixing on low.
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Roll the dough into one long log, about 1.5" in diameter. The dough may be wrapped and chilled at the point until you're ready to use it, or sliced and baked immediately. When ready to bake, slice the dough into 1/4" thick rounds and place them onto parchment or silpat-lined baking sheets.
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Bake for 11.5 minutes or until the cookies just start to turn slighly golden in color on the bottoms. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Let me know if you try this one! What other flavor combinations do you like to make with shortbread?
MORE IDEAS LIKE THIS
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- Simple Baked Apple Chips
- Homemade Mixes to Stock Your Pantry
- How to Grill Corn on the Cob
- How to Quickly Ripen an Avocado
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.