Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies
These whole grain thumbprint cookies are made with fresh orange zest and filled with cranberry jam. They’re naturally gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free!
Can you guys believe that we’re only one week away from Christmas? I feel like December came and went with the blink of an eye.
I’m sure most of you are well prepared and have all of your gifts bought and meals picked out but in case you’re still looking for ideas, there’s plenty of them in today’s post!
Myself and five other talented bloggers created a total of six different healthy recipes featuring cranberries and I brought these scrumptious little cranberry orange thumbprint cookies to the party!
They might look a little familiar to some of you and that’s because they are based on these Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Cookies. Have you tried them yet? They’re one of my favorites!
The main difference with these is that we’re using orange zest in the cookie base, as well as a milder nut butter (like cashew or almond) that lets the orange flavor shine through.
Then for the filling, we’re making our own by combining cranberries with orange juice, pure maple syrup, and a tablespoon of arrowroot powder to help it thicken.
I know it sounds complicated but the cranberry jam is made in one pot and it only takes 10 minutes to cook. Plus there’s even a little leftover that’s perfect to spread on toast or crackers for breakfast…oh yeah.
Between the chewy orange oatmeal cookie and the cranberry jam, these are nothing short of heavenly! They would make a great gift or treat to serve for the holidays.
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup oat flour
1 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cashew butter (or almond butter)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon orange zest
Cranberry Jam
10 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon arrowroot
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the jam, combine the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until cranberries are soft enough to burst open when you press them with a spoon. Reduce heat to low then stir in the vanilla extract and the arrowroot powder. Continue to stir for another minute or so, until the mixture starts to thicken then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Next, preheat the oven to 350°F and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all of the dry ingredients (oats to salt) in a bowl and stir together. Then combine all of the wet ingredients (cashew butter to orange zest) in a separate large bowl and stir together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet and stir together until a dough forms. Using your hands, roll the dough into large tablespoon-size balls and place onto the cookie sheet. Use a teaspoon to press the center down by approx. 1/2 inch. Bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until light golden brown. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Spoon the cranberry jam into the center of each cookie. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Okay, let’s check out all of the delicious and healthy cranberry recipes that my friends brought to the party!
Non-Alcoholic Winter Sangria from Immaeathat
Cranberry Kale Salad with Roasted Pecans and Feta from the Roasted Root
Cranberry Clementine Salsa from The Lean Green Bean
Healthy No Bake Berry Bliss Bites from The Big Man’s World
Cranberry Chocolate Protein Cookies from The Hummusapien
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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!