These easy gluten free orange cranberry butter cookies are perfect for the holidays. This Christmas shortbread recipe makes the best treats. These cookies are eggless and include dried cranberries and orange zest for amazing flavor.
Butter cookies or shortbread are one of my favorite holiday treats. I love the crisp on the outside, yet soft on the inside texture. These cookies melt in your mouth!
The addition of finely chopped dried cranberries and fresh orange peel gives the cookies a great citrus taste! The demerara sugar on the edges give the cookies a bit of crunch. You could skip this step if you don't have sugar crystals, but I highly recommend them.
How do I make orange cranberry cookies?
These gluten free orange cranberry butter cookies are so simple to make! Beat the room temperature butter in the mixer for 2-3 minutes until it's creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
In a bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and sea salt. Add this to the butter mixture. Blend together until just combined. Add the dried cranberries and orange zest and mix to combine them into the dough.
Divide the dough into half. Roll each half into a log in parchment paper that about 2" wide by 2" inches tall. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Place the demerara sugar on a plate or shallow dish. Roll each cookie log in the demerara sugar and gently press the sugar into the sides. Cut the logs into ¼" thick rounds using a very sharp knife.
Place cookies rounds on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. The edges will be slightly browned when they are done.
Will shortbread cookies be soft out of the oven?
Yes. These gluten free orange cranberry butter cookies or shortbread cookies will be slightly soft while hot right out of the oven. Let them set for at least 10 minutes before you remove them from the baking sheet.
As the cookies cool they will get a slightly crisp texture on the outside. The inside of the cookie will still be melt in your mouth soft.
If you like this recipe you might also enjoy:
Gluten Free Hot Cocoa Cookies
Gluten Free Eggnog Cookies
Gluten Free Snowball Cookies
Gluten Free Gingersnap Cookies
Gluten Free Thumbprint Cookies
I get my ingredients from Thrive Market. Thrive Market has been a game changer for me eating gluten free. They have so many options I can’t get at my rural grocery stores! Use this link to get 25% off your first order!
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Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Butter Cookies
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 62 cookies 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These easy gluten free orange cranberry butter cookies are perfect for the holidays. This Christmas shortbread recipe makes the best treats. These cookies are eggless and include dried cranberries and orange zest for amazing flavor.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups Powdered Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 cups Gluten Free Flour
½ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Sea Salt
1 cup Dried Cranberries, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Orange Zest
½ cup Demerara Sugar
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Beat the room temperature butter in the mixer for 2-3 minutes until it's creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
In a bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and sea salt. Add this to the butter mixture. Blend together until just combined. Add the dried cranberries and orange zest and mix to combine them into the dough.
Divide the dough into half. Roll each half into a log in parchment paper that's about 2 inches wide by 2 inches tall. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Place the demerara sugar on a plate or shallow dish. Roll each cookie log in the demerara sugar and gently press the sugar into the sides. Cut the log into ¼ inch thick rounds using a very sharp knife.
Place cookie rounds on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. The edges will be slightly browned around the edges when they are done.
- Prep Time: 120 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Keywords: gluten free, cookies, treats, dessert, Christmas, holiday, shortbread, butter, cranberry, orange, orange zest
Kay says
I haven't made these yet because the measurements for the powdered sugar says 1 14/ c sugar
smallfarmbiglife says
Hi Kay. Yes, that is definitely a typo that I will get fixed right now. The powdered sugar should be 1 1/4 cups. Thanks for pointing that out for me. ~Elaine
Kay says
I tried to comment from my tablet but it's not showing up here on my laptop. I've not tried to make these yet, because the measurement for the powdered sugar says:
1 14/ cups... I'm assuming that's supposed to be 1 & 1/4th cups? My daughter has to be dairy free as well so can I sub solid coconut oil? We can't use soy substitutes as she's allergic to soy as well.
smallfarmbiglife says
Hello Kay. I've never tried to make butter cookies with coconut oil, but I presume it can be done. In this recipe the butter is at room temp so you will want the coconut oil not solid and not melted. I would set it by something warm for just a bit to get a more room temperature consistency (like coconut oil during the summer months when it's warmer outside). Coconut oil is going to have a stronger flavor than butter, so you might also want to add 1-2 teaspoons more orange zest for flavor. I hope that helps! ~Elaine
Kay says
Thanks, I will try that!