Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread (5 Ingredients, No Gluten, No Eggs, No Butter)

These Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads are simple 5-ingredient cookies made with no eggs, no dairy, and no gluten.

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While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread

These Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads are simple 5-ingredient cookies made with no eggs, no dairy, and no gluten.

5 from 36 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Cooling: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10 shortbread

Calories: 171.8 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 ½ cups Almond Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup - (note 2)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Melted Coconut Oil - (note 3)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Pistachios - finely chopped (note 4)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Dried Cranberries - finely chopped (note 5)

Optional for flavors – pick one or all

• ▢ ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Start by chopping pistachios and dried cranberries into a very fine mixture. If too big, the cookie dough will get fragile in these spots, so take your time to chop everything small. Set aside.
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add all the ingredients: almond flour, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, chopped mixture made above, and salt if desired.
• Combine the ingredients with a spatula first, then I like to lightly oil my hands with mild-flavored oil, and squeeze the dough to bring the ingredients together, and form a cookie dough ball. If too wet, you can add more almond flour. If dry and crumbly, add a little more maple syrup.
• Now you have two options. Fast option: roll 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball, place it on the prepared baking sheet, leaving one inch between each cookie. Flatten the top with the palm of your hand. They won't spread as they keep the shape you give them.
• Log option – Place the dough onto a large piece of cling wrap, roll it into a log, and tightly encase the dough in the wrap to form a log.
• Refrigerate it for 15 minutes to firm up, then slice 10 pieces of dough. It's normal if it falls apart a bit as you cut the cookies. The nuts/dried fruits make the dough fragile. But the dough is soft like playdough, which means you can simply work the dough with lightly oiled hands. Press into the palm of your hands to firm it up, and pat the sides with your fingers to reshape it into a rectangle. Make sure it's firm.
• Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
• Bake the shortbread for 12-14 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until slightly golden on the sides.
• Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes, at room temperature to firm up, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool down.

Notes

Note 1: Or cashew flour, or sesame seed flour. The recipe won’t work with oat flour or all-purpose flour.

Note 2: Or any liquid sweetener you love, like agave syrup or coconut nectar.

Note 3: Or mild-flavor olive oil, or melted plant-based butter. The cookies won’t firm up as well with fats that are liquid at room temperature, that’s why I like coconut oil. Use refined coconut oil if you don’t like coconut flavor in your oil. The refined version is flavorless.

Note 4: Or pumpkin seeds, make sure you chop them finely, or the cookie dough gets fragile when cut

Note 5: As for pistachios, chop the cranberries very small to prevent the shortbread cookie dough from being fragile. You can use other chopped dried fruits too, if desired, like apricot, dried dates, or raisins.

Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15 °C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

Storage: Store the cookies up to 6 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 171.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.2g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 14.3g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 0.7mg | Potassium: 58.8mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 4.7g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 46.5mg | Iron: 0.8mg | Magnesium: 6.5mg | Phosphorus: 20.5mg | Zinc: 0.1mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need five simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

• Almond Flour – This forms the base of the cookies and gives them a tender, crumbly texture without needing all-purpose or wheat flour. You can also use cashew flour or sesame seed flour for a similar result.
• Maple Syrup – This provides the sweetness for the cookies and is a liquid sweetener that helps to bind the dough. Other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup or coconut nectar also work well.
• Melted Coconut Oil – This is a crucial fat in the recipe that holds the dough together and helps the cookies set up properly when they cool. Other fats like mild-flavor olive oil or melted plant-based butter are fine, but coconut oil is great because it solidifies at room temperature, which helps with the final cookie texture.
• Pistachios – These add a lovely crunch, a nutty flavor, and a beautiful green color to the shortbread. Other nuts or seeds like pumpkin seeds are a good choice here too.
• Dried Cranberries – This brings a chewy texture and a nice tart, fruity flavor to the cookies. Other chopped dried fruits like apricots, dates, or raisins are great substitutes if you like.
• Almond Extract – This adds a rich, nutty flavor that complements the almond flour and pistachios.
• Vanilla Extract – This enhances the overall flavor profile with a classic sweet aroma.
• Salt – A small amount of salt is important as it balances the sweetness and makes the flavors pop.

How to Make Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread in Pictures

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips for a perfect shortbread.

• Chop Everything Fine – Using a long, sharp knife to finely chop the nuts and cranberries is crucial. If the pieces are too big, the dough will become fragile and fall apart in those spots, making it hard to work with.
• A Quick Option – If you’re short on time, you can skip shaping the dough into a log and refrigerating it. Simply roll the dough into balls and flatten them on the baking sheet. They will still hold their shape and bake perfectly.
• Change It Up – Feel free to get creative with the flavors! Try different combinations of nuts and dried fruits like cashews with dried apricots or pecans with chopped dates for a whole new cookie experience.
• Add a Chocolate Coating – For an extra-special treat, dip one half of the cooled cookies into melted dark or white chocolate. Place them in the fridge for a few minutes to let the chocolate set into a nice shell.

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