This yummy soft gluten-free orange, cranberry and vanilla cookie recipe has a perfect combination of sweet and tart.  We love the flavor of the cookies.  If you can find orange-flavored dried cranberries, I find they're even nicer than plain dried cranberries in these cookies.  While you can use vanilla extract in these cookies, I highly recommend vanilla bean paste for a stronger vanilla flavor. These are a yummy, easy to whip together gluten-free cookie recipe.  Enjoy! 

Yummy GF Orange Vanilla Cranberry Cookies

My little sous chef who helped make these cookies.   

Orange, Cranberry & Vanilla Cookies

Based on a non-GF recipe by King Arthur Flour Company.

Makes ~48 cookies

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Line two pans with parchment paper.  

In a mixer, beat together: 

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

zest/grated orange peel from 1 large orange (or two small oranges)

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Mix in, scraping a couple times: 

1 egg

Stir in, just until combined: 

1 1/2 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix * (for measurements for this amount see below) *

2 cups dried cranberries (orange-flavored dried cranberries are the best if you can find them)

Drop small scoops (heaping teaspoon) of cookies onto parchment-lined pans.  You can make 4 x 6 rows on the cookie sheets.  

Using a flat bottomed glass, dip your cup in sugar, then flatten each cookie until they're 1/4" - 1/2" thick.  You may need to dip and flatten a couple times until you reach the desired thickness.  These cookies don't spread much during baking. 

Dipping & flattening the cookies before baking.

This is her favorite part.

Bake cookies at 425 F for 6 - 7 minutes until barely browned at edges.  If you use a larger scoop, which would give you cookies about 3 x 5 on each pan, you'll want to increase the baking time to 8-9 minutes.  

Let the cookies rest on the pan until mostly cooled, then carefully move to cooling racks to fully cool.  These are delicious fresh, but store well for several days at room temperature in an air-tight container.  Enjoy! 

Fresh from the oven - cooling before being moved to wire racks.  I prefer them a little less browned on the bottom than in this photo.

*** GF Flour Mix measurements for this recipe *** 

Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix (1 1/2 cup flour mix):

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup sorghum flour (or extra brown rice flour, white rice flour, or GF oat flour)

1/4 cup cornstarch OR arrowroot starch/flour

2 Tbsp potato starch

2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Orange, Cranberry & Vanilla Cookies Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Family Favorite Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread

Cranberry-pumpkin bread is a fall favorite around here.  I've previously posted a pumpkin bread (with or without chocolate chip) recipe and my original cranberry-pumpkin bread recipe, both of which we love.  But both are far sweeter than this version, which I find has the same great taste, but less of a cake flavor and more of a bread taste.  It's perfect alongside a Thanksgiving Day meal.  I prefer making it in mini loaf size, but you can also make it in a regular loaf pan, too. Enjoy!

Delicious Homemade Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread

Family Favorite Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread 

Makes 4 mini loaf pans or 1 loaf pan

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease (butter) and flour (use GF flour mix) 4 mini loaf pans or 1 large loaf pan OR line pans with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients in your mixer or a large bowl: (it’s important to mix gluten-free flours on their own before adding to wet ingredients)

1 1/3 cups Kristin’s Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + pinch of cloves (OR ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, pinch of cloves)

Add and mix together (in mixer or by hand) until mostly smooth (a few lumps are normal, especially if using homemade pumpkin puree):

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned 100% pumpkin OR make your own pumpkin puree)

1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

Fold carefully into batter:
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (about 1/2 bag or 6 oz), rinsed and dried off (you can freeze fresh cranberries to use later - baking time will need to be increased to compensate)

The batter should something like this - a bit smoother if you're using canned pumpkin rather than homemade pumpkin puree. 

Pour batter into prepared pans, filling each pan halfway.

Bake at 325 F for 40-45 minutes for mini-pans and 70-75 minutes for large pans.

Let cool in pans on cooling rack 5-10 minutes before unmolding.  Cool & slice.

Enjoy!

 

Fresh from the oven! 

 

Let bread cool 5-10 min. in pans, as on left, before carefully removing to wire rack to cool completely. 

Pumpkin Granola Cookies

I love making things with fresh pumpkin puree.  I actually have found that you can cook other fall squash like acorn squash or turban squash and use it just like pumpkin puree, too!  Kind of fun, and helpful if you're having a hard time finding the sweeter pie pumpkins.  (Plus, they tend to be available nearly year-round).   These cookies combine some of my favorite things - pumpkin, coconut, cranberries, and a touch of cinnamon!  I wanted something a little more granola-bar like, but that still had a large amount of pumpkin in the actual batter.  These are ideal! You could even shape them into little granola bar shapes, if you like! Enjoy!

Fresh Pumpkin granola cookies - filled with pumpkin, oats, coconut and cranberries. Yum! 

Pumpkin Granola Cookies
Makes ~36

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup oats (make sure they're GF if celiac or sensitive)
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl or mixer, beat together:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or 100% canned pumpkin)
1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Add dry ingredients and mix, just until combined.

Add and mix in:
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Scoop 1 Tbsp scoops onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.  12 per sheet.  Flatten a bit with your palm (yes, it's a little sticky).

Scoop and flatten. They don't spread much, so you can put more than normal on a tray. 

 Bake at 350 F for 12-13 minutes, until cookies are just browned at the edges.  Let rest on the pan for 3-5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Great warm or cooled.  Once cooled, these freeze perfectly - so you can make them in advance and have them for breakfast or snacks!  Enjoy!

Let them rest a few minutes on the tray before removing to your cooling rack. 

Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread

This has long been a family favorite since I was a kid.  Cranberry-pumpkin bread being made always meant the holiday season was underway.  I've previously posted the pumpkin bread we make regularly, but there's something festive about this particular bread with the mix of sweet and tart.   I prefer and would recommend making it in mini loaf size, since I find the crust has an extra bite of sweetness to it in this bread, and so I like having more of it! For a bit of a less dessert-style cranberry pumpkin bread, you can try my updated family favorite cranberry pumpkin bread recipe.  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread

Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread (Our Family Recipe - converted to GF)

Makes 4 mini loaf pans or 1 loaf pan

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease (butter) and flour (use GF flour mix) 4 mini loaf pans or 1 large loaf pan.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl: (it’s important to mix GF flours on their own before adding to wet ingredients)

1 1/2 cups Kristin’s Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1 1/2 cups white sugar (OR 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup honey (mixed in with liquids))
1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + pinch of cloves (OR ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, pinch of cloves)

In a separate bowl, mix together:

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

¾ cup pumpkin puree (canned 100% pumpkin or make your own pumpkin puree)

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

Fold carefully into batter:
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (about 1/2 bag or 6 oz), rinsed and dried off (you can freeze fresh cranberries to use later - baking time will need to be increased to compensate)

The batter should look like this - a bit smoother if you're using canned pumpkin rather than homemade pumpkin puree. 

Pour batter into prepared pans, filling each pan halfway.

Bake 40-45 minutes for mini-pans and 70-75 minutes for large pans.

Let cool in pans on cooling rack 5-10 minutes before unmolding.  Cool & slice.

Enjoy!

 

Let bread cool 5-10 min. in pans, as on left, before carefully removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Kristin's Low-Sugar and Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies/Muffin Tops

These yummy cookies/muffin tops turned out puffy and chewy and were gobbled up by everyone, without anyone seeming to notice they were a low-sugar experiment.  They seem an appropriate 'New Year's' cookie recipe to post.  But really, I'll eat them anytime.  They're a fun, quick cookie to whip up and I love that they taste like muffin tops! Enjoy!

Kristin’s Low Sugar and Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies/Muffin Tops

Makes ~30-36 cookies

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookie sheets with silicon mat or parchment paper.

Mix in a mixer:

¾ cup white rice flour (OR 1/2 cup brown rice flour + 1/4 cup white rice flour - I found they spread a little bit more, but were just as tasty, and add a bit of extra fiber)

¾ cup whole oats (gluten-free if celiac or sensitive)

¼ cup brown sugar                                            

½ tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

Add and mix in at medium speed, just until blended:

¼ cup oil

¼ cup butter, softened

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Add and mix in:

½ - 1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)

Drop by 1 Tbsp amounts onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 8-9 minutes, until lightly browned.   

Remove onto a cooling rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Kristin's Gluten-Free Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies (or Raisin or Chocolate Chip)

I really enjoy a good, chewy oatmeal cookie.  After a great deal of trial and error, I came up with this recipe for chewy oatmeal-cranberry cookies.  We like these best with dried cranberries, but you can easily use raisins or chocolate chips instead.  We enjoy those, too.  Using oil and butter keeps these cookies moist and with that nice chewy texture that's so desirous in an oatmeal cookie.  They've been gobbled up quickly in this house. Enjoy!!!

This batch I made half oatmeal-cranberry and half oatmeal-chocolate chip

Kristin’s Gluten-Free Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry (or Raisin or Chocolate Chip) Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookie sheets with silicon mat or parchment paper.

Mix in a mixer:

¾ cup white rice flour

¾ cup whole oats (gluten-free if celiac or sensitive)

½ tsp xanthan gum

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar                                              

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)

Add and mix in at medium speed, just until blended:

¼ cup oil

¼ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Add and mix in:

½ - 1 cup dried cranberries OR raisins OR chocolate chips!

Drop by 1 Tbsp amounts onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 8-9 minutes, until lightly browned.   

Remove onto a cooling rack to cool.  Enjoy!