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On Thanksgiving as I glanced around at everyone in my family helping out in the kitchen, Mom tracing her finger down the ingredients list for her favorite pecan pie recipe and Dad browning sausage for his totally unhealthy yet oh-so-delicious stuffing and my brother kneading dough as I taught him how to make my ultimate healthy whole wheat rolls, I spotted our bowl of freshly washed cranberriesā¦ Ā
And an idea popped into my head. āWhat do you guys think of using lemon instead of orange in our cranberry salad this year?ā I asked aloud. After a brief moment, everyone heartily agreed. My brother developed an orange allergy in college, so we always set aside a small portion of cranberry salad made without it for himā¦ But since everyone in our family loves lemons, it seemed like a logical choice!
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After chopping the fresh cranberries in the food processor and adding handfuls of finely diced pecans, I showed my brother how to efficiently zest lemons. Even though we used a couple of sweeter Meyer lemons straight off of the tree in our parentsā backyard, we only added in half the amount of zest and none of the juice, compared to what the recipe called for with oranges. Lemons pack such a big flavor punch!
When we sat down for our feast a little while later and everyone took their first few bites of food, I cautiously asked what people thought of the citrus swap. āReally, really good!ā was the unanimous responseāalong with the suggestion to make our cranberry salad with lemon for the indefinite future!
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That Thanksgiving success inspired me to continue thinking outside of the traditional ācranberry orangeā box and try pairing cranberries with some of my other favorite flavors. First on my list? These Healthy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies!
I added diced cranberries to my favorite egg-free chocolate chip cookiesā¦ And I nearly kicked myself for not trying that sooner! Sweet, soft, buttery, chewyāeverything you love about classic chocolate chip cookiesāplus the rich melty chips paired with the bright, festive, ever-so-slightly tangy berries. True holiday cookie bliss! And theyāre just 95 calories with no eggs, refined flour or sugar!
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To make these healthy holiday cookies, youāll start with a slight variation of my ultimate healthy egg-free chocolate chip cookies. As a reminder, those use white whole wheat flour (like this!) for added fiber and other health benefits, along with a sprinkling of cornstarch (like this!) to keep them extra soft.
Youāll skip the eggs (my brother is allergic!) and mix in a tiny bit of milk instead to compensate for the missing liquid. Then youāll sweeten your cookies with coconut sugar (like this!). Itās an unrefined sweetener that tastes very similar to brown sugar with a rich caramel-like flavor!
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Now for the best partā¦ The mix-ins! Mini chocolate chips and diced fresh cranberries. These are my current favorite chocolate chips. Their small size ensures every bite contains a morsel of melty chocolate, and they taste so rich!
I absolutely, positively recommend using fresh cranberries (or frozen and thawed!), rather than dried. They have a brighter, purer flavor and a better textureā¦ Plus they donāt contain any refined sugar, like dried cranberries typically do! To make chopping them go much faster, just pop them in a food processor! (ā That’s the one I own and love!)
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If made properly, your cookie dough will be fairly wet and sticky after you first mix it up, so chilling is mandatory! Chilling allows the dough to stiffen and prevents it from spreading into one giant cookie blob on your baking sheet. Itās not always easy to plan ahead and set aside that time to chill, but I promise itās worth it!
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With how much my family loved these cookiesā¦ I have a feeling they just might end up on Santaās plate this year! ??āļø? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees Iāll see your picture! ?) Iād love to see your cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 Ā½ tsp cornstarch
- Ā½ tsp baking soda
- Ā¼ tsp salt
- 1 Ā½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp (30mL) unsweetened cashew milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Ā½ cup (96g) coconut sugar
- ā cup (37g) whole fresh cranberries, diced
- 2 Ā½ tbsp (35g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the coconut sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the cranberries and 2 tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350Ā°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a spoon and a spatula. Slightly flatten using a spatula. (The cookies spread a bit, but not too much!) Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350Ā°F for 9-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
For a gluten-free flour substitute, I recommend the following: Ā¼ cup (30g) millet flour, Ā¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 3 tablespoons (21g) coconut flour, and Ā½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if measured like this.
The cornstarch helps keep the cookies soft and chewy.
Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.
Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
The cranberries should be measured when whole, then diced! To quickly dice the cranberries, add them to a food processor (ā thatās the one I own and love!), and pulse until theyāre no larger than Ā¼ of their original size.
Frozen and thawed cranberries that have been patted dry to remove any excess moisture may be substituted for the fresh. In a pinch, Ā¼ cup of dried cranberries that have been hydrated may be substituted. To hydrated the dried cranberries, add them to a microwave-safe bowl, add water until it rises Ā½ā above the cranberries, and cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the cranberries sit while preparing the cookie dough. Just before mixing them in, drain and pat dry.
This recipe is easily doubled!
{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan option, low fat}
View Nutrition Information
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You may also like Amy’s other recipesā¦
ā”Ā Ā Ā Healthy Dark Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
ā”Ā Ā Ā Healthy Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars
ā”Ā Ā Ā Healthy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Scones
ā”Ā Ā Ā Healthy Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies
ā”Ā Ā Ā Healthy Cranberry Orange Cupcakes
ā”Ā Ā Ā The Ultimate Healthy Sugar Cookies
ā”Ā Ā Ā The Ultimate Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
ā”Ā Ā Ā The Ultimate Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins
ā”Ā Ā Ā ā¦and the rest of Amy’s healthy holiday recipes!
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Is it possible to make these cookies with stevia instead of sugar?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Juliette! I don’t recommend that substitution, unless you’re using a 1-to-1 stevia for sugar product (like Truvia). If using stevia products that are less than a 1-to-1 equivalent, you’ll need to add lots of milk to the cookie dough to compensate for the missing volume… And that will make your cookies turn out with a texture more cakey, like muffins. š I’d love to hear what you think if you try them!
Thanks for the reply! I’ll try it with Truvia š
My pleasure Juliette! I can’t wait to hear how your cookies turn out! š
Amy,
Why do you use baking powder in the oatmeal version of this cranberry and chocolate chunk cookie instead of the more typical baking powder? Is that a misprint? There is no acid in the oatmeal cookie recipe, which is why they don’t puff up puff up when baking. Am I missing something?
I’m assuming you mean baking soda in this recipe, rather than baking powder? š Actually, all of the ingredients except for baking soda are more acidic than it, according to the pH scale. (I used to be a chemist before I was a baking blogger, so I love food chemistry facts like that!) Baking soda doesn’t need an extreme acid like lemon juice or vinegar to be activated. Anything less basic than itself will react — and since that’s every other ingredient, it still works in this recipe! š I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cookies Deborah!
Amy,
I am a chemist myself, that is why I think the baking powder listed on your oatmeal cookie recipe is an error. I think you meant baking soda–but please check it out–that isn’t what the cranberry chocolate chunk oatmeal cookie recipe says. Please do some copy editing before you assume your readers are less knowledgeable about cooking chemistry than you claim to be.
The baking powder is correct in my oatmeal cookie recipe, Deborah! Just like the baking soda is correct here. š Happy holidays!
yum! these cookies look so good and I love cranberry and chocolate chips together! Can’t wait to try them for Christmas ā„
Thanks Natalie! I’d love to hear what you think if you bake these cookies! š Happy holidays!
This recipe doesnt work at all… wow. What a disappoitment. Have you actually made these yourself? Something is not right!
As the recipe author, I have made these multiple times — and all of the amounts are correct! š How did you measure the flour, Karin? Did you use measuring cups or a kitchen scale? If the former, can you describe in detail how you measured? That will really help us sort through the issues that you experienced!
I agree with Karin. Just made these cookies and they did not come out right. The dough was not stickey and was falling apart. Tried to press the dough together on the cookie sheet and went ahead and baked but they are still falling apart. Seems to need more liquid. I put the flour in a measuring cup as I don’t have a scale to weigh. Never had a problem that way with lots of other recipes. Any other suggestions as I am trying to bake more healthy. Thanks.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Pat! These cookies should be soft and chewy, not crumbly — so let’s get those issues sorted out! š When you put your flour in the measuring cup, how did you do that? Did you scoop the measuring cup directly into your bag/bin of flour? When measured like that, you can actually end up with 1.5 times as much flour as when you lightly spoon and level, and that extra flour is definitely causing the issues that youāve experienced! If you donāt own a kitchen scale, hereās what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to āscoopā up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once thereās a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never āpatā the flour down with the knife or fork. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees youāll add less flour to the cookie dough, so youāll end up with chewy and tender cookies. Does that make sense? š
Hi~ Amy !!
Can i use ādried cranberriesā substituted for āfresh cranberriesā
Because in my country .. fresh cranberries are rare items~ (=___=)*
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Mashi! I’ve actually covered this exact question already in the Notes section, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss! š I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!