Cranberry Orange Cookie Bars (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Chewy, tender cookie bars with orange zest and pops of tart-sweet dried cranberries. Vegan, gluten-free, and just 1 bowl and 8 ingredients required!
Servings 16 (Bars)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 ½ Tbsp orange juice
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter (we used Miyoko’s salted // dairy butter would also work)
- 1 ⅓ cups MB 1:1 GF Blend (or another gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour*)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried tart cherries)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add flaxseed meal, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract (optional). Let gel for 5 minutes (similar to making a flax egg). Next, add brown sugar and melted vegan butter. Whisk well to combine — the mixture should become cohesive.
- Next, fold in the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, and sea salt. Finally, stir in the dried cranberries until just combined.
- Transfer the mixture into the lined baking pan, press to even out the top, and bake for 25-28 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is golden. Let cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before slicing into bars. The longer they sit, the better they will hold their shape!
- Let cool fully before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*If using our DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend or another gluten-free blend, it will likely be less absorbent, so we suggest adding a bit more of it until the dough resembles what you see in the photos.
*If not gluten-free, you can try using all-purpose flour. You may not need quite as much of it. Let us know in the comments if you try it!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*If not gluten-free, you can try using all-purpose flour. You may not need quite as much of it. Let us know in the comments if you try it!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 16 servings)
Serving: 1 bar Calories: 149 Carbohydrates: 25.4 g Protein: 0.5 g Fat: 5.4 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 137 mg Potassium: 51 mg Fiber: 0.8 g Sugar: 13.9 g Vitamin A: 1.4 IU Vitamin C: 1.3 mg Calcium: 27 mg Iron: 0.5 mg