Crisp, buttery, and dotted with bright cranberries, these cranberry almond shortbread cookies bring the best holiday flavors in the simplest way. Festive to look at and so easy to make!
With just 7 basic pantry ingredients and a quick slice and bake method, these almond shortbread cookies come together effortlessly. Perfect for gifting, snacking, or adding something pretty to your holiday cookies box!
Looking for more Christmas cookies? Try these cranberry pistachio biscotti, matcha pinwheel cookies, and Christmas spritz cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨ These cranberry almond cookies are delightfully buttery and crispy - the classic shortbread texture everyone loves!
✨ The pretty pop of cranberries makes these cookies look festive and also adds a wonderful sweet-tart flavor.
✨ It's a great make-ahead recipe. The dough stays well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and for up to 1 month in the freezer. Just what we need for the busy Holiday season!
✨ The recipe for these cranberry cookies is straightforward and needs just a handful of pantry ingredients.
✨ These cookies store well and are perfect for Christmas baking, holiday gifting, or for your cookie exchange.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour works very well here for a tender, crumbly texture. Almond flour adds a nutty flavor and keeps the cranberry almond cookies soft.
Sugar: I used regular granulated sugar in this recipe, but you can also use powdered sugar.
Butter: This is the most important ingredient for melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies. It adds flavor and texture. I used salted butter, but unsalted works well too. If using unsalted butter, please add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
Flavors: Use pure almond extract for the best almond flavor. Vanilla extract helps round up the taste.
Cranberries: Sweetened dried cranberries are the best here for a wonderful sweet-tart taste.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies
Step 1: Combine all-purpose flour and almond flour in a bowl.
Step 2: In another bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar. Beat well until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add almond extract and vanilla extract and mix well.
Step 4: Fold in the flours and chopped cranberries.
Step 5: Use a spatula or your hands to bring everything together into a soft and pliable dough.
Step 6: Divide the dough into 2 halves and shape into 9" long logs. Place on a tray and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 7: When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 °C/350°F. Cut each log into 1/4" thick slices and place them on a parchment paper-lined tray.
Step 8: Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden. Let the cranberry almond cookies cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Step 9: Store the completely cooled cranberry almond cookies in an airtight container. You can also dip the cookies in melted white chocolate for a more festive touch. Allow the chocolate-dipped cookies to set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Top Tips
- Please make sure the butter is at room temperature for a light texture.
- If the dough feels a touch too dry, add room-temperature milk. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time.
- Chilling the dough is very important. It helps develop the best flavor and texture. It also helps with easier slicing. It also prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- Cut the dried cranberries into very small pieces. This helps in the neat slicing of the cookie dough.
- These cranberry shortbread cookies harden as they cool, so depending on how crisp you want them, keep an eye on them after the 12-minute mark.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before you dip them in melted white chocolate for a more festive look.
- I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. This ensures better and consistent results.
How To Serve Cranberry Almond Cookies
These cranberry almond cookies are fabulous as-is. Studded with bright red cranberries, they look stunning and have the loveliest melt-in-your-mouth texture.
You can make them extra special by dipping them in melted white chocolate or in dark chocolate, as I did for my coconut macaroons.
Serve them with a steaming mug of coffee, tea, homemade apple cider, or classic hot chocolate.
How To Make-Ahead
These cranberry almond cookies are very easy to make ahead of time. They stay well in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
You can also wrap the cookie dough logs in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 1 month. Make sure they are wrapped well. Thaw in the refrigerator, slice, and bake.
More Easy Holiday Shortbread Cookies
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love these cranberry almond shortbread cookies as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Almond flour
- 3/4 cup Butter, softened
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Dried cranberries, finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine all-purpose flour and almond flour in a bowl.1.5 cups All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup Almond flour
- In another bowl, beat the softened butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.3/4 cup Butter, softened, 1/2 cup Sugar
- Add vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix well.1 tsp Almond extract, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Add the flour and cranberries.1 cup Dried cranberries, finely chopped
- Bring everything together into a dough using a spatula or your hands. Your dough should be soft and pliable.
- Divide the dough into half. Roll each half into a 9" log.
- Place the logs carefully on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. You can also place the logs in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F.
- Cut each log into slices, about 1/4" in thickness. Place the slices on the prepared trays. Make sure there is a little gap between them, as they will spread a bit during baking.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool.You can dip the cookies in melted white chocolate if you wish.
- Store the cooled cookies in an airtight jar. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Please make sure the butter is at room temperature for a light texture.
- If the dough feels a touch too dry, add room-temperature milk. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time.
- Chilling the dough is very important. It helps develop the best flavor and texture. It also helps with easier slicing. It also prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- Cut the dried cranberries into very small pieces. This helps in the neat slicing of the cookie dough.
- These cranberry shortbread cookies harden as they cool, so depending on how crisp you want them, keep an eye on them after the 12-minute mark.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before you dip them in melted white chocolate for a more festive look.
- I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. This ensures better and consistent results.
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