From prep to plate in less than 20 minutes, you have no excuse not to whip up these dense, chunky Paleo cranberry walnut cookies! Naturally sweetened and full of healthy wholesome ingredients, they’d be acceptable for breakfast!
2 things before we get into today’s post- Have you guys entered the December giveaway yet? There will be TWO winners and each prize pack is worth over $150 AND it is worldwide!
Secondly, big congrats to one of my absolutely favourite people Bec who completed her Masters of Teaching! Bec and I have been good mates for over 10 years (2003/2004, I think?!) and if gold comes in Human form, it’s her. In Summer, I often mistake her for a lobster or a tomato. That is all.
I used to think dried cranberries were like deceptive lemons. They look cute, red and could pass as confectionery…until you eat one and start to pucker up.
During high school, my mum would encourage me to eat cranberries.
“They are brain food! You’re studying for exams so eat them”
“They help you relax, eat them before bed!”
“They improve your eyesight! You wear glasses because you’re not eating enough of them!”
….Yes mum. You also hate wasting food and bought a 2 kilogram bag of bloody cranberries. Of course you’d use any excuse for me to eat them. Clearly my mum is not a medical professional (although she probably thinks she is, thanks to a hybrid of Dr.Phil and Dr.Oz) nor should any of her suggestions be taken as verbatim.
Anyway, me and cranberries weren’t the best of friends and I’ve never been too fussed for them- Except in 2 forms. Firstly, in a turkey sandwich (cranberry relish!) or embedded in a cookie. Then again, I’m not sure if there is anything I wouldn’t be up for consuming if in a cookie.
When I was out for breakfast the other week, my friend asked if those who follow a paleo diet would hate Christmas because there are no festive cookies for them. Well, as with pretty much every food out there, it seems it can be paleo-fied and cookies are not the exception. I offered to whip her up a batch and she said she didn’t want a lettuce cookie.
Lettuce tell you, she can sometimes be a silly, silly girl. I made her paleo breakfast cookie dough before and she had no complaints. Heck, I should make her the double chocolate paleo breakfast cookie dough to remind her.
I scoured the internet for some inspiration and used what I had on hand and found an almost empty packet of trail mix in which only cranberries remained. Of course they’d be going in the cookies otherwise they would be fed to the birds. Wait, can birds eat cranberries? Okay, back to topic. These cookies are super simple to whip up and can be adapted based on what nut butters you have on hand and flexible add ins. I opted for crushed walnuts because I love this Persian style cookie which is cranberries, walnuts and five types of sugar. All in all, these cookies took 20 minutes from prep to plate which means you have no excuses not to make them.
Lettuce tell you, they are damn delicious. Ask my friend. She never got them. Lettuce teach you a lesson.
Paleo Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashew butter can sub for almond or another paleo friendly nut butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
- ¼ cup crushed walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius. Line a cookie sheet with baking paper and spray generously with oil and set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine the cashew butter and honey and heat for 1-2 minutes, until incorporated. Add the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the vanilla essence, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix well. Slowly stir through the shredded coconut, dried cranberries and crushed walnuts and ensure it is fully incorporated.
- Lay two tablespoons of batter for each cookie on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet completely.
Notes
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Hi dude! (Do Australians feel offended when they’re called Aussies?)
That’s the perfect recipe for me to use up my almond butter jar. I hoe there a whole cup left. I love the walnuts in there! I’m also going to make some walnut cookies for Christmas. It’s a Slovakian recipe and you use a mini baking formfor each cookie. Translated they’re called bear paws 😀
Does your mum read your blog??
Haha, I don’t think so- It’s like a compliment! Oh yum! Bear paws sound delicious…and paleo haha!
The bear paws turned out sooo good! So buttery! And the walnuts make it taste SO good! I’ve never had a walnut cookie, and I love it now. They’re not paleo because there’s a little wheat flour in them, but maybe you could even substitute with more ground nuts. Oh, and use different sugar 😉 But I wanted to make the traditional recipe so that my boyfriend’s grandma will be proud of me, lol.
That is the best way to get in her good books 😉
I always am amazed cookies looking this good can be made pretty much from nut butter. It is just genius. I love cranberries, although I find it annoying I can never find any that aren’t packed with vegetable oil and sugar – why!?
So true! That’s the beauty of health food stores! 😀
Yum! I made cranberry chocolate chip ones but yours looks fancier in a good way! And I’m thinking less than authentic 🙂
Oh nice, those sound delicious! I should add chocolate chips next time!
i do like cranberries. i made cranberry sauce for the first time last year and was totally hooked. and a i’m a huge fan of dried cranberries. especially in cookies!
Thanks Linz! Cranberry sauce with meat is SO GOOD!
Hahaha…totally laughing at your comment that your Mom is a cross between Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil. I think your Mom (err, mum) and my Mom should get together. They could start a new talk show. Dr. Moms. Seriously, though, these cookies look awesome…I could go for one (or two) right now. Maybe with a glass of lemon juice.
You can only drink the lemon juice with hot water and on an empty stomach or else the world will collapse. TWDPS. (That’s What Doctor Phil Said).
These sound awesome! I need to go on a quest to find unsweetened dried fruit (making my own may actually end up being an easier task x_x)!
Thanks, Farrah- They are delicious!
Probably less than authentic. 🙂 Look forward to recreating your cookie recipe.
Thanks Lauren. Hope you do give it a go.
YUMMMMMMMMM – so delish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cookies & that flavor!!!!
Dr. Oz – a sell out! Dr, Phil – have not seen him in years – got tired of him too!
Haha, they are both cop outs!
Love how quick and easy these scrumptious cookies are to make. Happy Holidays!
Thanks Jeanette! 🙂 You too!
These are beautiful! I would have never guessed they were grain free!
Thanks Kelly! I know, right- It’s crazy what unique combinations can do!
I LOVE COOKIES!!! You have also used my favourite ever nut butter, so a big thumbs up from me.
Haha, cheers Dannii. Come over for some!
Wow these look amazing. I’m right there with you in not liking cranberries for awhile! But in a cookie this good, how could you not?
https://freshfitnhealthy.com/2014/12/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-mugcake-gf-df/
Thanks Sarah!
This time of year I absolutely love putting cranberries in baked goods — I want to make these but add oatmeal because oatmeal + cranberries + walnuts is one of my favorite combinations. One thing that isn’t my favorite combination? Cranberries in brownies. My friend does that and i’m not sure why she thinks it tastes good hahaha
Oh definitely- My sister actually made these but added oats and loved it!
Ew that just sounds wrong. Punishment brownies.
I can’t believe your mom bought a 2 kilo bag of cranberries, haha! That’s too funny. These cookies sound amazing, I can smell them from here… I love cranberry sauce/jam and dried cranberries. Also, I can empathize with your friend, cause I turn as red as a lobster if I get too much sun!
LOL. I give my friends so much flack for turning red. I swear my mum still has some…
I’m a cranberry fan …especially if you add white chocolate. BUT this isn’t about the cranberries or even the cookies… this comment is about your middle photo with Bec. YOU LOOK LIKE A FRIGGIN ROCKSTAR!! Whaaaaaaaat!? Awesome!!!
Haha, Thanks heaps buddy! Oh yes white chocolate would be amazing with cranberries!