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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Those look so good! I’ll have to make them over the holiday!
Thank you so much- I hope you do give it a go 🙂
Cranberries would better stay far far away from me. Dried ones, that is. In sauce form I’m all up for them. I blame my dad on the issue with the dried ones because of those nasty granola bars he packed for every hike or bike tour in my childhood. If I was lucky they’d be the chocolate-dipped banana ones if not – cranberry. Fail.
So yes, your cookies look good but I still wouldn’t eat them. .. cranberries.
That’s unfortunate!
Lettuce say that these look and sound pretty darn amazing! It might silence the family who not so secretly agrees most times that “Juli is being difficult again!!!!” when I don’t want to eat the bazillions sugary thing. I’ll bring some of these home for Christmas. Lettuce see what they say 😉
Lettuce see indeed haha! Please try it out on them- Bribe them with mulled wine!
Ohhhhh yeah!! Can’t wait to bite into one of these. Added to my Christmas bake list for sure 🙂
YAY! Hope it’s delicious 😉
im not a fan of either of those people…these cookies look delightful..when am i getting them in the mail?
Thanks, yeah they aren’t very admirable.
Cranberries and walnuts dooooo go well together. Congrats to your friend! If you met me in real life in the summertime, you would also call me a lobster. Womp womp.
Omg we need to hang out next year in Summer. Pray I get the green card. Maybe I can marry Layla and get an automatic green card.
I have GOT to get some cashew butter. Honestly, the only way I can eat cranberries is IN something. Too tart for me!
YES! Haha, get some cashew butter it’s so good!
I spent my whole life thinking I didn’t like cranberries until I was 20 and had the most amazing chicken burger with brie and cranberry sauce. Now I’m a big fan!
Ohhh yes cranberry sauce with a poultry is DELICIOUS!
Wait…was that burger the ‘bird and brie’ from Grill’d- That’s my favourite!
Haha my mom is definitely a Dr. Oz/Phil too. I feel like she spends have her life researching the latest medical thing on the internet and trying to solve everyone’s problems.
These cookies like amazing and the only thing I’m missing is coconut. And walnuts, I think. Dang it, I DO have to go to the store if I want to make these.
Argh, Kelly! You need to live opposite TJ’s not an outlet mall!
Ugh, Dr. Oz is the bane of my existence. When I was an intern last year counselling patients, I would spend half my time just dispelling things that Dr. Oz had said. 😛
Also we’re cranberry twins today! These look delicious.
YES! I saw those bites…Cranbites. Crabapple. Mrs.Crabapple.
Dried cranberries in cookies/bars/balls are fantastic. Cranberry sauce is also something I enjoy as a tart compliment to meats like turkey and pork!
Lettuce talk about how I will probably be making these cookies tomorrow.
I will be making them tomorrow. Good talk. 🙂
YES! How good does it taste with turkey, although I’ve never tried it with pork!
I’m so glad you made them as per your epic snaps.
A guy just brought around ‘fruit cake cookies’ here at work. I smiled and took one, had a tiny little bite, and to quote you… it tasted like punishment. I would much rather have something yummy (and healthier) like these cookies here!
Oh geebuz. With all the work morning teas, the number of times I got punished is ridiculous.
That didn’t come out right.
I like dried cranberries, but hate the added sugar. At the beginning of the year I discovered some cranberries in the bulk bin that were sweetened with apple juice and they were MUCH more mild and SO plump and flavorful. I was hooked. Crasins just don’t do it for me now. These cookies look goooood.
Thanks buddy! Oh craisins…those sugary lies!
I’m not really a cookie for bfast girl except for when it comes to Christmas cookies, but this could change me! I was a dried cranberry FREAK throughout my years. I love them. I still do. So these are right up my alley. I just wanna say to them, “lettuce be friends, cranberry cookies.”
LOL.
Lettuce know, you are epic. Lettuce come to Australia.
i feel like your mom and i would get along well in the kitchen. No wasting! LOL! and congrats Bec!
LOL. You can make tart smoothies for one another and eat white rice. (but save me some of the latter).