This Paleo Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread is an easy, flavor-filled cookie! Tender almond flour shortbread is packed with chewy dried cranberries and crunchy pistachios, plus orange zest for brightness. And it’s all made in one bowl!
Plus this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and can easily be made vegan.
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Why this recipe works
Traditional shortbread is an egg-less cookie that’s so tender and buttery it melts in your mouth. So when I made this Paleo Shortbread recipe I used only 4 ingredients to get that same texture and flavor.
What I did not expect was for my version to get so popular on my blog and across social media. And since shortbread can be made so many ways by adding different ingredients, I wanted to try a new flavor. Since I was thinking about this before the holidays, I decided it had to be festive enough for Christmas.
So I used my basic shortbread recipe and added dried cranberries and pistachios. Not only do they pair well together (chewy dried fruit and crunchy nuts always go well together), they’re red and green, making them great for the holidays!
And then, for more flavor, I decided to add orange zest to the cookie dough. Orange is underrated flavor around the holidays but it pairs perfectly with both cranberries and pistachios.
And I keep things really easy. First, the recipe is made in one bowl. Secondly, you don’t have to roll out the dough, or roll it into a log, or chill it. You just mix everything together, spread it out in a baking dish and bake! I like to cut the slab of shortbread into small bars (they’re very rich!), but you can cut them into any size or shape you like.
What you need
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil – The cookies won’t have a coconut flavor, but if you’re very sensitive to it, use refined coconut oil. Unrefined coconut oil has a stronger coconut flavor.
- ½ cup honey – You can use maple syrup instead to make the cookies vegan.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla – You just need a little bit to round out the flavor of the cookies without overpowering the other ingredients.
- zest of one orange – This adds a bright, fresh flavor.
- 2¼ cups superfine blanched almond flour – Use the “scoop and level” method to measure, do not pack it down into the measuring cup. Do not use almond meal.
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt – Even sweet recipes need a bit of salt to bring out the flavors.
- ¼ cup dried cranberries – To make these cookies truly Paleo friendly, use dried cranberries that have no added sugar or are only sweetened with fruit juice, such as these.
- ¼ cup pistachios
Equipment:
- a large mixing bowl, microwave-safe
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a cutting board
- a chef’s knife
- a whisk
- a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- an 8×8″ baking dish
- parchment paper
- a fine-mesh sieve
- a cooling rack (optional)
How to make Paleo Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°.
Step 2: Line the baking dish with parchment paper so the paper is coming up just slightly higher than the sides of the pan. This will make removing the cookies easier later.
Step 3: Add the coconut oil to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the oil for about 30-60 seconds, until melted. No need to let cool.
Step 4: Finely mince the orange zest. Whisk the honey, vanilla extract and zest into the oil until combined.
Step 5: Place a sieve over the bowl and sift in the almond flour (you might have to add it in batches) and press through any clumps.
Step 6: Add the salt and stir everything together with a spatula until well blended and there’s no more visibly dry almond flour. The mixture should be thick but pliable, like play dough.
Step 7: Roughly chop the cranberries and pistachios. You don’t need to mince them, just chop them into chunks so the cookies are easier to cut. Fold the cranberries and pistachios into the dough.
Step 8: Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking dish and press it into an even layer with your fingers. To ensure even thickness with a smooth surface, get the bottom of a drinking glass slightly wet with water and gently press it down over all of the dough. If the surface of the dough looks wet, gently pat with a paper towel.
Step 9: Bake until golden brown around the edges and slightly golden on top, about 25-28 minutes. Transfer the dish to a cooling rack (if using) and let cool completely.
Step 10: Use the parchment paper as handles to lift the baked dough onto a cutting board. I like to slice 3 down in one direction and 4 across in the other direction to get 20 cookies, but you can slice them however you like.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can use other dried fruit in place of the cranberries, such as apricots, cherries or dates. Roughly chop them to make cutting the bars easier.
You can use other nuts in place of the pistachios, like almonds, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts. Roughly chop them to make cutting the bars easier.
You can use lemon, lime or grapefruit zest in place of the orange zest, or leave it out altogether.
You can use pure maple syrup in place of the honey to make the recipe vegan friendly.
You can use another extract, like almond, in place of or in addition to the vanilla extract. Start with ¼ teaspoon as extracts tend to be strong in flavor.
The cookies can be cooled completely and chilled in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut into bars before or after chilling.
Once cooled completely, you can wrap the whole slab of shortbread in plastic wrap, then transfer to an airtight container or baggie and freeze for up to 3 months. If you’ve already cut it into bars, place the bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer for up to 4 hours, until the bars are frozen. Transfer the bars to an airtight container or baggie and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Other recipes you might like:
- Paleo Shortbread
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Paleo Snickerdoodles
- Paleo Gingerbread Loaf
- Paleo Gingerbread Muffins
Paleo Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil, see note
- ½ cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 orange
- 2¼ cups superfine blanched almond flour, do not use almond meal
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pistachios
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°.
- Line an 8×8" baking dish with parchment paper so the paper is coming up just slightly higher than the sides of the pan. This will make removing the cookies easier later.
- Add the coconut oil to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the oil for about 30-60 seconds, until melted. No need to let cool.
- Finely mince the orange zest. Whisk the honey, vanilla extract and zest into the oil until combined.
- Place a sieve over the bowl and sift in the almond flour (you might have to add it in batches) and press through any clumps.
- Add the salt and stir everything together with a spatula until well blended and there’s no more visibly dry almond flour. The mixture should be thick but pliable, like play dough.
- Roughly chop the cranberries and pistachios. You don't need to mince them, just chop them into chunks so the cookies are easier to cut. Fold the cranberries and pistachios into the dough.
- Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking dish and press it into an even layer with your fingers. To ensure even thickness with a smooth surface, get the bottom of a drinking glass slightly wet with water and gently press it down over all of the dough. If the surface of the dough looks wet, gently pat with a paper towel.
- Bake until golden brown around the edges and slightly golden on top, about 25-28 minutes. Transfer the dish to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Use the parchment paper as handles to lift the baked dough onto a cutting board. I like to slice 3 down in one direction and 4 across in the other direction to get 20 cookies, but you can slice them however you like.
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