One bite of this buttery, crisp gluten free cranberry shortbread with dried cranberries and pistachios, and you will be hooked! These simple gluten-free slice-and-bake cookies make a delicious treat for the holidays!
I am excited about these gluten free citrus shortbread cookies with pistachios. They are buttery and full of flavor. I love to use lime zest instead of orange zest when baking with cranberries. It adds delicious tanginess.
Dried cranberries are available all year long. I love to use Ocean Spray cranberries to make my shortbread cookies. There are many other brands of dried cranberries, too, but our grocery store seems to carry this one brand mainly.
Why you will love these gluten free cranberry shortbread cookies:
- They are full of buttery shortbread goodness. They melt in your mouth!
- These cookies are made with dried cranberries so you can enjoy them all year.
- You can cut them out in circles or use your favorite cookie cutters!
- They are made with only five simple ingredients.
easy to make.
Ingredient
- Gluten free flour blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure. For some reason, Bob’s blend needed a little more flour. If you notice the dough is a bit wet, add a little more flour using Bob’s 1 to 1. (That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours, and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.)
- Binder – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Butter – To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- Cranberries – Use dried cranberries because fresh ones will add too much moisture.
- Pistachios – If you are nut-free, omit them. You can also use other types of nuts, like pecans.
How to Make Gluten-Free Cranberry Shortbread (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend them all.
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale. Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour. Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix them into a dough.
Step 4: As I mentioned above, for some reason, I found that Bob’s GF 1 to 1 blend was a bit wetter than the King Arthur blend. If you notice this, it is okay to add more flour so the dough isn’t too sticky.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the dough. If your cookie dough is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Step 5: Form the dough into a log and wrap it with plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Remove the dough and preheat the oven to 375º F. I use a higher heat to set the cookies quickly so they don’t spread.
Step 6: Slice the cookies into 1/2 inch circles and put them onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Step 7: Bake at 375º F for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake.
You may also love this simple Gluten Free Maple Shortbread or these Gluten Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies recipes.
Make it fancy:
Make your citrus cranberry shortbread fancy by drizzling or dipping half of the cookies in melted white chocolate. You can sprinkle them with crushed pistachios or sprinkles.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Unfortunately, you can’t use fresh cranberries in this recipe. They add too much moisture to the shortbread.
can you make shortbread dairy free?
You can make these gluten free pistachio and cranberry shortbread cookies dairy-free by using vegan butter.
These cookies will keep fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container. They will keep up to 4 months in a freezer bag in the freezer.
Gluten Free Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Prep 10minutes mins
Cook 10 minutes mins
Chill Time 1hour hr
Total 1hour hr 20 minutes mins
Delicious buttery melt in your mouth gluten free cranberry shortbread cookies. These cookies are easy to make and are perfect any time of the year.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ▢½ cup cane sugar
- ▢dash salt
- ▢1 cup unsalted butter softened to almost melted
- ▢1 cup dried cranberries
- ▢⅓ cup roasted salted pistachios removed from the shells and chopped
- ▢2 teaspoons lime zest
- ▢1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment
- ▢parchment paper
Method
- Add 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend, 1/2 cup cane sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend them all together.
- Add the softened 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons lime zest, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup dried cranberries, and 1/3 cup roasted salted pistachios to a bowl and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix them into a dough.
- Note: For some reason, I found Bob’s GF 1:1 blend was a bit wetter than with the King Arthur blend. If you notice this, it is okay to add more flour so the dough isn’t too sticky.
- Form the dough into a log and wrap it with plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Remove the dough and preheat the oven to 375º F. I use a higher heat so that the cookies are set quickly and don’t spread.
- Slice the cookies 1/2 inch circles and put them onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375º F for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake.
- Remove from the oven to a cooling rack.
- Optional: drizzle or dip in white chocolate.
Nutrition
Serving1cookie
Calories 294 kcal
Carbohydrates 34g
Protein 3g
Fat 18g
Saturated Fat10g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Trans Fat 1g
Cholestero l41mg
Sodium 136mg Potassium 45mg
Fiber 3g
Sugar 16g
Vitamin A 487IU
Vitamin C 1mg
Calcium 24mg
Iron1mg
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours. You may need a bit more of Bob’s blend so the dough isn’t too wet.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter with vegan butter.
- These cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
