Cookie of the day · Friday, November 6, 2026
Vegan Cranberry Orange Shortbread
Buttery slice-and-bake shortbread rounds full of bright orange zest and ruby flecks of dried cranberry, with a sparkly sugar edge. Make the logs ahead, then slice and bake whenever the holiday cookie tin needs filling.
- Total time
- 2 hrs 30 mins
- Makes
- 36 cookies
- Oven
- 325°F
- Ingredients
- 9
Includes 1 hr chill, two 15–17 min bake rounds and cooling.
About these cookies
These are classic buttery, sandy shortbread, brightened with fresh orange zest rubbed straight into the sugar and dotted with chewy, tart bits of cranberry. Rolling the logs in turbinado sugar gives each round a crunchy, sparkly rim that looks lovely in a holiday tin. You can shape and chill the dough days ahead (or freeze it), then slice and bake 36 cookies in about 45 minutes.
Steps
- Tap a step to check it off.
Tips for success
- Use stick-style vegan butter, not a tub spread. Tub spreads hold more water and make the rounds spread and turn greasy instead of crisp and sandy.
- Chop the dried cranberries small, about the size of a lentil. Whole berries make the knife drag and the slices crack, while small pieces give you the jewel-flecked look.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack and keep the second log in the fridge until the first sheet comes out of the oven. Cold dough holds its shape and bakes up with clean, crisp edges.
- Take the cookies out while the tops are still pale. Shortbread should only be golden at the very edges, and overbaking dulls the orange flavor.
- If the logs get too soft while you slice them, put them back in the fridge for 10 minutes before you keep going.
Swaps
- Refined coconut oil (solid, not melted) can replace the vegan butter. Use 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp and add 1/4 tsp more salt. The cookies come out crisper and more crumbly, and the logs need an extra 30 minutes of chilling.
- Swap the cranberries for an equal amount of finely chopped dried cherries or dried apricots. Cherries are a little sweeter and darker, and apricots are softer and less tart.
- If you don't have fresh oranges, use 1 tbsp lemon zest for a sharper, brighter cookie, or 1/2 tsp pure orange extract. The extract tastes flatter and less floral, so add it with the vanilla.
- For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. The dough will be more crumbly, so press the logs together firmly and let the baked cookies cool fully before moving them.
Storing
Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze them for up to 2 months. To refresh, warm them at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes. The wrapped, unbaked logs keep 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Let a frozen log sit for 10 minutes before slicing, then add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
This recipe was developed with AI and checked for vegan ingredients and sensible baking times, but it hasn’t been test-baked in our kitchen yet. How our recipes are made.
