Cookie of the day · Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Vegan Cranberry Pistachio Icebox Cookies
Buttery slice-and-bake cookies dotted with ruby-red cranberries and bright green pistachios, all rolled in a sparkly sugar edge. Make the dough logs ahead, freeze them, and you can bake fresh holiday cookies any time you want them.
- Total time
- 3 hr 40 mins
- Makes
- 48 cookies
- Oven
- 350°F
- Ingredients
- 10
Includes 2 hr chill and 3 baking rounds.
About these cookies
These are crisp-edged, tender butter cookies flecked with tart chewy cranberries and toasty pistachios, with a crunchy ring of turbinado sugar around each slice. A little orange zest makes the cranberry taste brighter and keeps the cookies from being too sweet. The red and green make every slice look festive with no frosting or piping needed. Best of all, the dough logs wait in your freezer until you're ready to bake.
Steps
- Tap a step to check it off.
Tips for success
- Use stick- or block-style vegan butter. Soft tub spreads have more water, so the logs never firm up enough to slice cleanly and the cookies spread.
- Chop the cranberries and pistachios to about pea size. Big pieces make the knife drag and tear the slices.
- If the log softens or starts to flatten while you're slicing, put it back in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before you keep going.
- To bake straight from the freezer, let the log sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it doesn't crack, then slice and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1 to 2 minutes longer than usual.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack and take the cookies out as soon as the edges turn faintly golden. That keeps the pistachios green and the centers tender.
Swaps
- Dried cherries: swap them 1:1 for the dried cranberries for a deeper red color and a sweeter, less tart flavor.
- Almonds or pecans: use the same 90 g in place of the pistachios. The flavor stays nutty, but you lose the green color.
- Gluten-free flour: use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that contains xanthan gum in place of the all-purpose flour. The dough will be more fragile, so chill it the full 2 hours and slice it carefully.
- Granulated sugar for the coating: roll the logs in 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar instead of turbinado for a finer sparkle and less crunch, or skip the coating for a plain edge.
Storing
Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze them for up to 2 months. Wrapped unbaked logs keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If baked cookies lose their crispness, warm them at 300°F (150°C) for 3 to 4 minutes and let them cool again.
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.
