October 10, 2019 | by Kelly Jones

Vegan Cranberry Macadamia Cookies

There’s nothing like a good cookie recipe when the air becomes cool in the fall. This one is giving you a break from pumpkin and apple, highlighting another delicious fall fruit: cranberries! I’ve had the base for this cookie recipe in my back pocket for awhile, but the pairing of cranberry and macadamia nuts is such a fantastic combo that it was finally time to post. In a smaller batch than most recipes, these vegan cranberry macadamia cookies are perfect to whip up any day when you and your family wants a warm, sweet treat.

The Best Cookie Texture

I do like a nice fluffy cookie once in a while, as is the texture with my pumpkin cookies. Crunchy cookies I can totally do without. I don’t think there’s even a question that the best cookies are the chewy ones. There’s that little bit of crisp on the outside and then the totally chewy center. It’s indicative of the fact that they could have baked another minute or two without being burnt, but then they wouldn’t be as crave-able. This recipe gives you just that… which I didn’t think I’d ever achieve with a vegan cookie. What is also gives you though is the absolute perfect cookie dough that you’ll never worry about eating cause there’s no eggs!

One Bowl, One Dozen

Yes, you certainly can sift the flour and mix it with the leavening agent before adding the the wet mixture, but why bother when you don’t have to? As the instructions state, you’ll mix the wet ingredients and then the sugar. Then dump in the dry! I recommend sprinkling the flour over top of the wet mixture and then sprinkling the baking soda over that before whisking and then switching to a silicone spatula to finish incorporating.

Unless you have a family of six or kids who’s friends are over often, you probably don’t need the standard cookie recipes that produce three dozen. You can certainly double or triple these vegan cranberry macadamia cookies if you have those needs. But, I’m operating under the assumption that you may want to make cookies, enjoy them, and then move on to other foods after a couple of days. I’ve done it before so I assume you have, too: eating so many of X baked good and so that you over-do it and ruin a good thing.

Nutrient Upgrades

Listen, while these are vegan, they aren’t a “healthy cookie” recipe. They’re just what you expect when you crave a damn good cookie. However, they come out tasting the same to me whether I use whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose, so that means it is an easy decision to choose whole wheat. Coconut oil likely only has marginal health benefits over dairy butter, too, so you do you with the cooking fat. As always, I recommend pairing any sweet treats with a protein source if you have any concerns about blood sugar responses. Have some peanuts or pistachios on the side (higher protein nuts), or even a glass of unsweetened soy milk.

Recipe Notes:

See above on ensuring this is made in one bowl the right way when adding flour and baking soda.
I have only made this with whole wheat pastry flour. I assume regular wheat flour would also work, but maybe have a slightly different texture as a result. All-purpose and 00 should work well.
If you’re like my husband and don’t like dried fruit in your baked goods, leave out the cranberries and dump in some chocolate chips!
If you don’t have baking soda on the “new” side, add an additional 1/8 tsp to ensure the leavening is up to par. However, it is always best to use fresh baking soda when baking.