The best 8-ingredient Vegan Cranberry Orange Pinwheel Cookies! These eggless & dairy-free cookies combine an orange shortbread cookie with swirls of a fresh cranberry sugar filling for a truly unique & absolutely delicious Holiday cookie.
*Recipe originally shared December 2020 and updated November 2022*
This isn't the first time we have made an epic vegan cranberry dessert. In SGTO's first year we made Vegan Cranberry Orange Sticky Buns that still remain a reader favorite! Since then, we've also made Vegan Gingerbread Scones with cranberry glaze and my personal favorite- Cranberry Orange Smoothie Bowls!
If it isn't clear to you by now, I really really love cranberries. Yes, they are super tart but mix them with a little sugar and some zesty citrus and you have a magical combination that always tastes amazing!
Ingredients:
How to make cranberry orange cookies
These cranberry sugar swirl cookies may look complicated, but we are going to break it down step by step here so you can be 1000% confident making these fresh cranberry cookies!
Make the orange shortbread cookie dough
This orange cookie dough is based on my favorite Vegan Orange Cardamom Sugar Cookies. Except, we skip the baking powder and add more flour to make a dough that doesn't spread when cooked.
First, cream together the butter, sugar, and orange zest until nice and fluffy- about 1 minute. Then add in the orange juice and ground flax seed and mix for an additional 30 seconds or so to combine.
Next, add the flour and salt to the mixing bowl and mix into a thick cookie dough. The dough should not be crumbly, so keep mixing until it holds together (see picture for reference)
Make the cranberry sugar filling
Once the dough is ready, make the cranberry cookie filling! This cranberry sugar filling is super easy and just involves three ingredients- frozen cranberries, sugar, and orange zest.
Add everything to a food processor and blend until the cranberries are finely ground. Since we are using frozen cranberries, a food processor or high-speed blender is necessary for this filling.
Add filling & roll the dough
Next, take the orange cookie dough and roll it into a ½-inch thick rectangle between two sheets of parchment paper. This is my KEY trick to making these cookies.
Rolling between parchment paper helps it so the cookie dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin and allows you to roll the dough out completely flat. It's a trick I first used in my Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cookies and is a MUST for the best results.
Then, add the cranberry sugar filling. It's really important to add on the sugar filling while it is still cold/frozen or it may be too hard to roll the dough without the filling oozing out.
Then roll the dough into a tight log. If the dough breaks at all while rolling, just press it back together!
Freeze cranberry cookies, then slice & bake
Once the dough log has been formed, add it to the freezer to chill for 15 minutes. Adding the dough to the freezer at this point helps to make those nice evenly cut cookies we are looking for. While the dough is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 350F.
Then, slice the dough into 16 small cookies using a sharp knife and place them onto a tray topped with parchment paper.
Add to the oven to bake for 14-16 minutes until the cookies are slightly browned and cooked through.
Keep in mind, the cranberry pinwheel cookies will continue to bake a bit on the tray once they are out of the oven, so it's okay if they're still slightly soft right out of the oven.
Once the cookies are baked, let them cool completely. Then, top with an optional orange icing and dig in!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make vegan cranberry cookies gluten-free?
I haven't tried making these cookies gluten-free and I really wouldn't recommend it. The dough really needs the gluten to hold together when being rolled.
Can I use fresh cranberries in the filling?
Yes! Just use the same amount of fresh cranberries, it works just as well to make the filling, though I think frozen gives the cookies a more vibrant color.
Can I freeze the dough and bake these cookies later?
Yes, you can! You can either leave it as a log in the freezer or pre-slice the cookies and bake them later.
If you do keep them in the freezer longer than the recommended 15 minutes, just keep in mind you will likely have to increase the baking time by an additional 2-3 minutes.
How do I store cranberry orange cookies?
These cranberry orange sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days in a closed container, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to one month.
I can't wait to see these Vegan Cranberry Orange Pinwheel Cookies become part of your cookie season celebrations! They make an amazing vegan Christmas cookie to add to any cookie box and could even be a great present to gift to friends. Enjoy!
-TSG
More vegan cookie recipes to make for the Holidays:
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Vegan Cranberry Orange Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
Orange Cookie Dough:
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed must be ground not whole
- 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
Cranberry Filling:
- ¼ cup frozen cranberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
Optional Orange Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
- First, make the orange cookie dough. Add the vegan butter, sugar, and orange zest to a large bowl and cream together until light & fluffy (about 1 minute). Then, add in the orange juice and ground flax seed and cream together for another 30 seconds.
- Add in the flour and mix until a thick cookie dough forms. The cookie dough will be relatively thick, but it should not be crumbly so keep mixing until it holds together.
- Add the cookie dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Then, layer another sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the cookie dough between the two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle about ½ inch thick in height.
- Once the dough is rolled out, make the cranberry filling by adding the frozen cranberries, sugar, and orange zest to a blender or food processor. Blend until the cranberries have been finely chopped and are evenly mixed with the sugar.
- Remove the top layer of parchment paper from the cookie dough and add the cranberry filling on top. It is very important to add the filling while it is still cold for the best results.
- Then, carefully roll the dough into a log. Press the dough edges together to seal. If the dough cracks at all while you roll it up, lightly press it back together and continue rolling. Also, make sure not to let the filling ooze out of the sides of the dough as you roll it up.
- Next, lay a new sheet of parchment paper on top of a baking tray and place the cookie dough log on top. Place the tray with the log in the freezer for at least 15 minutes to solidify before cutting.
- While the dough is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 350F. Then, remove the dough from the fridge, place it on a cutting board, and slice it into 16 cookie slices that are about ½ inches thick.
- Lay the cookie slices onto the parchment-lined baking tray, making sure to leave space between each cookie. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until firm and very lightly browned (too browned will mean you overcooked them and cooking time will vary on how thick you cut the cookie slices).
- Remove the baked cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. Then, remove and place onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Once the cookies have cooled make the (optional) glaze. Add the orange juice and sifted powdered sugar to a small bowl and whisk together until a thick glaze forms.
- Then, drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Let the glaze harden for 1-2 minutes, then serve!
Notes
- Cookies can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month.
- Fresh cranberries can be subbed from frozen cranberries 1:1
Rachael Neusch says
Do you put the dough in the fridge when it's between two sheets of parchment? For how long?
Megan says
No, otherwise it will likely be too hard to roll. You should place the log into the freezer once it's rolled into a log- all those instructions are in the recipe card!
Kris Snow says
Hi, this recipe is amazing. I make them and also do a lemon and dried strawberries one, and am doing a pineapple and coconut one. All my friends love them!!
Megan says
Love the idea of a strawberry lemon version, yum!!