These cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies are the ultimate easy and festive cookie to bake this holiday season. With tender, buttery shortbread loaded with crunchy pistachios and tart dried cranberries, you won’t believe they’re dairy free. Make a batch to share with friends, and make sure to leave one out for Santa!
When December arrives, I always see tins of delicate, buttery shortbread and feel like I’m missing out because I’m dairy free. I mean there isn’t much better than a shortbread dunked in a cup of hot tea at the end of a long day.
So this year, I decided I wasn’t going to miss out. These shortbread cookies are dairy free, yet they still have that soft, delicate texture that crumbles when you bite into it and a rich, buttery taste.
What makes them extra special and festive is that they’re loaded with pistachios and cranberries. Plus, they’re a simple slice-and-bake cookie recipe, making them perfect for beginner bakers.
These pistachio cranberry shortbread cookies also make a perfect edible gift for a dairy free (or vegan) friend, or just to have a plate out to enjoy with a glass of vegan eggnog on Christmas Eve while wrapping presents.
Key Ingredients
These cranberry and pistachio shortbread cookies are simple to make using pantry staples and a few festive add-ins.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dairy free butter – because the butter flavour is important to these cookies, you’ll need to make sure to use a good quality dairy free butter. I recommend Nuttelex Buttery in Australia or Earth Balance in the US.
- Caster sugar/superfine sugar – helps achieve that soft, delicate texture. You can use regular white sugar, but superfine gives the best result.
- Vanilla extract – flavours the cookies.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Pistachios – I usually buy unsalted, shelled pistachios to make things easier. If you use salted just omit the additional salt in this recipe.
- Dried cranberries – giving them a rough chop helps ensure the pieces are distributed evenly throughout the cookies.
Step-By-Step Instructions
I like to make these cookies using a stand mixer as it makes the dough come together with very little effort, but you can use a handheld mixer and a spatula instead if that’s what you have.
Step 1: Start by creaming the butter and caster sugar together. This is the step that you’ll really need that electric mixer for. Mix for about 1-2 minutes until pale and creamy, then mix in the vanilla extract.
Step 2: Add in the plain flour and salt, directly to the same bowl. Mix on low speed until a crumbly dough starts to form. It will look dry at first, but keep mixing until it comes together. Add the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries. Mix again gently just until they are distributed evenly through the dough.
Step 3: Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap or baking paper and shape into a log approximately 4-5 centimetres in diameter. Roll it up tightly, twisting the ends to secure. Use the bench to gently roll and smooth the log into an even shape. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until the dough is firm.
Don’t skip chilling the dough! Chilling firms the dough so it’s easier to slice and ensures the cookies hold their shape while baking.
Step 4: Unwrap the chilled dough and use a sharp knife to slice into 1‑centimetre thick rounds. Place the slices on a large baking tray. Leave a little space between each cookie however they should hold their shape while baking.
👉 Tip! Your knife may get stuck on a piece of pistachio or cranberry, but that’s ok, the slices don’t have to be perfect. You can gently press and shape them with your hands on the tray to even them out before baking.
Step 6: Bake for 12-14 minutes or just until the edges look set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops will stay pale. Leave the shortbread on the trays to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to firm up and cool completely.
Storage Instructions
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Slice-and-bake dough logs also freeze well making these perfect for holiday prep! Slice directly from frozen and bake with an extra minute or two if needed.
Recipe FAQs
I haven’t tested it myself, but if you want to try I would recommend swapping the plain flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. Keep in mind texture may vary slightly.
Yes! Almonds, macadamias, or pecans all work. Try dried cherries, blueberries, or apricots instead of the cranberries for a different flavour.
Yes! You can make the dough and keep it wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days before slicing and baking. This makes it perfect for planning ahead during the busy festive season.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More festive cookie recipes:
Vegan Gingerbread Men
Dairy Free Snickerdoodles
Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 grams) dairy free butter
- ½ cup caster sugar/superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups plain flour/all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pistachios chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add the dairy free butter and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl, or to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 1-2 minutes until pale and creamy, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add the plain flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a crumbly dough starts to form. It will look dry at first, but keep mixing until it comes together.
- Add the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries. Mix again gently just until they are distributed evenly through the dough.
- Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap or baking paper and shape into a log approximately 4-5 centimetres in diameter. Roll it up tightly, twisting the ends to secure. Use the bench to gently roll and smooth the log into an even shape.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until the dough firm.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Unwrap the chilled dough and use a sharp knife to slice into 1-centimetre thick rounds. Place them on the trays, leaving a little space between each cookie (they should hold their shape while baking).
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or just until the edges look set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops will stay pale.
- Leave the shortbread on the trays to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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