The texture and flavor of a cookie with the ease of a bar? Talk about the perfect dessert! Introducing: cranberry orange cookie bars!
These chewy, buttery cookie bars are packed with zesty orange flavor and pops of tart cranberries. Your new go-to treat awaits with just 1 bowl and 8 ingredients required! Did we mention they’re vegan and gluten-free? No one else has to know. Let’s get baking!
If you’ve made our Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, you’re already 90% of the way to knowing exactly how to make this fall-inspired twist! First, we make a “flax egg” of sorts, but instead of combining the flaxseed meal with water, we use orange juice for the liquid. That plus a generous amount of orange zest ensures the bright orange flavor!
For the remaining wet ingredients, we have a few cookie classics: brown sugar, vanilla extract, and melted (vegan) butter. Everything comes together by whisking in 1 bowl!
Next, we add our go-to gluten-free flour blend, which outperforms any store-bought blend we’ve come across. However, if you’re not up for making it, you can use a store-bought blend with similar ingredients, adjusting the amount of flour to account for differing levels of absorbency.
The final ingredients are baking powder for a little fluffiness, salt to add flavor, and dried cranberries for tart-sweet pops of goodness.
Press the dough into a parchment-lined pan, bake until golden, and it’s (almost) cookie bar time!
After baking, it’s best to let the bars rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This helps them firm up and hold their shape. But if you must try them sooner, we can’t fault you. The aroma is irresistable!
We hope you LOVE these cookie bars! They’re:
Chewy
Buttery
Perfectly sweet
Orange-infused
Vegan + gluten-free
& SO easy to make!
These bars are perfect for bringing to fall gatherings, whipping up any time a cookie craving hits, and sharing with vegan/gluten-free loved ones or anyone who is into the cranberry + orange flavor combination.
More Cranberry Orange Treats
- Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins (Vegan)
- 1-Bowl Cranberry Orange Scones (Vegan + GF)
- Orange Cranberry Crisp (Gluten-Free & Easy!)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Cranberry Orange Cookie Bars (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 ½ Tbsp orange juice
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter (we used Miyoko’s salted // dairy butter would also work)
- 1 ⅓ cups MB 1:1 GF Blend (or another gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour*)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried tart cherries)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add flaxseed meal, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract (optional). Let gel for 5 minutes (similar to making a flax egg). Next, add brown sugar and melted vegan butter. Whisk well to combine — the mixture should become cohesive.
- Next, fold in the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, and sea salt. Finally, stir in the dried cranberries until just combined.
- Transfer the mixture into the lined baking pan, press to even out the top, and bake for 25-28 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is golden. Let cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before slicing into bars. The longer they sit, the better they will hold their shape!
- Let cool fully before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*If not gluten-free, you can try using all-purpose flour. You may not need quite as much of it. Let us know in the comments if you try it!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Patti Gervais says
I loved making these cookie bars. The first time – I made the recipe I did use an egg vs flax seed. In addition, I did use salted dairy butter. The bars were so tender, with the cranberries adding a nice tart burst of flavour. My only regret was the salted butter. It left an aftertaste and as you can imagine – too salty. Subsequent baking turned out just to my taste! Easy & efficient to prepare, bake and so worth it. Thank you fellow baker. Your recipes have given me confidence and inspiration with GF, dairy-free and even vegan.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Patti! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. xo
Caroline says
Delicious! Very flexible (I made multiple changes). I did a double batch, but didn’t have double the butter so I did half margarine, used all purpose flour (went with 300 grams out of 320 for 2 2/3 cups), and I did it in a 9×13″ pan. Took it out after 25 minutes when it was golden and left out for the 20 minutes. Came out great! Chewy in the center, crisp around the edges.
We’re so glad it was a success! Thank you for sharing your experience and modifications, Caroline! xo
krista says
The coookie base of this recipe is perfect for coming up with your on versions. I did not have an orange or cranberries so I replace the orange juice and zest with fig jam and the cranberries with dried figs and it turned out perfectly. My husband and friends I shared it with loved it!! Thank you
Your modified version sounds wonderful, Krista! We’re so glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing :)
donna says
Dear Dana,
I was hoping to leave you a personal note, but this seems to be the only way. Imagine these words showing up at your door on nice stationery.
Whenever I need to make something great but it also has to be GF or DF or EF or all three, I head stratight to your website. I have learned over the years that I can trust you with my time and groceries, that whatever you tell me to do will turn out tasty and worth the effort (my latest “try” – your fabulous Cowgirl Cookies). You have been a key helper in feeding my son, and I love to tell people about you when I learn that they also have “challenging eaters.”
With a great deal of thanks, plus hopes that you will keep it up,
Donna in Houston
PS I just bought your “everyday” cookbook. Can’t wait to get it.
Aw, thank you so much for this sweet comment, Donna! We’ve passed it along to Dana :) We’re grateful for your support and encouragement! It makes us incredibly happy to be able to make a difference for you and your son! xoxo
Sanjay kessrani says
“Looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe
Yay! Excited to hear how you like it :)
Robyn says
Would it work to use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Hi Robyn, fresh cranberries will add more moisture, which will impact the texture. We would suggest using our Cranberry Orange Muffin or Cranberry Orange Scone recipe if wanting to use fresh cranberries!
Kathleen R says
This was good the first day and absolutely amazing the second day. I used 2 T OJ concentrate and 1/2 T water which is likely more robust than OJ as I love orange flavor; was also likely generous with the peel. The texture was great, especially for a V GF recipe. Used Bob’s 1:1 flour and Blue Bonnet margarine. Do let it sit as the directions say so it cools. I do think the flavor was better after it sat overnight. Froze it so it wouldn’t get eaten too fast ;-), could have overeating potential as so good!
Yum, that does sound like it would add even more orange flavor. Great thinking! Thank you for sharing, Kathleen! xo
GG says
Absolutely delicious balance of flavors and perfect texture. I used half all purpose and half whole wheat pastry flour. Will definitely make these again soon.
We’re so glad you enjoyed these bars and will be making them again soon, GG! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Melissa Manly says
This recipe was easy but I felt that it had to much butter. When serving it, guests said it was greasy.
Oh no! We’re so sorry your bars turned out greasy, Melissa. Which gluten-free flour blend did you use? It sounds like it may not have been absorbent enough to balance the amount of butter.
Robin says
This recipe was very quick and easy to put together and tastes so delicious! I used ap flour and these bars were perfectly crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside with such a delicious pop of orange that complemented the tart cranberries so nicely. Initially I wanted to make them thicker by maybe doubling the recipe but they really are perfect the way they are. Thank you for another great recipe!!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy these bars, Robin. Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
LKramer says
I’m excited to try these tonight! I think I’ll add DF white chocolate chips to mimic a cranberry bliss bar!
YUM, love that idea! Let us know how it goes!
Susan says
This recipe was easy and came out so good! Thank you for another recipe that the whole family can eat and will love.
Yay! We’re so glad to hear you enjoy these bars and that the whole family can have them! Thank you for sharing, Susan! xo
Nicki Escudero says
I’ve made these two days in a row, once with cranberries, once with dried cherries. Great results both times!
I love how incredibly simple this recipe is. I used regular wheat flour. The recipe used mostly items I already had on-hand. The orange flavor really came through, and the chewy texture was delightful.
I can see myself making this simple recipe many times more!
YAY YAY! We’re so happy to hear you’re enjoying this new recipe, Nicki. Thank you so much for sharing your experience! xoxo
Pat Holkestad says
Hello there, I made these Cranberry Orange Cookie Bars today. They are delicious – and very easy to make.
I did change the ingredients – I used regular white flour and butter.
Also I had to press the batter into the pan – not pour it in, as it was quite thick. But turned out fabulous.
Will make them again.
Thank you.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Pat! Good point…it’s more of a transfer than a pour situation. We’ll adjust that.
Melissa says
Would there be a good replacement for the vegan butter? I’m not a fan of oils. I was thinking maybe 1/4 cup coconut oil, and 1/4 cup tallow.
Hi Melissa, dairy butter would be the next best option! Otherwise, your suggested combination might work. We haven’t experimented with tallow in baking so we’re not sure how it would turn out. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Terri says
I love the simplicity of this recipe but don’t need it to be GF.
What flour would you suggest I use for a non GF version please.
Hi Terri, If not gluten-free, you can try using all-purpose flour. You may not need quite as much of it. Let us know if you try it!
Alejandra Boronat Locher says
Hello,
Can I use eggs instead of flaxseed meal?
And if so, how many?
Thanks
Hi Alejandra, since the orange juice acts as the “water” for the flax eggs here, you would likely need to omit the orange juice if using eggs to prevent the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients from being off. That may change the flavor/sweetness a little! If you want to try it, we would suggest using just 1 egg to replace the flaxseed meal + orange juice. The bars may also be a little extra cakey/fluffy. Let us know how it goes!