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Sugared Cranberries (with a hint of orange!)

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close up image of sugared cranberries

Super simple sugared cranberries with a hint (just a hint!) of orange! Perfectly tart, yet sweet, and totally addictive. These sugared cranberries are a great cocktail garnish, cake/pie topping, or delicious on their own!

sugared cranberries in a small bowl.

What You’ll Need to Make Sugared Cranberries

Sugar – Sugar’s needed for both the simple syrup and the sugar coating. I used organic cane sugar for my sugared cranberries, but regular white sugar works great too!

Cranberries – Whole fresh, not frozen, cranberries! We’ll start by coating them in a 3-ingredient simple syrup, then rolling in sugar and orange zest. Fresh cranberries are extremely tart, so the sugar in this recipe works wonders to help balance that out. The end result is a perfectly tart, yet sweet dessert or snack!

Orange Juice & Zest – While you can totally make this recipe without any orange, I highly recommend adding it. A hint of citrus is the perfect compliment to fresh cranberries. Orange juice and zest brighten up this entire recipe, and make it EXTRA special!

sugared cranberries on a plate with a spoon

Tips and Tricks

  • If the sugar doesn’t seem to be sticking to your cranberries, give them an extra 30 minutes to dry out. The drying time of your cranberries all depends on the climate in your kitchen. Therefore, make adjustments as you see necessary.
  • This is the perfect holiday recipe! I love making a double batch of these sugared cranberries for friends and family. I divide them up into small cellophane bags, complete with a ribbon, and they’re the perfect little holiday treat hand-out!
sugared cranberries in a small bowl

This Recipe Is…

Sugared Cranberries (with a hint of orange!)
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Sugared Cranberries (with a hint of orange!)

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

3

cups
Cooking time

3

minutes
Drying time

1

hour
Total time

1

hour 

3

minutes

Super simple sugared cranberries with a hint (just a hint!) of orange! Perfectly tart, yet sweet, and totally addictive. These sugared cranberries are a great cocktail garnish, cake/pie topping, or delicious on their own!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, optional

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

  • 3 cups fresh cranberries

  • 3 tablespoons orange zest

Directions

  • Combine water, orange juice, and ½ cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Remove from heat, then add in the fresh cranberries. Stir to coat cranberries in sugar syrup, then use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer cranberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread into an even layer and let dry for 1 hour.
  • Mix together remaining sugar and orange zest in a large bowl, then add dried cranberries about a cup at a time to bowl. Toss cranberries in sugar until all are evenly coated, then repeat with remaining batches until all cranberries are coated in sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Christmas Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles

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gluten-free christmas cookies on a baking sheet, one with a bite taken out.

These gluten-free Christmas sugar cookies with baked-in sprinkles are soo delicious, everyone will want a bite! With only a handful of pantry ingredients needed, baking these Christmas cookies will surely get you into the holiday spirit. Perfect for gifts, parties, platters or all for yourself. Don’t forget to leave some for Santa!

overhead image of a gluten-free christmas cookies with a bite taken out

What’s Christmas without festive sugar cookies to bring to parties, give as gifts, and leave out for Santa?! This homemade recipe is beyond any cookie you’d find at the store. And baking them just really gets me into the holiday spirit! Bake these with your kids, friends, or partner while listening to Christmas music – it’s truly so much fun!

Main Ingredients Needed To Make Christmas Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles

  • Butter – I used non-dairy butter to make these cookies dairy-free. Though whatever butter you use, make sure to soften it ahead of time!
  • Sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Salt
  • Christmas Sprinkles – If you don’t celebrate Christmas, feel free to use your favorite holiday sprinkles instead!
close up of a gluten-free christmas cookie with a bite taken out.

Tips and Tricks

  • Making the Dough: It’s easier if you use a stand mixer or handheld mixer. But, if you want, I think it’s fun to do it by hand, just might take some extra elbow grease!
  • Make it Vegan: Okay, so usually I would swap the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flax meal mixed with warm water), but Bob’s Red Mill’s Egg Replacer might be the better option here. I haven’t tried this yet, but if you do, let me know in the comments!
Gluten-Free Christmas Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles
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Gluten-Free Christmas Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

12

minutes
Total time

22

minutes

These gluten-free Christmas sugar cookies with baked-in sprinkles are soo delicious, everyone is going to want a bite! With only a handful of pantry ingredients needed, baking these Christmas cookies will surely get you into the holiday spirit. Perfect for gifts, parties, platters or all for yourself. Don’t forget to leave some out for Santa!

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons Softened Butter (Dairy or Non-Dairy)

  • 3/4 Cup Sugar

  • 1 Egg

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour

  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1/2 Cup Sprinkles

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Beat the butter and sugar with either a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla extract, beat again to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat until a dough forms, then gently mix in the sprinkles until evenly distributed.
  • Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough and place them about 2-inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
  • Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Desserts

Best Almond Flour Cake

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almond flour cake with fresh berries on top.

Perfectly light and fluffy almond flour cake! A totally irresistible dessert that’s grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. This simple cake comes together in one bowl, with only a handful of simple ingredients.

overhead image of almond flour cake with fresh berries on top

Can You Use Almond Flour For Cakes?

Yes, absolutely! Almond flour adds texture and flavor, and is loved by those following a paleo diet. Almond flour can be beneficial to someone looking to reduce their carbs, grains and sugar intake. Unlike wheat or rice flour blends, almond flour contains no grains so it won’t lead to a spike blood sugar.

What You’ll Need To Make Almond Flour Cake

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this almond flour cake. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card!

Eggs – Bring your eggs to room temperature before using them in this recipe. Then, crack them into your bowl and beat them until super light and airy. The goal here is to introduce as much air to the eggs as possible, which will result in a lighter and fluffier cake!

Almond Flour – I recommend the Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour for this grain-free recipe. The more finely ground the almond flour is, the lighter your cake will be. However, if you can’t find an almond flour labeled “super fine,” don’t worry – many are ground finely enough to work in this recipe. Also, avoid using almond meal, it’s heavier and will result in a more dense cake.

Lemon Zest – Let’s call is the secret ingredient! A pinch of lemon zest gives this almond flour cake a hint of tangy, citrus-y freshness. Without out, the cake tastes great, but with it, the cake tastes incredible. So if you’re looking to take this gluten-free dessert recipe up a notch, don’t forget the lemon zest.

close-up image of almond flour cake with coconut whipped cream and berries on top.

Tips and Tricks When Making Almond Flour Cake

  • Beat the eggs for a full 5 minutes, no less! Beating the eggs until pale and thick is hands-down the most important part of this recipe. No matter how tempting it may be, don’t cut this step short!
  • For easy removal, I recommend baking this almond flour cake in a spring-form pan. Once done baking, gently run a butter knife along the inside edge of the pan to unstick it from the sides. Then, release the sides of the spring-form pan and list away the sides revealing your perfect cake!
  • Top this gluten-free cake however you’d like! I finished mine off with a generous dollop of coconut white cream and some fresh berries. This cake would also taste great with your favorite frosting, or a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar!
  • If you like cinnamon, try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter.
slice of almond flour cake on a plate

Adjust This Almond Flour Cake Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Paleo: For a paleo almond cake recipe, replace the white sugar with coconut sugar!

Perfect Almond Flour Cake

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Perfectly light and fluffy almond flour cake! A totally irresistible dessert that’s grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. This simple cake comes together in one bowl, with only a handful of simple ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour

  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • whipped cream, for topping

  • fresh berries, for topping

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and grease an 8-inch cake pan.
  • Beat together the eggs and sugar with either a hand or stand mixer on high speed until pale and thick, about 5 minutes.
  • Add in the almond flour, lemon zest, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat for another minute, until batter is fully combined.
  • Transfer to prepared cake pan and bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted down the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove cake from pan and let cool completely before garnishing and serving.

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30 Minutes or Less

Flawless Vegan Biscuits with Maple Butter

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vegan biscuits with maple butter on the side

Irresistibly soft and flaky vegan biscuits! They’re chock-full of gorgeous layers and surprisingly easy to make in under 30 minutes. Top these flawless vegan biscuits off with a simple two-ingredient vegan maple butter for a perfectly sweet touch.

vegan biscuits on parchment paper with maple butter on the side

What You’ll Need To Make Vegan Biscuits

Non-Dairy Milk – Any non-dairy milk will work in this plant-based bread recipe! I used almond milk, but you can definitely use soy, hemp, cashew, or even coconut milk if you’d like.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Ever notice that tiny bit of tanginess found in most biscuits? Well, that’s the buttermilk speaking. And since we obviously can’t use regular ole’ buttermilk in these vegan biscuits, we make our own vegan version instead. By mixing apple cider vinegar into cold non-dairy milk, then leaving it to sit for a few minutes, we make vegan buttermilk – yup, it’s that easy!

All Purpose Flour – We wouldn’t have biscuits without flour. Specifically, all purpose flour, which bakes up the best biscuits. I’ve pretty much grown up on the King Arthur Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour. It’s been a staple in my kitchen for years and has seriously never ever failed me. However, you can definitely replace the all purpose flour for gluten-free 1:1 baking flour if you’d like.

Vegan Butter – I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for all my vegan baking needs. Unlike most baking recipes which call for softened butter, we actually want super cold butter for these biscuits. Therefore, leave your vegan butter in the fridge until the second you need to use it. You can even pop it in the freezer for a couple minutes to get it extra cold!

a stack of vegan biscuits on a table

Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t overmix the dough! An overmixed dough will bake up tough and chewy, instead of soft and flaky. So once all ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing and move on to shaping.
  • No biscuit cutter? No problem! I used a metal cocktail shaker in place of a biscuit cutter for this bakery-style recipe. Really any round object will work to cut biscuits.
  • If not a maple butter fan, top these vegan biscuits with any spread you’d like. Some homemade jam, vegan butter, and/or vegan cream cheese would all taste just as delicious!
vegan biscuits with maple butter on top and a butter knife

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free vegan biscuits, replace the all purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I swear by the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour for all my gluten-free baking needs!

Make it Nut-Free: To ensure these biscuits are completely nut-free, use a nut-free non-dairy milk such as soy or oat milk, and a non-dairy butter without any nuts in it.

Flawless Vegan Biscuits with Maple Butter

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: SidesDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

10

biscuits
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Irresistibly soft and flaky vegan biscuits! They’re chock-full of gorgeous layers and surprisingly easy to make in under 30 minutes. Top these flawless vegan biscuits off with a simple two-ingredient vegan maple butter for a perfectly sweet touch.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 2 cups all purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, very cold

  • For the maple butter:

  • 1/4 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
  • Whisk together the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
  • Add butter into flour mixture and use either a pastry cutter or fork to “cut” butter into flour until crumbly. (The mixture should resemble coarse sand)
  • Make a well in the center of the flour and slowly pour in the milk and vinegar. Gently stir until a sticky dough forms.
  • Transfer biscuit dough to a floured surface and roll into a 1-inch thick disc. Use a biscuit cutter or something similar to cut biscuits out of dough.
  • Place biscuits on a baking sheet then bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden.
  • White the biscuits bake, make the maple butter by whisking both ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Spread maple butter over warm vegan biscuits.

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Dairy-Free

Perfect Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

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stack of gluten-free sugar cookies

These sugar cookies are SO delicious, no one will ever guess they’re gluten-free! Perfectly soft, sweet, and surprisingly easy to make. Cut these gluten-free sugar cookies into your favorite festive shapes, then decorate them any way you’d like!

cutting out gluten-free sugar cookie dough into heart shapes

What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Butter – I used non-dairy butter, to keep these sugar cookies both gluten-free and dairy-free. However, you can use regular butter instead if you’d like. Remember to remove your butter from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. The key to perfectly soft and light cookies is working with room temperature butter. Also, whip the butter and sugar together in the first step until super light and fluffy.

Sugar – Cane, white, or even coconut sugar will work in this gluten-free dessert recipe. Cane sugar and white sugar will blend best into the dough, resulting in a colorless cookies. Meanwhile, coconut sugar (or brown sugar, which I don’t recommend here) will turn these cookies light brown once baked. They’ll still taste good, though they’ll be a bit more grainy and won’t look the same!

Gluten-Free Flour – I used Nature’s Promise Gluten-Free Flour Blend in my sugar cookies and had amazing results! I also highly recommend the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour for any and all gluten-free recipes. While those are the only two gluten-free flours I can personally vouch for, I’m sure there are plenty out there that will work just as well. Though the one recommendation I have when it comes to any gluten-free flour is to make sure that it contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a stabilizer, and super important to keeping your baked goods together. Without it, these sugar cookies would quite literally fall apart. Therefore, if your gluten-free flour blend does not already contain xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon to your dough for this recipe.

stack of gluten-free sugar cookies

Tips and Tricks

  • You don’t have to cut these cookies out if you don’t want to! Instead of rolling, then cutting the dough, simply remove your chilled cookie dough from the fridge and use a cookie scoop to shape them. Drop tablespoon-sized scoops of sugar cookie dough straight onto your baking sheet, then flatten each cookie out slightly with the palm of your hand. Last, but definitely not least, bake off those delicious little circular cookies just as you would a cut-out cookie!
  • Decorate these babies any way you’d like! A simple powdered sugar plus milk icing with a dash of food coloring is always a solid option. Or, melt some chocolate and drizzle that on top of each cooled cookie for a fun and delicious twist.
  • Prep this sugar cookie recipe days, or even months ahead of time if you’d like! Chilled sugar cookies dough will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. If frozen, let it defrost at room temperature for a bit before attempting to roll or scoop the dough.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: To make these vegan sugar cookies, be sure to use vegan butter and milk as well as your favorite egg substitute in place of the one egg in this recipe. I recommend the Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, it’s both vegan and gluten-free, and works impressively well in most baking recipes.

Use Regular Flour: Feel free to replace the gluten-free flour with regular ole’ all purpose flour if you’d like!

Perfect Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

24

cookies
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

7

minutes
Chilling Time

1

hour

These sugar cookies are SO delicious, no one will ever guess they’re gluten-free! Perfectly soft, sweet, and surprisingly easy to make. Cut these gluten-free sugar cookies into your favorite festive shapes, then decorate them any way you’d like!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (I used non-dairy butter)

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 egg, at room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon milk (I used non-dairy)

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups gluten-free flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Add butter and sugar to a bowl, beat together with either a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, beat to combine.
  • In a separate small bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until a dough forms. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
  • When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375° Fahrenheit and remove dough from fridge. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thick, then use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes.
  • Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • For Icing: Mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl for a quick and easy sugar cookie icing!

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