Keto Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Brilliant Christmas flavors packed together in one melt in your mouth shortbread. Keto cranberry orange shortbread cookies are the perfect low carb addition to any Christmas dessert table.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me!

I absolutely love Keto Christmas Cookies, and let me tell you a little secret. These are some of my favorites and always the first to disappear at family parties or around our house.

I adore this recipe because it’s super-convenient, and the dough can be pre-made and stored in the freezer ready to slice and bake.

To be honest, I have this recipe or similar slice and bake keto cookie dough recipes in my freezer almost all the time for that last-minute keto cookie emergency. Also, emergencies in my book can be parties, family desserts, or simply my own craving. 

Why keep cookie dough in the freezer at all times? Well, for those of us who need an alternative to the barrage of Christmas sweets, donuts, candies, and other goodies constantly around at work, school, home, daycare, the insurance agent’s office, etc. another easy keto option in a lifesaver!

Sugar has always been my downfall, and one of the main reasons I eat keto is to counter that sugar addiction. I need healthier options to stay true to the keto way of life and not fall prey to sugary sweetness!

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In a hurry?

Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe or PIN it here for later!

Family traditions: Cranberries, Oranges, and Almonds

The flavors in these keto cranberry orange shortbread cookies bring so many memories of Christmases past, Christmas in literature, the holidays in general. Contented sigh. Tell me, what comes to mind when you smell these scents?

Christmas Cranberries

Cranberries. When I think of cranberries I think of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cranberry and popcorn garlands encircle my college Christmas tree. Cranberry bliss bars. Then there are cranberry and walnut salads. Cranberry orange pound cake. What else do you think of?

Oranges for Christmas

When I smell oranges at Christmas I think of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The March family prepares for Christmas and the delights of Christmas dinner after the Civil War. Little Amy is delighted by the idea of oranges for Christmas and is dismayed when the family decides to share their Christmas foods and especially the oranges, with a poor German immigrant family nearby. The spirit of Christmas pervades and they have a grand time and share the oranges.

Another memory I have of oranges personally is in my stocking. Growing up, I always had an apple, an orange, and a bunch of loose nuts in the stocking from Santa. The smell of oranges always reminds me of Christmas morning!

Christmas Almonds

Imagine, roasted cinnamon almonds. Just breathe them in! Nuts are always a part of Christmas and Christmas recipes. With a nut allergy in the house we have to be super-careful with the nuts we have now, but almonds are safe for us and therefore celebrated!

Almond biscotti, almond truffles, almond roca, yum! Do you have favorite almond recipes?

And every day when I’ve been good,
I get an orange after food.

– Robert Louis Stevenson

You’ll need to make keto cranberry orange shortbread cookies: 

• a large bowl
• mixer, hand or standing
• a spatula
• spoon and knife
• cling wrap or parchment paper
• a freezer
• cookie baking pans
• parchment paper or silicone baking mats

How to make keto cranberry orange shortbread cookies

First things first. To make keto cranberry orange shortbread cookies, make your life a little bit easier and get all your ingredients and kitchen tools out before you begin.

Second, put the butter and sweetener in a large bowl beat them together until combined and light. Next, beat in the extracts and zest, and then measure in the almond and coconut flours and mix together until everything’s well incorporated.

Now’s the fun stuff. Sing a little Christmas song while you add and stir in the almonds and cranberries. After that, turn out the dough onto a clean surface and form it into two equal-sized logs about 2 inches in diameter and roll them in cling wrap or parchment paper.

Easy slice and bake now or whenever!

Put them in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour. Sometimes I just leave them in the freezer, ready to slice and bake whenever I feel like it, and it’s so convenient to have them just waiting for me there.

However, if you want to bake them right off, preheat the over to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Try to cut each log into 12 slices (for a total of 24 cookies) and place them on the baking sheets at least an inch apart.

Last, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Be sure to let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Once they’ve cooled they should have a shortbread texture and snap like shortbread when broken. There are two cookies in a serving, but let me tell you! They’ll disappear fast!

Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.

Christmas Cookies

Our family’s had some serious health issues in the past and present, which have lead me to a keto way of life and influenced what I feed my children. Everyone’s different in the way their body reacts to foods.

I find the best way to stay on track is to provide healthier options so I don’t completely fall down the rabbit hole during the Christmas season.

I hope you try out this recipe. Be sure to let me know how you like it! I need to stock up our freezer with more dough because as I said, it doesn’t last long around here!

Pin the recipe here!:

Tag me in your recipe pics on Instagram @explorermomma.

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Merry Christmas and happy cookie eating!

🎄 Keto Christmas Cookies

1. Coconut Macaroons
2. Butter Spritz Cookies
3. Gingerbread Cookies
4. Thumbprint Peanut Butter Cookies
5. Low Carb Lemon Cookies
6. Chocolate Truffles
7. Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Continue to Content

Keto Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chill time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

All the good tastes of Christmas come together it these shortbread style melt-in your mouth keto cranberry orange shortbread cookies. The tang of orange with roasted almonds and cranberries will be a hit with everyone on your list!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sweetener, Swerve Confectioner's
• 4 tbsp orange zest, (zest of 2 oranges)
• 3 1/2 cups almond flour, finely ground, blanched
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup toasted almonds
• 2/3 cup cranberries, chopped (or unsweetened dried)

Instructions

1. Beat the butter and sweetener in a large bowl until combined and light.
2. Add in the extracts and zest and beat in well.
3. Measure in the almond and coconut flours and mix together thoroughly.
4. Stir in the almonds and cranberries.
5. Form the dough into two equal-sized logs about 2 inches across and roll them in cling wrap or parchment paper. Chill the logs for at least 1 hour or overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
7. Cut each log into 12 slices (a total of 24 cookies) and place on the baking sheets at least an inch apart.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes then let cool completely on the pans.

Notes

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12.0 Amount Per Serving: 2 cookies Calories 228  Total Fat 22 g Saturated Fat 10 g Monounsaturated Fat 6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 41 mg Sodium 104 mg Potassium 48 mg Total Carbohydrate 5 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 1 g Protein 3 g

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Unsaturated Fat: 0g

*Nutrition Facts per MyFitnessPal.com. For the most accurate facts, calculate your own with the exact ingredients you use in the recipe.

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