This vegan, gluten-free cranberry & pistachio shortbread with almond icing is buttery, crisp, crunchy, sweet, dip-able, festive, and super simple to make.
These Cranberry + Pistachio Shortbread Bars have got it all going on, which makes them perfect for holiday baking. This shortbread comes together with just 9 ingredients and a breezy 30+ minutes. It’s basically a fancy, dressed-up variation of the shortbread in these homemade twix bars.
Chopped dried cranberries add a chewy texture and the pistachios offer an addictive, nutty crunch. A subtly sweet almond icing is made by melting together coconut butter and almond extract, and a quick drizzle atop the bars offers some eye appeal and yet another layer of flavor.
These shortbread bars are sweet enough to satisfy a dessert craving, yet balanced enough to make a strong argument for their inclusion in your breakfast routine. As a matter of fact, they’re absolutely awesome dipped in coffee or tea. So, go on: dip ’em, dunk ’em, and do it proudly.
Cranberry & Pistachio Shortbread with Almond Icing
Chopped dried cranberries add a chewy texture and the pistachios offer an addictive, nutty crunch to this simple shortbread. A subtly sweet almond icing is made by melting together coconut butter and almond extract, and a quick drizzle atop the bars offers some eye appeal and yet another layer of flavor. These shortbread bars are sweet enough to satisfy a dessert craving, yet balanced enough to make a strong argument for their inclusion in your breakfast routine. I love to dip them in hot coffee or tea!
Ingredients
For the Shortbread
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup raw pistachios (use pepitas for a nut-free option)
For the Almond Icing
- 1/3 cup coconut butter*
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (use vanilla extract for a nut-free option)
- 1/16 teaspoon Stevia powder (optional)
Instructions
To Make the Shortbread
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8" x 11 1/2" rectangular tart pan with coconut oil. Alternatively, line an 8" x 12" in baking tray with parchment paper.
- Add the rolled oats to a food processor, and process for 3-4 minutes or until you have a fine oat flour.
- Add the oat flour, coconut flour, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl, and gently mix with a spoon. Add in the cranberries and pistachios and gently fold into the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto the pan, and use your fingers to press the dough into the tart pan. Prick the dough with a fork 8-10 times to prevent bubbling, and bake for 14-18 minutes or until just turning a light golden color.
- Let cool completely.
- Carefully pop the shortbread out of the pan and slice into squares.
To Make the Almond Icing
- Add the coconut butter, almond extract, and Stevia (if desired) to medium sauce pan over low heat. Stir constantly until the coconut butter has melted and all the ingredients meld together, being careful not to overheat (coconut butter is prone to scorching).
- Carefully pour into a heat-safe piping bag, and pipe the icing on the shortbread squares. If you don't have a piping bag, simply spoon the icing over the cookies. As the icing cools, it hardens.
- Store shortbread in an airtight glass container to keep the bars crisp.
Recipe Notes
*For best results (i.e., drizzle-worthy icing), make a fresh batch of homemade coconut butter and measure off the amount needed.
I love these speckled little bars filled with yummy nuts and fruits! So festive and so tasty looking :)
Thanks, Natalie! I hope you have the chance to make them — they’re like little bites of festivity!
Ashley… How do you come up with these recipes!!??? Amazing .. I can’t wait to make this one this weekend. I’ve made so many of your recipes and we all love them!!! Thank you again!..
Oh my gosh, Rosanna! You are so welcome. More importantly, thank YOU for making the recipes and sharing your sweet feedback. It means so much to me to know that you’re enjoying them. As for coming up with ideas… I don’t have a set method other than dedicating about an hour each week to thinking of new ideas. I’ll think of a type of recipe (e.g., shortbread) and then play with flavors and work to make it as nutrient-rich as possible while maintaining all the flavorful goodness of the original. It’s definitely a process of trial-and-error as there are plenty of flops! Maybe one day I’ll share all the flops because some of them are pretty funny! Thanks again, Rosanna!
These put me in the mood to bake again….something that I had given up on to avoid the extra holiday calories. Look forward to trying this recipe!
I’m so glad these put you in the mood to bake again! They’re worth it, I promise!
Yum! Can’t wait to try these out – they look too delicious not to try :)
Thanks so much, Marfigs! I hope you enjoy them! :)
Hi Ashley,
I would love to make these. They look delish! What are the dimensions of the pan you are using? And is it the kind of pan with a removable bottom? Thanks!
Hi, Jill! You definitely want to use a rectangular tart pan that has a removable bottom. I believe the standard measurements for the rectangular shape are 9×13 or 8×12. I’m currently away from home on vacation or I would check right now and update the recipe. I hope this helps in the interim.
What size pan did you use for this, or what size do you recommend using? I’m not familiar with what size a standard “tart pan” is, and even if I were, I definitely don’t have a tart pan :-)
Thanks!
Hi, Melissa. Great question (and I can’t believe I didn’t specify). It’s a standard size rectangular tart pan which is 8″ x 11 1/2″. If you’re not using a tart pan (which has a removable bottom), then you’ll want to line the pan with parchment paper as opposed to greasing it. Hope this helps and enjoy!
Oooh ya, these are going on my Christmas baking list for sure! I’m the laziest baker so I love recipe with fairly minimal ingredient lists. Thanks!!
Hi Ashley!
I found your website by way of Love and Lemons’ review of your book and I’m hooked. I’m reading through your book right now and there are so many recipes I’m looking forward to trying. :)
I just made these and they’re amazing but it was my first time working with coconut butter and my icing never really achieved a drizzle-able consistency. I was using Artisana Raw Coconut Butter and I had it on a pretty low heat for fear of scorching. Ultimately it turned out more spreadable and I couldn’t really achieve the delicate drizzles like in your (lovely) photos… Any tips?
Thank you so much,
Aidan
Hi, Aidan! Thanks for the kind words and for supporting my book—means so much.
Great question about the coconut butter! Coconut butter can be really temperamental, and I’ve found that the consistency can vary from jar-to-jar (even within the same brand). The best (and most affordable) way to guarantee drizzle-able consistency is to make homemade coconut butter. It’s surprisingly simple to make and there’s a recipe for it in the Homemade Staples chapter in my book. I’ll update the post to include a note about this!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Honestly, these are so yummy I’m only very slightly disappointed that my icing didn’t turn out in terms of its consistency (and the icing is super delicious anyways). So thank you for this recipe, and I’ll check out the homemade coconut butter recipe ASAP.
Keep up the awesome work. :)
Aidan
You’re welcome! And thank you for being so kind and flexible. It really means a lot to me. Crossing my fingers for more drizzle-worthy coconut butter the next time around!
All the best,
A