Cranberry Orange Cookie Bars (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

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!

Orange zest, baking powder, flaxseed meal, brown sugar, a zested orange, dried cranberries, orange juice, gluten-free flour blend, and vegan butter

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!

Pouring orange juice into a bowl of wet ingredients

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.

Adding dried cranberries to cookie bar dough

Press the dough into a parchment-lined pan, bake until golden, and it’s (almost) cookie bar time!

Baking pan of cookie bar dough before going in the oven

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!

Using a knife to slice vegan gluten-free cranberry orange cookie bars

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

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!

Close up photo of fingers holding a cranberry orange cookie bar

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Servings 16 (Bars)

Course Dessert

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly 1 month

Does it keep? 3-4 Days

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)

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.
Pour the mixture into the lined baking pan 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.

*If using our DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend or another gluten-free blend, it will likely be less absorbent, so we suggest adding a bit more of it until the dough resembles what you see in the photos.
*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.

Serving: 1 bar Calories: 149 Carbohydrates: 25.4 g Protein: 0.5 g Fat: 5.4 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 137 mg Potassium: 51 mg Fiber: 0.8 g Sugar: 13.9 g Vitamin A: 1.4 IU Vitamin C: 1.3 mg Calcium: 27 mg Iron: 0.5 mg