Cranberry Jam Sugar Cookies (Gluten-Free + Sugar-Free)

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Cranberry jam sugar cookies are one of the best holiday cookies you will ever taste. They are perfectly delicious, and it’s the perfect way to use up leftover cranberry jam. 

The cookies are so deliciously soft and chewy with crisp edges. The tart yet sweet cranberry jam compliments the sweet flavor of the sugar cookies perfectly. 

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Flour: Use your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.

Hazelnut Flour/Meal: Hazelnut flour gives the cranberry jam sugar cookies. 

Baking Soda: Gives the cranberry jam sugar cookies a slight rise and helps with the texture. 

Baking Powder: This helps give the cookies an extra lift. 

Kosher Salt: Helps balance out the sweet flavor of the cookie. 

Butter: Butter adds richness to the cookies as well as gives them tender crumbs, and provides structure. 

Sweetener: I used monk fruit sweetener to make these cookies, but feel free to use your favorite granular sugar-free sweetener or regular granulated sugar if desired. 

Eggs: Help give the cookies structure by binding the ingredients together.  

Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor. You can also use almond extract instead. 

Cranberry Jam: Adds a tart but sweet flavor to the cookies. 

How To Make Cranberry Jam Sugar Cookies

Mix the gluten-free all-purpose flour, hazelnut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until combined. 

Add the butter and sugar-free sweetener to a large bowl and mix it with a hand mixer until it is light and fluffy. (You can also make the cookies in a stand mixer. Just use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and sweetener.)

Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. 

Add the gluten-free flour mixture and mix it until combined. 

Add dollops of the cranberry jam to the cookie dough, then mix it with a silicone spatula about 3-4 times until streaks of cranberry jam are running throughout the cookie dough.  

Use a 1 or 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough on parchment-lined baking sheets, placing each cookie 1 1/2-2 inches apart.   

Chill the cranberry jam sugar cookies in the fridge, uncovered for 4 hours or overnight. 

Set your oven to 350°F. Let it preheat. 

Bake the cranberry jam sugar cookies for 14-16 minutes until the edges are slightly golden brown. 

Let the cranberry jam sugar cookies cool on the pan completely before serving. 

Choosing the Right Cranberry Jam:

Not every cranberry jam will work for this cranberry jam sugar cookies. Some jams are too runny and won’t create those beautiful red pockets of jam running throughout the cookies. In contrast, if the jam is too thick, it will be hard to mix into the cookie dough. 

I used my homemade cranberry jam to make this recipe. Both store-bought and homemade cranberry jam will work in this recipe. 

Just make sure the jam is not too thick or too runny for best results.

Tips For Making Cranberry Jam Sugar Cookies

Use unsalted butter. This helps you control how much salt is in the cranberry jam cookies. If you use salted butter to make the cookies, reduce the salt to 1/8 teaspoon. 

Use softened butter. These cookies spread a lot. However, they will spread too much if you use melted butter. I have made these cranberry jam sugar cookies with melted butter and softened butter. The ones with melted butter spread way too much. 

Mix the jam as little as possible. When mixing the cranberry jam into the cookies, mix it as little as possible. If you mix it too much, the cranberry jam will blend into the fully cookie batter. The goal is to have ribbons of cranberry jam running throughout each cookie. To achieve this, mix the cookie dough 3 times max once you add the cranberry jam. 

Size matters. If you want crispier cookies, use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop. If you want chewier cookies, use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop. 

Space the cookies apart. The cookies spread quite a bit, so space them 1 1/2-2 inches apart.

Scoop the cookie dough strategically. When scooping the cranberry jam cookies on the parchment paper, pay attention to where the ribbons of jam are. Most of the jam should be on the bottom of the cookie scoop, so when you place it on the baking sheet, the jam is on top. Try to get at least 1 ribbon of jam in each cookie.

Chill the cookies before baking. This cranberry jam sugar cookie produces soft cookies, so the cookies need to be chilled before baking. Chill the cranberry jam sugar cookies for at least 4 hours or overnight before baking them. 

Variations 

These cranberry jam sugar cookies are incredibly delicious. But there are lots of ways to make them better. 

1. Spices: Adding 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon will give the cookies a warm, cozy flavor. You can add other spices like ground nutmeg, cloves, or allspice. 
2. Ginger: Add 1/2 teaspoon of grated or ground ginger to the cookie dough to create a slightly spicy flavor that contrasts beautifully with the sweet and tart flavors in the cookies.   
3. Orange Zest: Orange zest will add a subtle citrus flavor. 
4. Cranberry Sauce: Use cranberry sauce if you do not have cranberry jam. 
5. Other Jams: if you do not have cranberry jam, use strawberry jam, raspberry jam, or blueberry jam. 

Storing Cranberry Jam Sugar Cookies

Store the cranberry jam sugar cookies in an airtight container on your countertop for 3 days. Make sure you place sheets of parchment paper between each layer of cookies, as they can stick together if you stack them on top of each other. 

Can I Freeze Cranberry Jam Sugar Cookies

Yes, you can freeze the cranberry jam sugar cookies. If you are freezing unbaked cookies, scoop them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze them for 4 hours. Place the cookies into a ziplock bag and freeze them. 

To bake the cranberry jam sugar cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for 14-16 minutes until they are slightly golden around the edges. 

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