cakes + cookies + sweets/ recipes

Almost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies

Almost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipeAlmost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipe

Imagine an aspiring food blogger, who works at a corporate job in a cubicle but dreams of one day writing her own cookbook. She listens to her heart and her love of animals and decides to go vegan, adopting a completely plant-based diet and loving the new foods she’s discovered. Along the way she discovers an amazing blog with a ton of vegan recipes – recipes that are so beautiful and delicious that she shares some with her mom in hopes that she’ll realize that being vegan isn’t restrictive.

And then a few months after she starts her website, it turns out that the blog that so inspired her actually looked at what she wrote, and gave her a shout-out in their space!

Almost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipeAlmost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipe

If you haven’t realized it by now, the aspiring food blogger is me, and the inspiration is Minimalist Baker. When I first went vegan, I wanted to show my mom how healthy and delicious being vegan could be, so I scoured the interwebs for visually appealing, plant-based recipes. MB’s roasted red pepper pasta was actually the first vegan recipe I ever sent to my mom! It’s amazing how much a simple recipe can mean to someone.

Almost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipeAlmost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipe

Unabashed fangirling aside, I want to take a moment to thank anyone reading this for taking time out of your day to stop by my little blog. This space here is a manifestation of my true passion in life, and it means so much to me that you’re reading my words and looking at my pictures. Through every post I try to pour a little more of my heart in here (as sentimental as that sounds!), so the fact that any of you are sharing this experience with me actually blows my mind.

And I also want to give a very special shout-out to my girl Jessie over at Faring Well, who answered about 3,000 emails from me gushing over her stunning photography and asking a million questions about photography and editing and whatnot. (But I’m not the only one who’s a fan – Faring Well won “Best New Voice” in the 2015 Saveur Blog Awards! Rock on, girl!)

To everyone else stopping by Well and Full – THANK YOU! :)

Almost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipeAlmost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipe

Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipe

Almost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies

Caution: these cookies will make your hands sticky and your belly happy.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Dried Cranberries
  • 1/2 Cup Walnuts
  • 1/3 Cup Coconut Flakes
  • 1/4 Cup Pepitas
  • 2 Tbs Pure Maple Syrup
  • 2 Tbs Water
  • 1/8 Tsp Vanilla
  • Sprinkle of Cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl, mix all ingredients until evenly combined.
  • Add all ingredients to a food processor, and pulse until it becomes crumbly. You may need to scrape down sides if things start clumping together. The finished product should be a sticky "dough" that has little teeny bits of seeds and cranberries sticking together.
  • Using an ice cream scoop (or your hands if you don't have one!) portion out the cookies into little balls, about 1 - 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
  • Using hands, flatten cookie balls into little cookie discs.
  • Place cookies on a baking tray and stick in the freezer for a few hours so cookies can "set".
  • When ready to serve, take out from freezer a few minutes beforehand.
  • Enjoy!

Almost Raw Cranberry Vanilla Cookies | Well and Full | #vegan #recipe

Song of the Day:

Shallows – Daughter

19 Comments

  • Reply
    Sydney | Modern Granola
    July 6, 2015 at 11:04 am

    Yay! I saw your mention on Minimalist Baker the day after I found your awesome blog! Congrats! That is such a big deal! These cookies look just heavenly. I can’t wait to give them a whirl!
    You deserve it all!
    xx Sydney

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 6, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      Thank you so much, Sydney, that means a lot to me :)

  • Reply
    Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist
    July 7, 2015 at 7:57 am

    Reading your blog this morning is like a step into my own life! I also just started my blog and I was inspired by Minimalist Baker. I’m not vegan, but I love their recipes and photography. I had that magical “I could do that” experience when I first saw their blog. I had been photographing my food for years and not doing anything with the photos. The focus of my blog is making food from scratch. And my intent, like you, is to bring myself open-hearted and honest to each of my blog posts. That way, even if I have no subscribers/audience, I have at least learned something and grown. I appreciate what you are doing. It is a journey that I am on as well. These cookies look really interesting too!

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 7, 2015 at 11:49 am

      Hi Kathryn! Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment :) I just checked out your blog and I love what I’ve seen so far – especially the no-knead bread! But I really appreciate what you said about your intent in blogging – when it comes down to it, it’s not about the subscribers or pageviews. It’s about the experience, and sharing what you love with others. :)

      • Reply
        Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist
        July 7, 2015 at 12:37 pm

        Amen. That is what I’m in it for. I still have my day job and I love my day job (thank goodness because I don’t see myself making a dime from my blog for a lonnnng time, if ever). I’m REALLY passionate about food and writing about being self-expressed through our creations, and I didn’t want to not express that part of myself. I have been contributed to by so many bloggers in what they share and I figured it was time for me to start giving back and not be just another anonymous enjoyer.

        • Reply
          WellAndFull
          July 7, 2015 at 1:39 pm

          Preach!! It’s all about the passion for food! :)

  • Reply
    Alexa @ Sweet Little Kitchen
    July 7, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    I love how simple and healthy these cookies are. Cranberry and vanilla are one of my favorite combinations, and I’d much rather eat them in this healthy form than my go-to white chocolate cranberry sugar cookie recipe! And congrats on the Minimalist Baker shout-out :)

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 7, 2015 at 5:03 pm

      Thanks, Alexa! They honestly kind of taste like fig newtons! My boyfriend loved them :)

  • Reply
    genevieve @ gratitude & greens
    July 7, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    These cookies sound so yummy and I agree, Jessie is such a sweetheart! She answered a ton of my questions too when I emailed a while back and I felt like even her emails radiated sunshine. I’m glad you listened to your heart and started this space, and if you ever need some motivation/a reminder: you are doing great!!! Your photography is beautiful. Just keep on being awesome :)

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 8, 2015 at 8:14 am

      Thank you Genevieve! :)

  • Reply
    Emma
    July 7, 2015 at 11:45 pm

    You’re welcome :-)

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 8, 2015 at 8:13 am

      :)

  • Reply
    Jessie Snyder | Faring Well
    July 8, 2015 at 8:27 am

    Girl! You are the sweetest. I miss our email chats. Thank you for your super kind words, and for being “you” in this space. You are amazing and I was so stoked to see you on MB’s “Best of June”! I straight up shouted “yay!” when I saw. So deserved. Keep it up! <3

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 8, 2015 at 1:57 pm

      Jessie you are the best!! Your blog has been one of my biggest inspirations, and I can’t tell you how much your emails meant to me!! Next time I’m in Denver we’ll finally get together and eat halves of chocolates ;) xo

  • Reply
    Grace
    July 8, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    I loved reading this post! First of all it’s awesome to find ‘your thing’, to have a little something to dream about and look forward to when the corporate office days seem to drag on. But it’s even more awesome when the efforts close to your heart are acknowledged by someone you look up to! Congrats! p.s. these cookies are the cutest!

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 8, 2015 at 3:55 pm

      Thank you so much, Grace! :)

  • Reply
    Linda @ Veganosity
    July 8, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    Sarah, these look so fabulous! I have every one of those ingredients in my cupboards, and I have a little sweet tooth at the moment so I might have to stop working to make these. :)

    • Reply
      WellAndFull
      July 8, 2015 at 5:09 pm

      Thanks, Linda! Let me know how they turn out :)

  • Reply
    Two Birthday Cakes: Vanilla Bean + Spiced Chocolate Cheesecakes | Well and Full
    September 11, 2015 at 8:13 am

    […] them anyways. Exhibit A: remember when I lamented about the use of medjool dates in vegan desserts in this post? Well here I am now, offering a recipe with dates as a main ingredient. HOWEVER, in my defense, […]

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