Filled with a sweet cranberry jam, these vegan matcha cranberry Linzer cookies will be a star in your holiday party. The matcha powder gives it a beautiful green color and with the cranberry jam filling, it makes for the perfect holiday cookie that no one can have enough of!

Linzer cookies are some of my favorite cookies since I was a kid. I love that you can have any filling with them and they taste phenomenal with a shortbread-like cookie base.

Funny story, I never really believed in Santa. My parents made my siblings and I well aware that he isn’t real since Christmas isn’t really celebrated in my Vietnamese and Chinese household. They also didn’t really know much about American culture and the history behind Christmas and any other U.S. holidays.

However, even though I knew there was no Santa, that didn’t stop little Helen from placing a plate of cookies near my parents’ unused fireplace for a few Christmases. I just loved seeing how happy the kids in Christmas movies were when they woke up to presents under their Christmas tree from Santa and finding out Santa actually visited their homes, eating all the cookies they left out.

That phase didn’t last long as I always woke up to an uneaten plate of cookies, yummy cookies that I LOVED too! At that time, I actually thought it made sense since I was a bit naughty getting my siblings in trouble and maybe didn’t make Santa’s list because of that.

When did you realize Santa was not real?

Even so, it wouldn’t be the holidays without cookies. I know everyone has a good list probably already including your favorite classics- chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies and peppermint cookies, but these Vegan Matcha Cranberry Linzer Cookies will be a fun addition to your holiday tradition! The green from the matcha powder and the red from the cranberry jam makes these cookies extra festive. Linzer cookies are definitely some of my favorites growing up. I love the buttery cookies and the sweetness from the jam or chocolate filling.

So, where did these Linzer cookies come from?
I absolutely love the story behind these cookies! They originated from Austria way back in the 1600s and were actually in the form of a tart called Linzertorte. Just like a pie, the tart was made with a buttery crust filled with black currant preserves and topped with a lattice crust.

Over time, Austrian bakers were playing with the recipe and used the dough to make small cut-out shapes and named them Linzer eyes. They then constructed sandwich cookies with them and filled them with currant preserves just like the original tart. When these Linzer cookies arrived in America, American bakers started filling them with different jams, spreads and chocolate.

Isn’t the story so fun to know? They make me appreciate these cookies even more! Without further ado, let’s start baking!

Here is an overview of these Vegan Matcha Cranberry Linzer Cookies.

Ingredients

Flour: I used all-purpose flour, but if gluten-free is needed, you can make these Linzer cookies with 1:1 gluten-free flour (I recommend Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1 gluten-free flour in the blue bag!), substituting it with the same weight. The almond flour is a must! It gives these cookies their traditional nutty taste.

Sugar: To make it refined sugar-free you can use coconut sugar. I would not recommend using maple syrup as this would change the over amount of weight ingredients to dry ingredients. I preferred to use powdered sugar because this will help keep the vibrancy of the matcha powder color with the cookies. If you do use coconut sugar, note that the color of these cookies will change.

Matcha: Nowadays, there is a lot of matcha powder being sold everywhere. However, not all of them are of good quality. Matcha is a powder made from grounded green leaves and the color and intensity of the flavor vary depending on the season the green leaves are harvested.

There are 2 main types of matcha powder- culinary and ceremonial matcha. Culinary matcha is a lower variety of matcha and is a bit more affordable. It can also taste a little bitter sometimes. Ceremonial matcha is the highest grade of matcha and what I prefer to use the most as it is bolder in flavor and the powder is smoother in texture. They are also used primarily in tea ceremonies.

Vegan Butter: I like to use unsalted vegan butter to better control the salt amount, but you can also use salted vegan butter. Leave out the salt in the recipe if you used salted vegan butter.

Cranberry Jam: If you do not have cranberry jam, you can also replace it with any other jam you prefer! I like the color and taste combination of cranberry jam with the matcha cookies, but any other jam will work as well!

Tips

Can I make these vegan matcha cranberry Linzer cookies gluten-free?
Yes! Substitute the regular flour with an equal amount of gluten-free flour!

How do I store these Linzer cookies? Can I freeze it?
Store the cookies in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer. When you are ready to eat them, leave them on a plate on your kitchen counter until they soften.

Can I replace the cranberry jam with other jams?
Yes, feel free to replace it with any other jam of choice or if you want, with Nutella or chocolate!

Do these cookies have to be chilled before baking?
Yes! This is really important not only to help in rolling out the dough of the cookies but also to preserve their shapes when baking.

If you like these Vegan Matcha Cranberry Linzer Cookies, you might also like to try:
Vegan Turtle-Shaped Matcha Melon Pan
Vegan Boba Tea Matcha Tarts
Vegan Matcha Bread Buns

I cannot wait for you to try these Vegan Matcha Cranberry Linzer Cookies! If you do, please tag me on Instagram @a_withhelen or leave a comment below letting me know you like it! Happy Baking!

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