Oat & cranberry biscuits

These oat and cranberry biscuits are probably the healthiest treats on the blog — and suitable for many with dietary restrictions. They’re made without flour, eggs, milk or refined sugar, and contain only a minimal amount of fat. With a festive twist from dried cranberries, they’re quick to make and don’t even require a mixer. They taste wonderful served with cheese, and when crumbled into milk or yoghurt, they make a great alternative to muesli. They’re crisp, lightly textured and somewhat similar to digestive biscuits. With such a simple ingredient list, don’t expect anything overly indulgent — but they’re genuinely tasty!

Note: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.

Makes approx. 25 biscuits.

Ingredients for oat & cranberry biscuits:

• 225 g medium-ground oats (see note below)
• ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• a pinch of salt
• 25 g dried cranberries, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter (or plant-based alternative)
• 150 ml water

In a bowl, combine the ground oats, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cranberries.

In a small saucepan, heat the water with the butter until melted. Pour the hot liquid into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a spoon. The mixture will initially seem loose, but the oats will quickly absorb the liquid and thicken.

Dust your work surface with ground oats. Roll out the dough to about 4 mm thickness, dusting as needed to prevent sticking. Cut out biscuits using cutters and transfer them carefully to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Re-roll any scraps and repeat until all dough is used.

Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Halfway through baking (after 10 minutes), remove the tray and carefully turn each biscuit over — this prevents them from becoming soggy due to the high moisture content. Return to the oven and continue baking. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Note: If you can’t find medium-ground oats, pulse regular oats briefly in a coffee grinder — they should resemble coarse semolina, not fine flour.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Good Food magazine.