Orange Cherry Shortbread Tea Cookies

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A cozy new flavor inspired by the cookies that started it all.

A soft, buttery tea cookie infused with orange zest, tart cherry, warm cardamom, and vanilla. A cozy, nostalgic twist on classic Mexican wedding cookies.

If you’ve been here for a while, you already know that tea cookies were one of the very first things I created when I started Gwell. They were small, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth treats made with reishi and chaga, designed to support stress relief and give people something gentle to enjoy. They also happened to be delicious. Coconutty, a little toasty, and packed with tiny cashew bits that gave them the perfect bite. Those cookies became our best-sellers for years. Whenever we sold out, someone emailed asking when they were coming back.

And then there was the peach and pomegranate tea cookie. Buttery, bright, and a little unexpected. It had the same coconut and cashew base that people loved, just with a softer sweetness and that tart pomegranate sparkle on the finish. Those two flavors became our signature. They were functional, comforting, and the kind of treat you could enjoy with tea in the afternoon or share with someone you love.

This new Orange Cherry Shortbread Tea Cookie is my way of bringing that feeling back into your kitchen.

It has the same melt-in-your-mouth texture that people loved from the original, but it’s now nut-free. The flavor is bright with orange zest and dried cherries, warm with cardamom and vanilla, and buttery in that “tea cookie” way that makes you stop for a moment and breathe. It’s simple, nostalgic, and feels like something you’d want to make during the holidays, but you’ll want it year-round.

This version also has gentle functional benefits, just like the originals. There’s flax for fiber and healthy fats. Pumpkin seeds add minerals and a little plant-based protein. And because the base recipe is naturally GF, vegan, and nut-free, more people can enjoy it and share it.

It’s an easy recipe to keep in rotation and a great one to bring into your traditions.

Tradition Spotlight

The original Gwell tea cookies were gluten-free and vegan from the very beginning. They were little comfort cookies with a purpose. Soft, coconutty, and packed with cashew bits. They had a melt-in-your-mouth texture that people fell in love with, and they became part of so many routines: evening tea, quiet mornings, shared moments during busy days.

Now that I have a child with a nut allergy, I wanted to create a version that more people could enjoy. Something that still felt like a tea cookie in spirit, but safe, flexible, and easy for families to make together. This new Orange Cherry Shortbread Tea Cookie is nut-free, still gluten-free and vegan, and built on the same idea that a small cookie can bring a little calm into your day.

Tea cookies show up in so many cultures, each with its own story and way of being shared: Mexican wedding cookies and Russian tea cakes. Greek Kourabiedes dusted in powdered sugar. Middle Eastern Ghorayebah that melts on your tongue. Ocean puffs, snowballs, and meltaways. They’re all cousins. They come in different shapes and flavors, but they carry the same feeling. Something tender. Something simple. Something you make for people you love.
This new version fits right into that global family. It has the softness of a meltaway, the powdered sugar finish of a tea cake, and the bright notes of orange and cherry that make it feel warm and celebratory. It’s the kind of cookie you can bring to a gathering, tuck into lunchboxes, enjoy with tea, or save for a quiet moment at night.

Tradition evolves as our lives change. This cookie is part of that evolution. A familiar texture, a familiar comfort, is made a little more accessible so more people can be part of it. If the original cookies felt like a ritual, this one feels like an invitation.

Orange Cherry Shortbread Tea Cookies

Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth tea cookies brightened with orange and cherry, gently spiced with cardamom and vanilla for a warm holiday feel.
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Servings: 36
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern
Calories: 97
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 148 g Powdered Sugar
  • 282 g Butter
  • 2 g Sea Salt
  • 216 g 1:1 Gluten Free Flour We use Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1
  • 1/4 tsp Cardamom
  • 11 g Orange Zest
  • 3/4 tsp Vanilla
  • 78 g Dried Cherries roughly chopped
  • 98 g Pumpkin Seeds roughly chopped
  • 78 g Flax Meal

Method
 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Prep the mix-ins.
  1. Roughly chop the pumpkin seeds and cherries.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine them with the flour and flax. Set aside.
Infuse the sugar.
  1. In a separate bowl, add the powdered sugar and orange zest.
  2. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant and the oils release.
Build the dry mixture.
  1. Add the sugar–zest mixture, cardamom, vanilla, and salt to the flour bowl.
  2. Stir to distribute everything evenly.
Add the butter.
  1. Add the softened butter and use your fingers to rub it into the dry mixture until a soft dough forms.
  2. Mix only until it holds—don’t overwork it.
Shape.
  1. Scoop the dough into small rounds (1–1.5 tablespoons each) and place on the lined baking sheet.
Chill.
  1. Refrigerate the shaped dough for 30 minutes.
Bake.
  1. Bake for 12–15 minutes at 350°F, until the bottoms are lightly golden.
  2. If your oven runs hot, begin checking at 12 minutes—pull them when they smell toasty and set.
Rest in the oven.
  1. Turn off the oven and crack the door. Let the cookies sit inside for 10–15 minutes to finish setting.
  2. Then remove and let cool completely on the sheet.
Coat in sugar.
  1. Once fully cooled, toss the cookies in powdered sugar.
Store.
  1. Keep in an airtight container.
  2. They hold well at room temperature and can be refrigerated or frozen—though they rarely last that long.

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 80mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 78IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Nuts
If you tolerate nuts, these are excellent with chopped pistachios in place of pumpkin seeds.
Almonds or walnuts also work, but pistachio is the best match for the citrus and cardamom.
Dried Fruit
You can swap the cherries for:
  • cranberries (a little brighter and more tart)
  • chopped dried apricot (soft and fragrant)
  • currants (smaller bursts of sweetness)
Seeds
If you want a nut-free swap for the pumpkin seeds, use:
  • sunflower seeds
  • hemp hearts
Sunflower gives the most similar crunch.
Lower Sugar Option
These cookies rely on powdered sugar for texture, but you can reduce the sweetness a bit:
  • Roll them more lightly in powdered sugar
  • Reduce the powdered sugar in the dough by 10–15%
    They will be slightly less tender but still hold together well.
If you want a fully low-sugar version, you can skip the outer dusting and rely only on the sweetness from the dough and fruit. You can also reduce the fruit by about 50%.
Flavor Swaps
  • Add a little extra orange zest for a brighter cookie
  • Increase the cardamom slightly for a warmer spice profile
  • Add a pinch of cinnamon for a more classic “holiday tea cookie” feel
Butter Alternatives
Any softened dairy-free butter works. It must be a butter that hardens when chilled and has some water content. 

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What to Drink With These Cookies

These cookies were made for slow moments, like something warm in your hands, something sweet and citrusy to nibble on. Because the flavors are bright but cozy, the best teas to serve alongside them aren’t overly spiced or heavy. Instead, they complement the orange, cherry, cardamom, and vanilla in a way that feels calm, wintery, and a little bit nostalgic. Here are a few teas that pair beautifully without competing for attention. Below are a few options that complement the flavors in the cookies and offer a bit of functional support at the same time.

1. Orange Blossom White Tea

Light, floral, and gently uplifting
White tea brings soft antioxidants without the bitterness of green tea. Its brightness pairs naturally with citrus and helps you ease into the day or unwind gently at night.
Perfect if you want something delicate and elegant.

2. Cranberry Hibiscus Herbal Tea

Bright, refreshing, and hydrating
Hibiscus supports hydration and brings a tart, vibrant flavor that lifts the cherry notes in the cookie. It’s a great option if you want something lively but still caffeine-free.

3. Vanilla Rooibos (or Rooibos Latte)

Cozy, caffeine-free, naturally grounding
Rooibos is naturally calming and earthy, making it a good choice if you’re winding down for the evening. The vanilla rounds out the cookie’s own vanilla and cardamom notes.

  • Coconut Flaxseed Porridge (Low-Carb Oatmeal Alternative)

    A comforting low-carb alternative to oatmeal, this porridge combines healthy fats, fiber, and warming spices to support blood sugar balance. Flaxseeds are high in omega-3s and lignans, known to support hormone health. Coconut provides MCTs for energy, while cinnamon and nutmeg aid blood sugar regulation. Citations: 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566790/2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7275152/

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