🎄 Holiday Chicken & Cranberry Meatballs

A Kid-Approved, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Crowd Pleaser!

The holidays are here, and you know what that means: family parties, school potlucks, office gatherings, and a whole lotta “What should I bring?!” 😅

Enter: Holiday Chicken & Cranberry Meatballs — the recipe that checks all the holiday boxes:

✔ Gluten free
✔ Dairy free
✔ Easy and FAST
✔ Sweet + savory = everyone loves them
✔ Portable party food (toothpicks for the win!)

These little bites of cheer are juicy, festive, slightly sweet from maple and cranberries, and they disappear fast. Kids gobble them up because they’re basically fancy chicken nuggets. Adults go wild because the flavors are straight-up holiday vibes. ✨

Bring them to a holiday party and prepare to be crowned The Person Who Brings the Good Food. 🏆

🧑‍🍳 What You’ll Need

(aka a short ingredient list because holiday stress is real)

• 1 lb ground turkey or chicken

• 1 egg (or flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water)

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries (unsweetened if possible)

• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)

• Optional: 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or parsley 🌿

Festive Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (omit for egg-free/AIP)

🎯 Why This Recipe Works

✨ The perfect party bite.
Cranberry + maple bring holiday sweetness while almond flour keeps them tender and gluten-free. The dipping sauce adds a tangy punch that’ll make you want to double dip. No shame here.

⏱️ Done in under 30 minutes.
We love a speedy hero.

🙌 Meal-prep friendly!
Make ahead → pop in the oven → serve and shine.

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1️⃣ Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2️⃣ Mix all meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Get in there with your hands — you know you want to.
3️⃣ Roll into 1–1½ inch meatballs and place evenly on the sheet.
4️⃣ Bake 15–18 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through.
5️⃣ Whisk together the dipping sauce while they bake — boom, multitasking.
6️⃣ Serve warm with toothpicks + the cranberry dipping sauce and watch them disappear like holiday magic. 🪄

🌟 Make Them Extra Festive!

• Add a splash of orange juice or zest to the sauce 🍊

• Sprinkle fresh herbs on top for green + red holiday colors 🎅

• Keep warm in a small crockpot at parties 🔥

🥳 Serving Ideas

• Appetizer platter with fresh rosemary twigs for garnish

• On top of mashed sweet potatoes for a cozy dinner

• Drizzled in extra cranberry sauce (go big or go home)

🎁 Final Thoughts

Whether you’re hosting the whole fam or just trying to impress your neighbors at the annual cookie swap (with something not cookies), these meatballs deliver BIG holiday cheer with minimal effort.

Less stress. More festive yum. That’s how we do the holidays. 🙌✨