My favorite cookie has always been oatmeal cookies, and adding dried cranberries to make cranberry oatmeal cookies was a no-brainer for me. I was never fond of raisins in my oatmeal cookies, but the addition of crasins took this humble cookie to a new level of chewy deliciousness.
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Trust me when I tell you that you’ll add my oatmeal cranberry cookies recipe to your list of favorite cookie recipes. They’re just that good!
My oatmeal cranberry cookies recipe is easy and makes a delicious sweet treat all year long. It’s not just for the holiday season!
If you love delicious chewy cookies, make sure to try my Heath Bar Cookies.
Ingredients for Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Gather the ingredients to prepare our cranberry oatmeal cookies recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Made with simple pantry ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Dried cranberries (craisins)
- Old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Table salt
This is a basic oatmeal cookie with dried cranberries. If you prefer, you can replace the craisins with regular or golden raisins. Don’t be tempted to use fresh cranberries; they won’t work in this recipe.
You can also add white chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate chips to the cookie batter (my wife loves white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies).
For the perfect, chewy texture, use old-fashioned rolled oats. You can use quick oats, but it will change the texture of the cookie. For my oatmeal cookie recipe, it’s best to use rolled oats. Don’t even think about using instant oats.
You can use white sugar to make my recipe, but brown sugar does more than add flavor to the cookies. It reacts with baking soda to help leaven the cookies, making them puffier.
How to Make Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make cranberry oatmeal cookies in your home kitchen.
Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the room-temperature butter and brown sugar to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) and cream the butter at high speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes), scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture, whip at low speed until light and fluffy, then increase to high speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the mixture and mix on low until the dry ingredients are fully combined.
- Add the oats and cranberries to the mixture.
- Fold the ingredients in by hand, mixing just enough to incorporate.
- Scoop about two tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, 2-3 inches apart.
*Room temperature can be tricky. The butter has to be soft enough to whip so you can get air into it. When the butter is at the right temperature, it forms trapped air pockets that result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won’t incorporate enough air, and your cookies will have less rise.
Place the cookie sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until slightly golden.
Repeat the process until all of the cookie dough has been used. Keep the cookie dough refrigerated while waiting to bake.
Let the chewy oatmeal cookies cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes, then carefully move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
I guarantee that my chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies will become a family favorite and a cookie you’ll make all year long. It’s the perfect treat any time of day.
Store any leftover cranberry oatmeal cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days. They can also be refrigerated for up to 10 days and frozen, baked, or raw in a well-sealed airtight container for up to 3 months.
If you’re a cookie lover, make sure to try my Pistachio Cornmeal Cookie, it’s one of my favorites!
Recipe FAQ’s
You can, but the cookies will not be as good. Old-fashioned oats add a chewy, nutty texture and flavor to the cookies. They’re thicker and heartier than quick oats (instant oats). If you’re going to the trouble of making cookies, don’t cut corners and use the right oats.
You certainly can. Once the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the layers. They can be kept frozen for up to three months.
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The berries would need to be cooked and sugared before use, and they would still be a little bitter.
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Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter slightly softened
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
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Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and cream the butter at high speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes)Scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.*Be careful not to let the butter get too warm, it should just be slightly softened so it whips with the sugar. If it's too warm, the cookies will spread out and not rise.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and whip at low speed increasing to high and mix until light and fluffy.Scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the mixture and mix on low until fully combined.
- Fold the oats and cranberries into the mixture by hand, mixing just enough to incorporate.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them on the prepared cookie sheet, 2-3 inches apart.
- Place the cookie sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden.Repeat the process until all of the cookie dough has been used. Keep the cookie dough refrigerated while waiting to bake.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes then carefully move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Susan says
How can I make this a bit crisper. Thanks Susan
Chef Dennis Littley says
You can cook them a little longer, or use a higher temperature. You can also flatten them a bit.
Linda A Knopp says
Can I sub the AP flour with King Arthur bread flour? I see quite a few cookie recipes now call for bread flour. Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’ve never tired it so I’m not sure what other changes you’ll need to make because of the different flour.
Linda A Knopp says
Thank you, Chef, for your prompt response.
Tara says
The flavor profile is spot on they ARE delicious. However, I chilled the dough overnight and even then, the cookies still spread out too much. I also had to bake them 12 minutes to get them nice and golden.
Chef Dennis Littley says
More than likely you butter was too soft when you began the creaming process. Ovens are qll different and yours may be running a little cooler. Next time raise the baking temp 25 degrees.
Gale says
I followed the metric version, & increased the fruit to 250 grams of mixed raisins & cranberries.
Chilled dough overnight. Cookies keep their shape with minimal spread. 20 minutes exactly at 180 Celsius.
Great recipe, thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know that the recipe worked out with the metric measurements.