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Home » Recipes » Cookies, Brownies and Bar Recipes

Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Published: Sep 25, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

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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.

stack of cranberry oatmeal cookies.
Table of Contents:
  • Audio Player
  • Ingredients for Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
  • How to Make Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Audio Player



 

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!

Cranberry oatmeal cookies.

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

ingredients to make recipe.

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.

collage showing how to make recipe.
  • 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.

baked cookies on baking sheet.

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.

Cranberry oatmeal cookies on a wire rack.

Let the chewy oatmeal cookies cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes, then carefully move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

cranberry oatmeal cookies on a white plate.

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

Can I use instant oats to make this cookie?

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.

Can you freeze cranberry oatmeal cookies?

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.

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?

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.

More Recipes You’ll Love!

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    Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
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    Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe
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    Pistachio Cornmeal Butter Cookies

cranberry oatmeal cookies on a white plate.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Chef Dennis Littley
My cranberry oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy, with a hint of molasses, taking this easy to make cookie to a new level of deliciousness.
5 from 93 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Listen to the Post
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36
Calories 139 kcal

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

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 130IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 93 votes (58 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. James Hammett says

    June 12, 2025 at 11:37 pm

    Wonderful cookies I love them and will be making them a lot.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      June 13, 2025 at 9:26 am

      Thats what I like to hear!

      Reply
  2. Joëlle says

    June 02, 2025 at 12:10 pm

    great recipe, turned out very yummy. but i wish there was a list of measurements in grams too. having to do math is not my favourite part of baking.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      June 02, 2025 at 5:09 pm

      Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the cookies. There is a toggle in the recipe card that changes the ingredients to metric.

      Reply
  3. Connie Sue says

    April 30, 2025 at 1:44 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious, soft and chewy cookie with crispy edges. Making another double batch, exactly as recipe calls for. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      April 30, 2025 at 3:43 pm

      You are very welcome. They’re one of my favorite cookies, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed them.

      Reply
  4. Tv says

    April 10, 2025 at 2:40 pm

    5 stars
    I did not have electric mixer. I searched the comments and did not see anyone who had to do this manually. It went well. Creaming the sugar and room temp butter(not soft and drippy…firm room temp that required creaming with a wooden spoon) to a whipped, fluffy consistency took about 5-10 minutes. My arm needed to shake off the burn every now and again. Cooking time was a little longer than 10 minutes. maybe it’s my oven, maybe it was the manual process. 11-12 was perfect for me. 8-10 felt undercooked. So good. So so good. Worth the pain.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      April 11, 2025 at 9:10 am

      You do the creaming process by hand, but as you found out it is a tedious, tiring process. I’m glad to hear the cookies turned out, and most ovens are a little different and that more than likely is why they took a little longer to bake.

      Reply
    • Rorah says

      May 23, 2025 at 9:48 pm

      Did i miss the serving size on nutrition label? is it 1 or 2 cookies?
      the person with diabetes needs to know. please and thanks!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley says

        May 24, 2025 at 10:34 am

        There are 36 cookies in the recipe, the servings is listed at 36 so that makes it one cookie. Dietary information are only estimates.

  5. Ella says

    April 09, 2025 at 9:08 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I used King Arthur gluten free flour and bobs gf old fashioned oats. I also didn’t have enough dried cranberries so I added dried cherries too. These were amazing and not too sweet. Will be making them all the time now.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      April 10, 2025 at 6:25 am

      Thanks for letting me know the recipe worked with gluten free flour and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies!

      Reply
  6. Robyn says

    April 01, 2025 at 7:52 pm

    5 stars
    These are my husband’s new favorite cookie. He loves them so much, I have to hide them or he will eat the whole batch in one day! Chewy and delicious 😋

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      April 02, 2025 at 9:06 am

      That’s what I like to hear and I completely understand, they are sooooo delicioius!

      Reply
  7. Lisa says

    March 21, 2025 at 10:15 pm

    5 stars
    These are so good. They’re chewy and taste even better the next day. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      March 22, 2025 at 7:55 am

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies!

      Reply
  8. Jean says

    March 12, 2025 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    So good! My family loves these cookies! I have to make a double batch and freeze them in scoops so they are always on hand when the craving hits for them. Thanks for the recipe, it’s the best!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      March 13, 2025 at 4:26 pm

      Thanks for letting me know your family enjoyed the coookies! They’re one of my favorites!

      Reply
  9. Cathy says

    March 07, 2025 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    These taste delicious I only added the cranraisin. I will definitely make these again and try adding the white chocolate.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      March 07, 2025 at 6:00 pm

      Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my oatmeal cookies. Do try adding the white chocolate chips, it adds another layer of flavor to the cookies.

      Reply
  10. jeannie sheehy says

    March 04, 2025 at 8:48 am

    was wondering if I can use brown butter????

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      March 04, 2025 at 8:55 am

      No, if you heat the butter to brown it, it will change the chemical composition and it won’t whip properly and the cookies will be flat.

      Reply
  11. Sharon says

    February 27, 2025 at 8:30 pm

    5 stars
    Easy and delish. I only made a half recipe since there’s just two of us. Now I wish I did the full recipe.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      February 28, 2025 at 9:02 am

      Thank you and I know what you mean, when it comes to cookies, more is always a good idea!

      Reply
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My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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