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.
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
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
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, and you can replace the craisins with regular or golden raisins if you prefer. 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
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 2 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 pieces of parchment paper or wax paper in between the layers. They can be kept frozen for up to 3 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.
Jason Berg says
Hello Chef. I have commandeered this recipe and bake it weekly for my small but mighty coffee shop located in Santa Cruz Ca. I can make double the recipe and bake 4.5 dozen real quick for very little money using really nice quality ingredients including Caputo flour! A very nice local french bakery I use for some other items charged me $1.03 per cookie. We all like yours the best. The chew is spot on! Thank you so much.
Jason C/O Peoples Coffee
Chef Dennis Littley says
Hi Jason, I’m thrilled to hear you’ve been using my cookie recipe at your coffee shop! I have a pretty tasty kitchen sink cookie, if you’re looking for another tasty treat to add.
An says
Hi, these sound great! Can I use fresh cranberries in this recipe? Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I wouldn’t advise using raw fresh cranberries. They won’t cook in the short time they’ll be in the oven and they will be very very tart and sour.
Ginger Rudberg says
My cookies turned out great. I got 2 1/2 cookies and gave the 12 to 14 minutes to bake. The cookie is very sweet. I will cut that next time. I used organic coconut brown surgar plus 1/2 cup of white monk fruits surgar substitute. I also used gluten free 1-1 Pillsbury flour and gluten free Oatmeal.
Mary says
Can you use steel cut oats?
Chef Dennis Littley says
I wouldn’t use steel cut oats they are denser and chewier than rolled oats, so they would need to soften a bit before using to achieve a good texture in the cookie.
Lisa Schofield says
Gm Chef Dennis, can I use quick oats for your cranberry oatmeal cookies? I know that quick oats will cause the cookies to be less moist, so if I can use quick oats, can I use some mayonaise to make them chewy and how much?
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I had someone tell me they used quick oats and they turned out well, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve never used mayonnaise in these cookies, so I really don’t know what to tell you about adding it in.
Karen McDonnell says
Frequently a recipe doesn’t live up to it’s hype, but this one delivered in spades – absolutely delish!!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I love hearing that! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed one of my favorite cookies!
Tom says
Awesome cookies only thing I did differently is add a 1/2 toasted chopped almonds and macadamia nuts! People google them up!
Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Nuts are always a delicious addition to cookies! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed them.