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Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

These oatmeal cranberry cookies combine chewy oats, tart cranberries, and sweet white chocolate into an irresistible treat. They’re perfect for any occasion!

Stack of oatmeal cranberry cookies on a marble surface.

These cookies are a twist on a nutty oatmeal cookie. But also, since we’re coming up on the holidays and cranberries have become synonymous with that time of year, I thought we’d throw in some of those, too. Dried cranberries give these crumbly cookies a little extra kick of flavor and some holiday pizzazz!

Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Cranberry oatmeal cookies are quickly becoming a household favorite… here’s why:

  • Great texture. These chewy oatmeal cookies are filled with crunchy pecans and soft dried cranberries, and topped off with smooth white chocolate as a finishing touch.
  • Sweet yet tart. Tart dried cranberries really balance out the sweetness from the white chocolate and the vanilla!
  • Quick and simple. It takes just 20 minutes to prep these cookies, and only 10 more to bake them!
Overhead view of ingredients for oatmeal cranberry cookies.

What You’ll Need

Other than the basics, you’ll just need the add-ins and white chocolate for these cookies! For exact ingredient amounts and the full set of directions, be sure to check out the recipe card below.

  • All-purpose flour – For the best results, measure your flour by weight. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, then spoon and sweep.
  • Baking soda and baking powder – To help the cookies rise and give them a softer texture.
  • Salt – Feel free to use sea salt, kosher salt, etc.
  • Unsalted butter – Set out the butter about half an hour before baking to allow it to soften properly.
  • Brown sugar and granulated sugar – I like to use light brown sugar for its sweet caramel notes.
  • Egg – Let this come to room temperature before you begin.
  • Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract offers the best flavor.
  • Cranberries – I prefer to use dried cranberries over fresh cranberries in these cookies.
  • Chopped nuts – I most often use pecans because they’re my favorite for baking, but feel free to use another nut if you like. For a nut-free option, you can omit them entirely or add another add-in in their place.
  • Quick oats – The small size of quick oats gives you the flavor of the oats along with their flavor without having large pieces of oats in the cookies. If you want to use regular old-fashioned oats, be sure to substitute by volume.
  • White chocolate – From a flavor standpoint, I prefer white chocolate versus white bark or other white chocolate substitutes. Use whichever you prefer.
Close up of two oatmeal cranberry cookies stacked on a wire rack.

How to Make Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

If you’ve baked your fair share of cookies, then this method won’t hold any surprises for you. You’ll need a hand mixer or stand mixer, a couple of mixing bowls, and some sheet pans. If you have a 1-tablespoon scoop, grab that, too!

  • Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 375°F, then line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
  • Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • Combine the wet ingredients. With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy. Gradually add the sugars, and mix until combined. Next, add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. With the mixer speed on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Don’t over-mix; mix just until combined or a few streaks of flour remain.
  • Mix in the add-ins. Stir the cranberries, pecans, and oats into the dough.
  • Portion the dough and bake. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. I recommend using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to expedite portioning and to form equally sized cookies. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes, or until they’re lightly browned. I prefer to bake one pan at a time, but if you want to bake two at a time, be sure to rotate the pans halfway through baking.
  • Cool the cookies. Place the pans on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes. Then transfer the cookies from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Top with white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Be sure to go slowly when melting so it will be smooth. Place the chocolate in a piping bag or in a zip-top bag with the corner snipped. Top each cookie with white chocolate. (Alternatively, dip each cookie partially in white chocolate.) Allow to set.
Oatmeal cranberry cookies on a baking pan.

Tips for Success

I have a few quick tips to share with you on these cranberry and white chocolate oatmeal cookies before you begin!

  • Don’t over-mix the dough. Too much mixing leads to tough cookies.
  • Take care melting the white chocolate. Chocolate can seize when melted too aggressively, and white chocolate is especially susceptible to that. I find that melting it in the microwave is the easiest and quickest method. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at half-power in 30-second increments, stirring after each round. Repeat until the chocolate melts when stirred.
  • Toast the nuts. While this is optional, it will add wonderful flavor to your cookies. You can toast them in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat or in the oven at 350°F.
  • Customize if you like! Substitute your favorite add-ins to make these to suit your tastes.
Oatmeal cranberry cookies scattered on a cooling rack.

How to Store These Cookies

Place the cooled cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days. Be sure to keep them away from warm spots in the kitchen, like next to the oven or on top of the dishwasher. They can be refrigerated to extend their shelf-life a couple of days; just be sure the container is airtight so they don’t dry out.

To keep the cookies looking their best, place waxed paper between layers of the cookies.

How to Freeze Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

If you want to freeze the baked cookies, they’ll be best frozen without the white chocolate glaze. The drizzled cookies may still taste fine after thawing, but the chocolate on top is likely to look a little worse for wear. Place the cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. Properly stored, the cookies should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or so at room temperature.

To freeze the cookie dough, portion the cookies as directed in the recipe. Place the balls of dough on a baking sheet, and freeze just until solid (2-3 hours). Once frozen, transfer the cookies to an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. They should keep up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake as directed in the recipe, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Oatmeal cranberry cookies piled on a white plate.

If you loved these cranberry oatmeal cookies, be sure to try the following recipes as well!

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Yield 48
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Oatmeal cranberry cookies are chewy and sweet with just a hint of tartness. A wonderful Christmas cookie or for any time of year!

stack of Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies on a marble surface

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (228g) sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 & 1/4 cups (100g) quick-cooking oats
  • 8 ounces (226g) white chocolate baking squares or bars (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until light and creamy. Gradually add the sugars and mix well. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined or a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in cranberries, pecans, and oats.
  5. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans, placing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  6. Cool on the pans on a wire rack for 2 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies from the pan to wire racks to finish cooling.
  7. Melt white chocolate and transfer to a zip-top bag (or use a piping bag). Cut the corner of the bag and use to drizzle white chocolate onto cookies. Alternatively, simply dip the cookies partially in the melted white chocolate.

Notes

  • Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
  • Yield. Makes about 48 cookies.
  • To store. Place the cooled cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days. They can be refrigerated to extend their shelf-life a couple of days; just be sure the container is airtight so they don't dry out. To keep the cookies looking their best, place waxed paper between layers of the cookies.
  • To freeze baked cookies. If you want to freeze the baked cookies, they'll be best frozen without the white chocolate glaze. The drizzled cookies may still taste fine after thawing, but the chocolate on top is likely to look a little worse for wear. Place the cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. Properly stored, the cookies should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or so at room temperature.
  • To freeze cookie dough. To freeze the cookie dough, portion the cookies as directed in the recipe. Place the balls of dough on a baking sheet, and freeze just until solid (2-3 hours). Once frozen, transfer the cookies to an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. They should keep up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake as directed in the recipe, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.

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    17 Comments on “Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies”

  1. cranberry & oatmeal together are the perfect mixture. and that white chocolate is an added bonus.

  2. Jen, your recipes are driving me crazy – I want to bake all the cookies you’ve been posting! 🙂

  3. All these cookies…the all look so good.

  4. I love oatmeal cranberry cookies!

  5. Amanda, Patricia, Peabody, & Rachel – Thanks so much!

  6. Hi Jennifer,
    I have been lurking in the cyber shadows relishing your site from afar. I had to post and wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS & a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

    Thanks for all these great cookie recipes. Even though right now I am not feeling great I can enjoy reading the recipes and imagining I am baking them. Keep baking and making kitchens around the world better!

    By now you have amassed a super collection of cookies. I wonder if you have ever considered posting just a list of your top twenty favorites of all times as far as holiday cookies go. You have so many great ones over the years.

    take care,
    anne

  7. Those look amazing……….

  8. You are amazing…the photos & recipes…every day I think it is the best one & then the next time I see & read another post, I love that one even more! No pressure intended–ha!

  9. Anne, thanks for de-lurking! I have a little collection of this year’s holiday cookies under the Holiday Baking tab at the top. Maybe next year when I’ve got more to choose from, I can pick the best ones. Good idea! I hope you are feeling better soon. Happy holidays!

    Sherane, I have to confess that they really are. Yum!

    JEP, you are much too kind. I’ll try not to feel the pressure!

  10. I really like white chocolate and your decorations with it are lovely!

  11. Thanks, Patricia! I volunteered Quinn for the drizzling this time. He did a lovely job.

  12. These are delicious. I had seen them in the book but I didn’t write it down so I was so thankful to find your website! I love your idea to drizzle the chocolate. Just perfect! Thanks for posting!

  13. Glad to have helped, Terra! I think these are great cookies…. some of my very favorites from this season.

  14. didn’t have the nuts or chocolate.

    Accidentally put too much vanilla extract in

    substituted grape seed oil for butter…

    added a little apple pie spice

    wonderful consistency and flavor.

    THESE ARE DELICIOUS!

    I made sure to preheat the oven thouroughly and they were done in 8 min flat. I’m not that much above sea level.

  15. Your site is awesome and I want to eventually try some more recipes. But this is the one I found the site with when I was looking for an oatmeal/cranberry cookie recipe. They are so good and everyone I make them for loves them, even my mom who was very skeptical she’d like a non chocolate chip cookie (I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal/raisen and am very much a fan of chocolate chip myself but had a chance to try oatmeal cranberry and liked that and wanted to make some of my own but it was one of those premade dough cookies so the person didn’t have a recipe and the company only seasonally sold the dough).

    I used dark brown sugar (accidentally cause wasn’t reading close enough to ingredient list) instead of light brown sugar but I think I’ll keep it that way (gives it a nice molasses taste though to be fair I haven’t tried the lighter sugar in comparison).

  16. When you want a twist try toasted walnuts instead of pecans and put he cranberries in a saute pan, add bourbon until almost covered, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer until all the liquid is absorb by the berries. Let cool then add to the dough. FABULOUS!!!
    Looking forward to adding White Chocolate to mine.
    XOXO

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