Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Name: Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup vegetable oil; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 3/4 cup granulated white sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup rolled oats; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp fine kosher salt; 1 cup fresh cranberries (quartered); 1 cup pecans (chopped)

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Gorgeous Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are the perfect holiday dessert, with red tart cranberries and nutty pecans in a chewy, tender treat. Great for making any time of the year, but especially festive for Christmastime!

Top view of cranberry oatmeal cookies spread over each other on a white round plate.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies bake up amazingly delicious and stay soft and chewy for days. They are incredibly thick, tender, and loaded with fresh cranberries. Perfect for fall and winter get-togethers, an after-school snack, or your holiday cookie exchange! These healthy oatmeal cookies do not need any butter or complicated ingredients and it’s very simple and tasty.

Reasons to love this recipe

Incredibly delicious: Oatmeal cranberry cookies are so soft and tender and the combo of tart and sweet cannot be beat! Your family and friends will adore these!
Hearty & satisfying: From the oats and cranberries to the pecans, these are packed with delicious mix-ins making them super hearty & satisfying.
Easy to make: These are made in one bowl with simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples!
Freezer-friendly: We love to make an extra batch for the freezer! You can either freeze the dough balls or the baked cookies. This means fresh, homemade cookies whenever you’re craving something sweet!

Closeup view of cranberry oatmeal cookies on a plate.

Ingredients needed

This cranberry cookies recipe is a festive twist on oatmeal raisin cookies, and the best part is, that you probably have most of the ingredients you need in your kitchen. Packed with crunchy chopped pecans and fresh cranberries, it’s a perfect mix of nutty, tart, and sweet. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:

Vegetable oil: Gives these the perfect amount of moisture.
Brown sugar: Sweetens the dough and makes these nice and chewy.
Granulated sugar: Also, sweetens the dough and ensures these bake properly with the right amount of spreading.
Vanilla: Enhances the overall flavor.
Eggs: You’ll need two eggs to give these structures and help bind the ingredients together.
All-purpose flour: The base ingredient that gives structure to the cookies.
Old-fashioned rolled oats: For the best chewy texture, we recommend using old–fashioned rolled oats.
Baking soda: For proper baking.
Ground cinnamon: Adds spicy warmth.
Fresh cranberries: The fresh, raw cranberries will soften and burst as the cookies bake. The sugar in this recipe will balance the tartness of the cranberries.
Chopped pecans: The nutty crunch is the perfect contrast to the soft, tender cookies.

Fresh cranberries, flour, oats, sugar, oil, eggs and spices divided into small portions.

How to make this recipe

Now that you’ve got your ingredients ready, let’s whip up a batch of deliciousness! Here’s the simple process:

Mix the wet ingredients: With an electric mixer, mix the vegetable oil, granulated white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, until creamy. Mix in eggs one at a time.
Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix for around 1 minute, or just until the cookie dough looks blended.
Fold in the cranberries and pecans: Add cranberries and pecans and, using a spatula, fold into the cookie dough. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Stirring cranberries and pecans into cookie dough.

Prep: Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line 2 large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Form dough: Scoop the dough into 20 balls onto the prepared sheet pans, leaving at least 2 inches space in between, as they’ll spread.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake for around 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges.
Cool and enjoy: Allow the cookies to completely cool on the sheet pan.

Freshly baked cookies topped with fresh cranberries and oats.

Expert tips

Don’t over-mix the dough: Only mix the ingredients until everything is incorporated. If you over-mix them, you’re more likely to end up with flat cookies that are overly dense.
Chill the dough: For best results, be sure to chill the dough for at least 1 hour. Chilling the dough will give your cookies the best thick and chewy texture, and will prevent them from spreading too much when baking.
Don’t grease the pan: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent sticking. Greasing the baking sheet creates an overly greasy foundation, which will cause too much spreading.
Allow time for them to cool: Be sure to the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps them set properly and avoid breaking.

top view of cranberry cookies laid out over a festive red and white towel

Frequently asked questions

Why are my oatmeal cookies always dry?

If your oatmeal cookies turn out dry, it’s most likely because you overcooked them. After about 8 minutes of baking, watch them closely. Oven temperatures can vary some, and your cookies may be done before the 10 minute suggested bake time.

Can I use quick oats?

Old-fashioned rolled oats work best for these cookies because they hold their shape and add to the chewiness. You can use quick oats, but they won’t have the same chewy texture.

Can I use frozen cranberries for these cranberry cookies?

Yes, frozen cranberries actually work great. The dough will get a bit colder when adding the frozen cranberries, which is good because it will be easier to work with than softer dough.

Cookies with cranberries cooling on a wire rack.

Variations

This cookie recipe works really well as a base recipe to change up the flavors!

Fruit: Use dried cranberries or cherries instead of fresh cranberries.
Chocolate: Add in 1/2 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips!
Nuts: You can use different nuts. While pecans are great in these cookies, chopped almonds, walnuts or pistachios would be very tasty too. If you’re not a fan of nuts in cookies, feel free to omit them.
Glaze: To make these even sweeter, add a drizzle of glaze over the tops of the cooled cookies. Simply, mix 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons milk.

Storage recommendations

To store: These can be kept at room temperature for the first day or two, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days.
To freeze: Allow the cookies to completely cool, and then transfer them to an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper or freezer-safe bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw at room temperature.

Cranberry oatmeal cookies packaged in a container lined with parchment.

More cranberry recipes

baked cranberry cookies laid out on a white parchment paper

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