These Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are soft, irresistible and filled to the brim with sweet chocolate chips and ruby red dried cranberries. Enjoy a big batch of this Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for the holidays or as a special wintertime treat.
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries
Ask me if I want a cookie and I will always say yes. In fact, cookies are probably half of the reason why I love the holidays so much. Endless variety, opportunity (to eat), and share with friends and family. These cranberry oatmeal chocolate chip cookies – with these easy sugar cookies and caramelized apple oatmeal cookies – are my favorite holiday cookies to bake and share.
How to make Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Step 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2. Grab your electric mixer and fit it with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and beat on medium until smooth and creamy. Add the sugars and mix on medium-high until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). Turn the mixer down to low and add in each egg, one at a time, making sure to mix between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and beat until combined.
Step 3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Finally, fold in the oats, dried cranberries, pecans, and chocolate chips using a wooden spoon until just combined.
Step 4. Using a small ice-cream scooper or spoon, place approximately 2-inch scoops of dough (about 2 large tablespoons) onto your prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten the top just slightly.
Step 5. Bake cookies for approximately 12 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool for approximately 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks
- Butter – For best results, use butter that is at room temperature, but a cool room temperature. It should dent just slightly with your finger when pressed but should still maintain its shape. If you do start with warm or melted butter, chill your dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before scooping and baking.
- Sugar – This recipe can be made with either light or dark brown sugar. I tend to gravitate toward light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is nice if you like a little toffee flavor in your cookies.
- Oats – This recipe calls for good old-fashioned oats, not quick-cooking oats.
- Chocolate – Feel free to add chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or no chocolate at all.
- Dried Cranberries – Raisins are also great.
- Topping – Some people have commented that their cookies don’t “look” the same as mine (with cranberries and chocolate chips studding the tops of each cookie). To get this look – because that’s all it is – simply have a bowl of chocolate chips and a bowl of dried cranberries available. Immediately after your cookies come out of the oven, gently press a few of each into the top of each cookie.
- Baking Time – Oven temperatures can vary and some come with hot spots, so adjust your cooking time accordingly and rotate your baking sheet if necessary. If you prefer crispier cookies, bake for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- How to make gluten-free – To make this recipe gluten-free use certified gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free rolled oats.
How to Store Leftover Cookies
- Pre-baked cookies: Your baked cookies will stay fresh in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4-6 days.
- Cookie dough: You can store leftover cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow your cookie dough to come to room temperature before scooping and baking.
- To freeze pre-baked cookies: Transfer cookies to a large ziplock bag and place it in the freezer for up to three months.
- To freeze leftover cookie dough: To freeze your cookie dough roll it into balls, transfer to a baking sheet, and freeze before transferring to a large ziplock bag. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. When ready to bake allow an extra minute of bake time- no need to thaw.
More Cookie Recipes,
- Sprinkle Confetti Cookies
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Best Ever Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Lemon Raspberry Cookies
- Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you try making this Oatmeal Cookie Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
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Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter - softened
- 1 cup brown sugar - lightly packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs - brought to room temperature
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 teaspoon almond extract
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup dried cranberries - plus more for topping
- 1 cup pecans - chopped
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). Turn the mixer down to low and add in each egg, one at a time, making sure to mix between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Finally, using a wooden spoon, fold in the oats, dried cranberries, pecans, and chocolate chips until just combined.
- Using a small ice-cream scooper or spoon, place approximately 2-inch scoops of dough (about 2 large tablespoons) onto a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your fingers gently flatten the top just slightly.
- Bake cookies for approximately 12 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool for approximately 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Jessica's Notes
- Butter - For best results, use butter that is at room temperature, but a cool room temperature. It should dent just slightly with your finger when pressed but should still maintain its shape. If you do start with warm or melted butter, chill your dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before scooping and baking.
- Topping - Some people have commented that their cookies don't "look" the same as mine (with cranberries and chocolate chips studding the tops of each cookie). To get this look - because that's all it is - simply have a bowl of chocolate chips and a bowl of dried cranberries available. Immediately after your cookies come out of the oven, gently press a few of each into the top of each cookie.
- Baking Time - Oven temperatures can vary and some come with hot spots, so adjust your cooking time accordingly and rotate your baking sheet if necessary. If you prefer crispier cookies, bake for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- How to make gluten-free - To make this recipe gluten-free use certified gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free rolled oats.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
hi Jessica! I love this recipe, although I was wondering if you have the right metric measurements for the butter and rolled oats? (I’m from Asia and I do prefer using my digital scale than the US cups). I did end up measuring them in cups, and although I had to flatten them before baking (otherwise they did not spread at all), they taste amazing!
Hi Marin,
In the recipe card directly below the “Ingredients” Header, you will find clickable buttons to change “US Customary” to “Metric” 🙂
These were awesome – the kids loved them!
I like to use them when I make Biscotti.
Hi Anita! The last time I made Biscotti was when I was in high school! You have inspired me to try making them again… with cranberries!
These cookies sound amazing! I love using Craisins in my cookies, and I am totally craving an oatmeal cookie now. Thanks for sharing! #client