There’s nothing cozier than a warm batch of thick and chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies. Each bite is soft, buttery, and studded with sweet-tart cranberries. They’re quick to make (no chilling the dough!), and they feel special enough for holiday cookie trays.
Love oatmeal cookies? Try my oatmeal raisin cookies or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies next. For a similar cranberry twist, check out my cranberry white chocolate chip cookies too.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
- Use room-temperature butter that’s soft enough to cream, but not too warm. Butter that’s too warm yields cookies that spread in the oven.
- Don’t overbake. They should look golden around the edges, but still slightly soft in the center.
- Use old-fashioned oats (not quick oats) for the best chewy texture.
- Cool the cookies on the pan briefly. This helps them set without overcooking.
How to Make Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Step 1: Cream Together Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
** Pro Tip: Using room-temperature butter helps it whip easily and creates a chewy texture. Just make sure the butter isn’t too warm, or you’ll have cookies that spread too thin in the oven.
Step 2: Add Eggs and Vanilla
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl, as necessary.
Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
** These ingredients add structure and a hint of cozy flavor.
Step 4: Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
** Pro Tip: Stir just until combined. Overmixing at this stage can make the cookies tough instead of soft.
Step 5: Stir in Oats and Cranberries
Gently stir in the oats and cranberries.
** Pro Tip: Old-fashioned oats are key here. They hold their shape and give the cookies their chewy bite. Avoid quick oats, which can make them too soft and dense.
** Note: Dried cranberries give the best flavor and texture, while fresh cranberries release too much moisture and can make the cookies spread unevenly.
** Variation: If you’d like, fold in a handful of white chocolate chips or chopped nuts in place of some of the cranberries.
Step 6: Scoop the Dough
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave a couple of inches between each cookie, although this dough doesn’t spread too much.
** Quick Note: Chilling the dough isn’t required, since the ratio of flour and oats to butter gives these cookies nice structure and prevents too much spreading. I do like to keep the extra dough in the fridge between batches if my kitchen is warm, though.
** Make Ahead Tip: Freeze dough balls for easy holiday prep, then bake straight from frozen adding one or two extra minutes.
Step 7: Bake Until Golden Around the Edges
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set, about 9-11 minutes.
** Pro Tip: Don’t over-bake; they will continue to firm up as they cool on the pan.
Step 8: Cool Before Serving
Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
** Pro Tip: Cooling them briefly on the sheet helps them finish setting without drying out.
Variations
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies: Swap out ½ cup cranberries and replace them with white chocolate chips.
- Cranberry Walnut Cookies: Swap out ½ cup cranberries and replace with chopped walnuts.
- Sub Raisins: For a classic combo, use raisins instead of cranberries in this recipe.
- Holiday Twist: Add orange zest or white chocolate drizzle.
- Sweet and Salty Combo: Sprinkle a touch of flaky sea salt on top right after baking (while still warm) for a sweet-salty finish.
Storage, Freezing & Make Ahead
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. I bet they don’t last that long, though! My teenage boys each ate 5 cookies as soon as they came out of the oven…
- Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months; thaw at room temp.
- Freeze raw dough balls; bake from frozen with 1-2 extra minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
It’s not recommended, since the fresh cranberries release liquid and have a too-tart flavor. Stick with sweetened dried cranberries (like Craisins).
What kind of oats are best?
Old-fashioned oats (or “rolled oats”) yield the best chewy texture. I don’t recommend quick oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats for this recipe.
Can I make the dough ahead and refrigerate it overnight?
Yes. Just let the dough sit on the counter and come to a scoopable room temperature before portioning into balls and baking.
Why aren’t my cookies chewy?
You likely baked them too long. Remember to pull them out of the oven when the centers still look a little soft. They’ll continue to bake and firm up as they cool, resulting in the best soft, chewy texture.
Can I make these gluten-free?
This recipe should work with certified gluten-free oats and a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour substitute.
Related Recipes
More Oatmeal Cookies:
- Oatmeal Cookies with Ginger and Molasses
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffin Cookies
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
Other Christmas Cookie Favorites:
Watch How to Make It
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- electric mixer
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ cups sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins)
- 4 cups rolled oats (“old fashioned oats”)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as necessary. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed, just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Stir in the cranberries and oats.
- Using a standard 4-teaspoon cookie scoop, drop the dough about 2-3 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Keep the subsequent batches of cookie dough in the fridge while you wait for the first batch to bake.
- Bake until lightly browned on the edges and almost firm, about 9-11 minutes. Let cool on the pans for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. If the cookies don't spread much in the oven and you'd like them thinner, press down on the tops of the cookies gently with the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup when they're still hot from the oven, or tap the pan gently on the counter a few times.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs, but make sure the butter’s not too warm and soft.
- Cream butter and sugars thoroughly.
- Measure flour with the spoon-and-level method.
- Use old-fashioned oats.
- Fold in cranberries gently.
- Avoid overbaking; edges should be just golden.
- Cool briefly on the pan before transferring.
- Store airtight or freeze for later.
- Optional add-ins: white chocolate or nuts.
- Sprinkle with sea salt after baking for contrast.
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