Dried Cranberries in a traditional oatmeal cookie are delicious Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies. This soft cookie is packed full of flavor and is perfect for eating right away or freezing for later.
Eat for dessert, an after school snack or pack in your lunch box.
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are very similar to a traditional oatmeal raisin cookie, but with dried cranberries instead of raisins.
These cookies are easy to make and this recipe makes a bunch - 36 cookies! So you easily have enough to feed a crowd or keep for yourself and nibble away on cookie after cookie!
I used dried, sweetened cranberries in these cookies. You could also add raisins if you wanted and maybe some chocolate chips!
Key ingredients
- Oats - old fashioned oatmeal or rolled oats
- Flour
- Brown sugar
- Butter - salted butter
- Eggs
- Cranberries - dried sweetened cranberries
Step by step directions
- Cream butter and sugar together
- Add eggs and vanilla
- Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix to combine
- Mix in oats
- Stir in cranberries
- Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to form balls of cookie dough on an ungreased cookie sheet
- Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 8-10 minutes
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes and then remove to a baking rack until fully cooled
Recipe tips
- Make certain your butter is at room temperature
- Whip butter for 3-4 minutes along with brown sugar
- Use real vanilla, not imitation
- Use Old Fashioned Oats - not quick cook oats. Old Fashioned Oats are thicker and hold together better in these cookies.
- Add sweetened dried cranberries
Recipe Faqs
Allow cookies to fully cool on baking rack. Place in an airtight container or storage bag. Store at room temperature.
These cookies are perfect for making ahead of time and freezing.
My grandmother used to make batches of cookies and freeze them. She always had cookies to serve if anyone dropped over for a visit. My sister also freezes cookies, but not to serve to company. She likes to eat them frozen! She pulls out one at a time and eats them in their hard frozen state.
To freeze
- Allow cookies to cool completely on a baking rack
- Place cookies in an airtight container or a freezer bag
- Arrange cookies in a single layer
- Place a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper on top of cookies and add another layer of cookies
- Freeze container in a flat position
- Cookies will last up to three months in a deep freezer
To thaw
- Remove cookies from freezer
- Let sit for at least 2 hours at room temperature
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
If you loved this recipe you’ll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my cookies here!
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until soft and light. Add brown sugar and continue mixing.1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 eggs
- Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.1 ¾ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add oats. Mix just until combined.3 cups oats
- Fold in dried cranberries.1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
- Form small scoops of cookies. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes on baking sheet and then remove to a baking rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- Make certain your butter is at room temperature
- Use real vanilla, not imitation
- Use old fashioned oats or rolled oats - not quick cook oats. Old Fashioned Oats are thicker and hold together better in these cookies.
- Add sweetened dried cranberries or raisins
Ann says
If you use gluten free flour what else should you add
Kathy says
Hi Ann,
I do not have experience using gluten free flour so I'm not certain what adjustments you'd need to make.
Kathy
Ann Marie says
Wonderful! I switched the vanilla for almond and loved the taste.
Kathy says
Sounds like a great way to mix things up! 🙂
Karen says
I will bake often! this is my new favorite oatmeal cookie recipe. Yummy!
Thank you
Kathy says
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy them 🙂
Mary Beth McDonald says
Great recipe ...I annex some ground up coconut flakes to sweeten them up and threw in some nutmeg and orange zest
These cookies don't spread out of as some do...they stay nice and fluffy!
Kathy says
Thank you! I love the additions you've added! I'll need to give it a try - espcially the orange zest! 🙂
Carrie says
I love this recipe! It was very easy to make. I added pecans to mine. Thank you for sharing this recipe! 😋
Kathy says
Thanks, Carrie! Pecans are a perfect addition in these cookies! Thanks for leaving a comment - I really appreciate it.
Kathy 🙂
Grace Wahlman says
Delicious and quick. I added a cup of chopped walnuts and baked about 15 minutes as they were large. Will be making these often thanks
Kathy says
Thanks! Adding walnuts is a great idea!
F. Fox says
My family is crazy about these cookies! Yummy!
Kathy says
That is so awesome! Thanks for leaving a comment and letting me know! 🙂
Celia says
I have made these twice now and they have become our favorite cookies. I add chocolate chips to about half of the batter for that little extra chocolate treat.
Kathy says
A little chocolate is always a good thing! 🙂
Thank you!!!
Lupe b says
Really easy I added walnuts but I will add a bit more sugar good with coffee
Kathy says
Nothing better than freshly baked cookies with a good cup of coffee!
Ana says
I really liked them, they were delicious! Easy to prepare and good texture. Thanks!
Kathy says
Thank you!
Laura says
Really good flavor, but I think they could use a small amount of granulated sugar as well, they don’t spread out very much and they’re not very sweet, or you could use less oats. A really easy recipe though and you could totally add white chocolate chips or orange zest to really make them sing! Over all not bad at all.
Kathy says
Hi Laura,
Thanks for your feedback. These cookies do not spread out like a chocolate chip cookie, and you're right, they really aren't that sweet.