My favourite Christmas cookie! These Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are studded with white chocolate and pistachios.
An easy to make chewy oatmeal cookie recipe with holiday flavours. Perfect for cookie swaps.
In 2015 I took part in a food blogger cookie swap raising money for the charity Cookies for Kid’s Cancer. These were the cookies I made and shipped out to my secret recipients. They were a hit!
What a fun year that was. I also received lots of delicious goodies in the mail from the other participating bloggers.
There are certain things that are a must at Christmas in our house.
- Christmas Morning Sandwiches have been a family tradition for decades.
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce with bourbon and maple syrup made with fresh cranberries.
- Rum and Eggnog Coffee Latte for present wrapping and movie watching.
- Bourbon Fudge for stocking stuffers.
- Cranberry Sweet Rolls are great for holiday brunch, Christmas morning or even dessert.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for these oatmeal cranberry cookies can be found at the bottom of this post.
When it comes to holiday baking, the more I can make ahead of time the better. In fact, I love to freeze some of my delicious delights so they all don’t get eaten before the festivities begin.
This Cookie Recipe Needs:
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Rolled Oats
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Dried Cranberries
- White Chocolate Chips
- Pistachios
All the basics of a good cookie recipe.
The Best Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
I do love a good oatmeal cookie recipe. Some people prefer crispy cookies. I prefer chewy cookies. These cookies with cranberries will not disappoint. Be sure to check the recipe card for full instructions.
If you can mix and dump, bake these cookies!
- Preheat your oven and get your baking pans ready.
- Combine the oats, flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
- Cream the butter, sugar and eggs.
- Add the dry mixture (gradually you want to mix it well).
- Combine the cranberries, nuts and white chocolate chips.
- Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls onto the baking sheets.
- Bake, cool and eat!
Drop cookies are the best. No chilling, no rolling, and no decorating. The flavour speaks for itself.
YES I consider white chocolate as chocolate (although I know lots of people, including my daughter that beg to differ). Check out these White Chocolate Popcorn Balls!
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
- Dried cranberries can be replaced with raisins, currents or dried blueberries.
- Pistachios can be swapped out with pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts or almonds.
- Regular or large flake oatmeal works great in these cookies. Instant oatmeal will not work.
- White chocolate chips can be replaced with chopped white chocolate bar pieces, or even white baking chocolate.
- I always like to lightly toast nuts before adding to any recipe. Brings out a wonderful flavour.
- You can line your baking pans with parchment. Makes for easy cleanup and no worries of the cookies sticking to the pan.
- I just use a large spoon to drop the cookies with. You can always use a small cookie scoop.
- These cookies can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer until ready to devour. Be sure they are in a sealed container or freezer bag. I like to place them on a tray in a single layer for about an hour before placing into the container. This stops them from sticking together in the container.
FAQ
Most all store-bought varieties are sweetened with sugar. You can also make your own dried cranberries from fresh berries.
Not necessary, but if you prefer you can rehydrate them by covering them with water and place them in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. Let stand for a few minutes and pour off the water. Your cranberries will be plump and ready to use.
Need a few more recipes using dried cranberries? I have some delicious suggestions right here:
- Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Donuts
- Holiday Croissants
- Turkey Wraps
- Festive Crunchy Granola
- Apple Cottage Cheese Smoothie
- Apple Chickpea Salad
- Soft Chewy Granola Bars
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies For Christmas
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups flour (all purpose)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup pistachios (toasted and chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs.
- Add flour mixture (mixing until well combined).
- Add cranberries, white chocolate chips and nuts.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto non greased cookie sheets.
- Bake for approximately 12 minutes until golden.
- Cool on baking racks.
Toasting Nuts
- I find the easiest way is to place the nuts in a non-stick frying pan and cook on medium heat just until you can smell them. They burn quickly, so be careful.
Chef G
So glad you liked them!!
Jessica
You had me at Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies! Everything else is just a yummy bonus! Thanks for this recipe! It looks delicious! =)
Chef G
WE love them!!
Chef G
You are welcome!!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
What a fun cookies exchange! These have so many of the things I love in them! I just told my husband I’d be making these! Yum!
Chef G
Enjoy them…and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Mary
I’ve never used pistachios in my cookies, but I will pick some up on next Costco trip. I love cranberries and white chocolate. The Cookie Swap is a great way to blog for good – well done to all of you who participated 🙂 Merry Christmas 🙂
Chef G
That’s funny…I actually got my pistachios at Costco!! ENJOY!!
Heidi @ Food Doodles
Oooh yum! These look so good! I already love the white chocolate and cranberry combo, but with pistachios too, these sound amazing! 🙂
Chef G
Thanks Heidi…we like them a lot!!
Holley
All of my fave flavors in one glorious cookie! I am finally inspired to do some Holidaybaking!
Chef G
Well enjoy the cookies…we sure do. Happy Holidays!!
Kevin | Keviniscooking
Love this combo in a cookie!
Chef G
Thanks Kevin…Happy Holidays!!
Kellie
Great looking cookies Chef G. All my favorite flavors. I love the bars at Starbucks but I’m too cheap to buy them. Ha,ha.
I’m planning on using these flavors in an ice-cream this holiday season but I can totally see myself making these cookies for Valentine’s.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful recipe.
Kellie from Princess and the Yard Ape.
Chef G
Oh I LOVE stuff at Starbucks too…enjoy the cookies for whatever occasion you decide to make them for.
Boastful Food
What a great combination! Love the idea and the support for a great cause. Food bloggers always spreading the love:)
Chef G
It was a fun little project for sure…will do it again next year!!
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion
That’s my favorite cookies! Love combination of cranberries and pistachio!
Chef G
Thanks so much we really enjoy them too!!
Justine @ JustineCelina.com
What a wonderful combination of ingredients! These cookies sound delicious — thanks for sharing the recipe, Gloria!
It’s been great connecting with you in 2015, and I wish you all the best in the new year. Happy Holidays!
Chef G
Thanks so much Justine…it has been a pleasure connecting with you as well. Have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2016!!
Derek
Love the cranberry and chocolate combo. Very cool. And great shot too!
Chef G
Me to..thanks for the compliment on the photo..that is my uphill battle right now!!
Tracy @ Served from Scratch
Cranberries, white chocolate, AND pistachios?! Sign me up!
Chef G
It is a great combination….flavours go together so well!!
Jenn
Cranberries and pistachios are a match made in heaven! So festive too!
Chef G
Thanks so much…yes it is a winning combination for sure!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Cristina @ I Say Nomato
Merry Christmas to you! These were so amazing, thank you!. I just could not stop eating them! The combo of nuts, white chocolate and cranberries was complete perfection.
Chef G
So glad you liked them. This was my first year doing this…and I was so worried they would get ruined in the mail. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!