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.
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.
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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.
Dannii
We love oatmeal cranberry cookies and the addition of pistachios sounds amazing.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
One of my favourite holiday cookies….can’t wait to make them again this year.
Natalie
Fantastic cookies Gloria. My son loved them. This recipe is saved on my favorite cookies list. Thanks!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I will admit these oatmeal cranberry cookies are a keeper for sure. Happy Holidays.
Andrea
These cookies have all the best flavors! I love white chocolate in baked goods. And you had me at cranberries and pistachios!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love these cookies too. All the colours of Christmas in one bite.
Marisa Franca
You’ve hit it out of the ball park with this cookie. Not only do you have cranberry in it but pistachios and white chocolate as well. I made some this afternoon for our cookie exchange. I snuck some out to enjoy with by afternoon tea. And I’ll be making another batch soon. Why should everyone else get all the good cookies??
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, I stash cookies away for myself too. After all, we do ALL the work so we need to treat ourselves too. Happy Holidays.
Sharon
I’m with you on the chewy cookies! They are my fave too and these came out absolutely perfect.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Oh good, so glad you tried these super delicious holiday cookie recipe.
Raquel
We love oatmeal cookies and this version with cranberries and pistachios is wonderful! Perfect for a holiday cookie exchange.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree these are perfect for the Christmas cookie exchange! ENJOY!
Leslie
I really like this cookie recipe for the Holidays. I especially like the cranberry and white chocolate combination! 🙂
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I have to agree these Cranberry Cookies with white chocolate are perfect for the holidays.
Jeri
These cookies contain all of my favorite ingredients! I love the pistachios combined with the cranberries and white chocolate! I will have to double the recipe next time!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, these are wonderful cranberry cookies for the holidays.
Lilly
These cookies are so delicious! What a spectacular combination of flavors!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
All the flavours of Christmas are in these Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies for sure. Happy Holidays.
Natalie
Oh wow, these are delicious-looking cookies. I love added pistachios and white chocolate. Such a lovely treat for the Holidays. I’m making them for sure.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY these are winners for the holiday treat tray!!
Marisa Franca
I’m always looking for ways to use oatmeal. Oatmeal cookies are one of my favorites but everyone else doesn’t really like the plain ones with the raisins. Now, these cookies with the cranberry and the white chocolate ones they’d be nuts over. I don’t think I’ll save these cookies for the holidays, instead I’ll make them for the next picnic.
Homemade & Yummy
These are soooooo addictive….I really have to hide them or I will devour them ALL myself.
Arlene Mobley
I need to make these for my Christmas Cookie exchange next weekend!
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy them….Happy Baking!!
Sarah @ The Fit Cookie
Cookies for Kids Cancer sounds like such a great group, and such a fun way to connect with other bloggers!
Homemade & Yummy
It was a great cause, but unfortunately did not run this year.
Veena
I love this combination. Sounds so festive too Gloria. Thanks
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much Veena…we love them.
Julia (@imagelicious)
This is such a great combination of flavours, Gloria! I love cranberries and white chocolate together. Sweet chocolate gets offset by the tartness of the berries making the cookies so yummy and balanced if you can use the word balanced for a cookie 🙂
Adriana
What a great combo of flavors. Pistachios are my favorite nuts. Making this recipe for my Christmas cookie exchange
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Your cookie recipients will LOVE these cookies for the holidays.