Cranberry oatmeal cookies are chewy, packed with dried cranberries, and finished with a white chocolate drizzle. This quick, no-chill recipe yields soft, chewy oatmeal cookies that are perfect for holiday baking or any time you want a comforting sweet treat.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THEM
Perfect for holiday baking. The bright red cranberries and white chocolate drizzle give these cookies a festive look that’s great for Christmas cookie trays or gift tins.
Chewy texture. These are soft, chewy oatmeal cookies—ideal if you prefer a tender center rather than a crisp cookie.
Flavor balance. Dried cranberries provide a tart contrast to the sweet dough and white chocolate, creating a well-rounded bite.
No chilling required. The dough comes together quickly and can be baked right away, which speeds up the process when you’re making a batch.
INGREDIENTS
- Butter – salted butter at room temperature
- White sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg – one large egg
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Flour – all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- Rolled oats – old-fashioned oats for the best texture
- Dried cranberries – sometimes labeled craisins; reserve a few for topping
- White chocolate chips – melted for the drizzle
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter with the white and brown sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy—this usually takes a few minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
Stir in the rolled oats until evenly incorporated.
Fold in the dried cranberries.
Spoon the dough into 1½ tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for about 11 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms are golden brown. The centers may still look slightly underdone—that’s okay.
Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. The residual heat will finish cooking them and they will settle and flatten slightly.
If the cookies spread more than you’d like, right after removing them from the oven place a round cookie cutter (slightly larger than the cookie) around each warm cookie and gently swirl to reshape and slightly thicken the edge. A glass or jar lid works too.
While the cookies are still warm, press a few extra dried cranberries into the tops for a pretty finish.
Once cooled, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between intervals until smooth.
Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off and drizzle over the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
STORING THE COOKIES
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to four days when stored properly.
CAN I USE QUICK OATS?
No—use rolled (old-fashioned) oats. Quick oats will change the texture and won’t provide the same chewiness.
HOW TO GET PERFECTLY ROUND COOKIES
Right after removing the cookies from the oven, place a round cookie cutter (a bit larger than the cookie) around each warm cookie and gently swirl to create a neat round shape. If you don’t have a cutter, use a glass or jar lid.
WHAT DOES SPOONED AND LEVELLED FLOUR MEAN?
Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the container. Scooping directly can compress the flour and add more than the recipe calls for, which affects texture.
If you try these cranberry oatmeal cookies, please leave a rating and a comment!
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Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Jessie M
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
baking sheets
-
large and small mixing bowls
-
measuring spoons and cups
-
piping bag or zip-top bag
Ingredients
- 1/2 C salted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 C white sugar
- 1/2 C brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 C all-purpose flour spooned and leveled*
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 & 1/2 C rolled oats
- 3/4 C dried cranberries plus extra for topping
- 1/3 C white chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about a few minutes.
-
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
-
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
-
Stir in the rolled oats, then fold in the dried cranberries.
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Scoop 1½ tablespoon-sized dough balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
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Bake about 11 minutes or until the edges and bottoms are golden brown. Let cool on the pan so they set properly.
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If cookies spread too much, use a round cutter or glass on the warm cookie to reshape and slightly thicken the edges.
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Press a few extra dried cranberries onto warm cookies for decoration.
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Once cooled, melt white chocolate chips in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, then drizzle over cookies using a piping bag or zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off.