These Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are the old fashioned style oatmeal cookies: perfectly crisp on the outside, and chewy inside. The sweet/tart cranberries are a nice bonus!
oatmeal cranberry cookies are a new classic
Get ready to meet your new favorite cookie. Raisins have had their day and now it’s time for something better. Dried cranberries give such a zippy flavor and texture to these classic old fashioned oatmeal cookies, they’re going to be our new norm going forward.
a back to basics cookie
Sometimes classic cookies are just what the doctor ordered. No bells and whistles, just good old fashioned brown sugar and oats makes these the perfect snack (after school or otherwise.) Add milk and it doesn’t get any more wholesome.
what you’ll need
- shortening
- I use butter flavored Crisco. Shortening helps gives these cookies their perfect chewy texture.
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- quick-cooking oats
- regular ‘old fashioned’ oats are fine, too.
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- baking soda
- ground nutmeg
- cinnamon
- dried cranberries
- do not substitute fresh cranberries in these cookies, be sure to use dried.
These cranberry oatmeal cookies have reminded me of the joys of a great homemade cookie. The chewy texture is one you really can’t get in a package from the cookie aisle, so if this is your favorite type of cookie, these are definitely worth your time.
These cookies freeze and pack beautifully, so consider sending them off in a care package to someone in need of a little home baking. The cranberries give them a festive vibe, too, so save a spot for them in your holiday assortment.
cookie chemistry ~ the secrets to the perfect chewy cookie
- Brown sugar, it contains molasses which helps it to retain more moisture during cooking.
- Shortening ~ shortening melts slower than butter and helps cookies retain a plump shape.
- Don’t over-bake, the cookies may look paler and slightly underdone in the center, but will firm up as they cool.
more cookies for the cookie jar
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies!
- Paste di Mandorla ~ Sicilian Almond Paste Cookies
- Buckwheat Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Copycat Crumbl Banana Bread Cookies
- Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe ~ the secret’s out!
- Favorite Chewy Ginger Cookies
“This recipe is a keeper! Oh, my goodness it is crispy on the outside but so light and airy on the inside! Thank you for sharing this recipe!” ~Lana
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening, I use butter flavored crisco
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats, regular are fine, too.
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at at time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in the cranberries.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheets. Flatten lightly with your fingers.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. After cooling a couple of minutes, move to wire rack to cool. Note: these cookies may look slightly soft when done, they will firm up as they cool.
Notes
- add nuts ~ these cookies beg for a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- use dried cherries or other chopped dried fruit ~ raisins, currants, or even chopped dates would work equally well.
Nutrition
Excellent! I did cut the granulated sugar down to 1/2 cup. Delicious! Thank you Sue. I love your recipes!!
This sound like a great recipe but it is far to much sugar for me. Can I substitute or reduce without sacrificing flavor?
Generally you can reduce sugar in a recipe by 1/3 without any issues.
I made these earlier today and made a few changes. Used 200g butter, in addition to the cranberries, I added in currants, yogurt chips and eliminated the Nutmeg. Also added in some extra flour to make the mixture stiffer so I could roll them into balls and they are marvellous. My kids (aged 6, 13 and 15) can’t seem to get enough. And that’s saying a lot when u take into account that I also made vanilla choc chips and cocoa double choc chip biscuits!
Made these cookies yesterday afternoon as directed, did not use shortening, and added half cranberries and half dried cherries and some left over chocolate chips and half a cup of walnuts. They were so very good, these will for sure make the rotation. Happy New Year !
Hello! Wondering how much butter to use if I do not have shortening?
You would substitute in the same amount.
Looks like a great recipe but would it alter the recipe’s texture if I cut the sugar in half?
Generally the rule is you can cut sugar down by up to 1/3 without much issue, so you might try that.
Have you tried adding white chocolate chips to the Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies?
You can totally do that, no change to the recipe is needed.
Those look AMAZING!! I would eat them all… I would just need a tall glass of milk,,
Pants with an elastic waist band. LOL