Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies – These oatmeal cookies are thick and chewy, and soft in the middle! Packed full of dried cranberries and plenty of orange zest, these cookies are a fall and holiday favorite!
You guys, Friday things that I’m excited about – Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies! Seriously, it’s finally cool enough outside to do some baking!
I mean, I’m pretty much willing to bake year round. But, I feel like most rational people aren’t super cool with heating up their oven in the middle of summer.
Anyway, I really wanted the first cooler weather baking recipe that I put up to really scream Fall, in all the right ways.
These cookies with cranberry, a heap of orange zest, cinnamon, brown sugar. Yeah, they get the job done.
Let’s talk about how these cookies came to be born!
My beautiful, talented, friend by the name of Jen special requested them! What kind of friend would I be to deny her the best darn cranberry orange oatmeal cookies EVER?
Actually, she requested this recipe a while ago, so they’ve been in the works for months! I fiddled around with these oatmeal cookies until they were absolutely perfect.
We all know there are certain criteria that make up the perfect oatmeal cookie, regardless of what kind of dried fruit, flavoring or candy you decide to throw in there!
Here are the things that I look for in a really good oatmeal cookie.
- They need to be THICK. I want a hearty oatmeal cookie. Not a flat crunchy one, no thank you.
- I need them just ever so slightly crisp around the edges, but super soft in the center.
- Lastly, they need to be chewy enough that they don’t just fall apart or snap right in half!
These cookies meet all three of those expectations. Thick, soft, perfectly chewy. They’re also an amazing balance of sweet and slightly tart with the addition of orange zest!
Our Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies are really easy to make. Just make sure you plan ahead because the dough does need to be chilled for at least 45 minutes before baking.
Trust me, these are worth the 45 minute wait time.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter, Softened
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 Tablespoon Grated Orange Peel
- 1 1/2 Cups Dried Cranberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or bowl of stand mixer cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
- In a second large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and oats.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches while mixing on low speed. Beat just until combined. Fold in the orange zest and dried cranberries.
- Chill dough for at least 45 minutes, and up to 3 days.
- After chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two large baking sheets with non-stick spray or parchment paper. Drop dough by Tablespoon fulls onto prepared pans, two inches apart. Slightly flatten each ball of dough with the palm of your hand.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are slightly golden brown around the edges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made these cookies and followed the recipe except I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon as other suggested. They are delicious. I made the dough last night and refrigerated it until today. I baked them at 375f for just under 12 minutes and they are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. I will definitely be baking them again.
Delicious, I agree that the cinnamon should be increased to 1 tsp, overall delicious cookie. I added walnuts and pumpkin seeds.
Made these cookies! I would increase the cinnamon to at least 1 teaspoon. Very faint in the cookie as directed. But family loves them!
Do you use unsweetened dried cranberries or should they be sweetened?
Either is fine! Go with your preference 🙂
A great combo. I thought they cooked a little fast at 375 so might next time go for 350 and a few minutes longer. Delicious mix of ingredients, nice and chewy. Don’t skimp on the orange!
Excellent flavor balance.