Packed with craisins, a generous amount of orange zest, and a dash of cinnamon, these cookies will brighten the doldrums of any winter day. If you think a cranberry cookie can’t taste good, you have not been eating the right ones. The Best Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies are so surprisingly good! If you love this recipe, you have got to try the Best Ever White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, too.
The idea for these cookies came from my friend, Ronica. She had given blood, and one of the treats offered afterward was a cranberry orange cookie. After her description, I knew I had to try to make this new cookie. When a batch came out of the oven, two of my kids tried them, and WOW! They freaked out about how good they were. One of them has always refused anything with cranberries, and what’d ya know? He wanted to eat another one.
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family and I do. They are soooo good and one of my new favorite cookies.
Citrus Recipes to brighten any Winter Day
- Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
- Saint Clement Squares
- Whole Orange Cake
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Lemon Swig Cookie Bars
- Classic Lemon Bars
Step-by-Step Photos for How to Make The Best Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions about How to Make The Best Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Can I use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats?
I recommend using quick oats for the best results, but old-fashioned oats will work if that is what you have on hand.
Do you recommend any add-ins?
Chopped walnuts or pecans would be good add-ins for a nutty flavor and a crunchy texture. White chocolate chips will add more sweetness to the cookies, complementing the dried cranberries and orange zest. If you don’t like white chocolate, you can add semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. If you’re going to use any add-ins, I recommend adding 1/2 cup of nuts and/or baking chips.
Can I double the recipe?
If you want more cookies than the recipe calls for, you can easily double the recipe, and the cookies will still turn out good.
Can I use fresh cranberries?
I have only made these cookies with dried cranberries. If you want to experiment and make them with fresh cranberries, you may need to adjust the dry ingredients, since the fresh cranberries will release moisture when baked. Let me know if you make them with fresh ones. I would love to know how they turned out.
Do I need to refrigerate the dough before baking the cookies?
No, you do not.
Baker’s Tools:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- Zest of 1 large orange (about 1½ tbsp)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups quick oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon (a couple of shakes)
- 1 cup Craisins
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Add the egg, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Next, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet batter mixture. Mix until well combined. The batter will still be wet-like after combing the two mixtures.
- Add the Craisins and mix until combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, drop dough onto the cookie sheet two inches apart to allow room for spreading. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are golden.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
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