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Homemade oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies are soft and oh-so-chewy with oats, cranberries, and walnuts studded throughout. They’re a humble, simple cookie, but they really pack a flavor! The maple helps keep them nice and chewy on the inside, even after a couple of days. Best part? You can throw them together in no time with mostly pantry staples.
I know what you’re thinking. “If these cookies are loaded with oats and cranberries, they must be healthy, right?”
Um, no. Although they may have ingredients you normally associate with granola bars or breakfast cookies, these chewy cookies are made with a base of the good stuff – real butter and brown sugar. Just one bite, and you’ll know what I mean.
These oatmeal cranberry cookies are more delicious than nutritious, and that’s a-okay, especially around the holidays.
Make them for bake sales, holiday parties, or to tuck into lunch boxes. Absolutely no one will complain!
Even my picky nieces loved these chewy oatmeal cookies and gladly devoured them, despite the lack of frosting or sprinkles.
Why you’ll love this Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Recipe
- Sweet and chewy with cozy fall flavor from the maple, brown sugar, and cinnamon
- Makes about 3 dozen, so you can really feed a crowd
- Handy for a homemade Christmas gift on the fly (especially with a jar of Christmas coffee or some whipped cranberry butter!)
- The cookies feel more substantial from all the oats and nuts
- Can be made in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, no stand mixer required
Ingredients for Cranberry and Walnut Cookies
- Softened unsalted butter
- White sugar and brown sugar – We’ll use a mix of both to get just the right texture and flavor.
- Egg
- Maple syrup – For extra flavor and to help keep the cookies soft even after days.
- All purpose flour
- Vanilla extract – Homemade is always better.
- Oats – You can use either instant oats or rolled oats. The cookies will be a little softer with instant or quick oats, but I just use rolled since that’s what we have!
- Baking soda – For leavening.
- Cinnamon
- Dried cranberries
- Chopped walnuts – Toast ’em first for extra flavor.
How to Make Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugars until mixed together and smooth.
- Add the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla and whip until thick, fluffy, and the color becomes noticeably lighter.
- Add the dried ingredients (flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon). The mixture will become quite thick. Switch to a spoon or spatula and stir in the cranberries and walnuts.
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Then, use a 1 ounce scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons) to roll out balls of cookie dough. You really want to compress them together. Place 12 per half sheet pan and press down slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are matte, not shiny, and the edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes to firm up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool all the way.
- Serve with a cold glass of milk or eaten still-warm in the kitchen right off the rack.
How to Store Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Any leftover cranberry oatmeal cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They’ll start to dry out over time, so we try to eat them within the first couple of days.
They freeze great, too! You can take out however many you need and they’ll thaw at room temp in almost no time.
Tips & Variations
- Change the dried fruit. Instead of cranberries, try dried cherries or your favorite raisins.
- Add chocolate. Some dark or even white chocolate chips would really take these cookies over the top. (If you like cranberry and white chocolate, try this recipe for cranberry muffins in a jar.)
- Use pecans. Replace the crunchy walnuts with nutty pecans or even almonds.
- Use whole wheat flour. For even more of a nutty flavor, replace the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour.
💡What is the best way to shape oatmeal cranberry cookies?
I tested a couple of different variations to see which one gave me the softest, chewiest cookies.
First, I compared dough temperature (chilling the dough vs. baking right away). The cold cookie dough spread more slowly, which made the cookies thicker and softer. Definitely chill.
The next criteria was shaping. My first option was using cookie dough straight out a 1 ounce scoop. I also compared rolling the dough into a ball and also rolling the dough into a ball and pressing it down slightly.
You really want the compaction you get from rolling the scooped dough in a ball, but then you want to press them slightly. This helps them spread out just a little bit while staying nice and chewy in the middles!
Best of all worlds: chill the dough, roll into balls, and press down slightly.
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
- Honey Gingerbread
- Apple Butter Cookies
- Apple Cider Cookies
- Brown Sugar Maple Pecan Cookies
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Easy One-Bowl Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 2 ½ cups oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugars until mixed together and smooth.
- Add the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla and whip until thick, fluffy, and the color becomes noticeably lighter.
- Add the dried ingredients (flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon). The mixture will become quite thick. Switch to a spoon or spatula and stir in the cranberries and walnuts.
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Then, use a 1 ounce scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons) to roll out balls of dough. Place 12 per half sheet pan and press down slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are matte, not shiny, and the edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the trays for 3-5 minutes to firm up. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool all the way.
- Serve with a cold glass of milk or eaten still-warm in the kitchen right off the rack.
Nutrition
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🍂🍪 Want more cozy fall recipes?
My brand new recipe ebook, The Cozy Season Bakebook, has 20 seasonal bakes that taste like a love letter to fall!
You can expect all the most iconic fall flavors, like cinnamon apple, pumpkin spice, maple, pecans, and more.
It’s also intentionally low-tech and beginner-friendly, so anyone can bake along!
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