Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

These easy, soft, and chewy cranberry walnut oatmeal cookies are packed with sweet, slightly tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and warm cinnamon. They are the perfect treat for the holidays and a delicious snack throughout the day!

Need an oatmeal cookie fix? Be sure to try our frosted oatmeal cookies, oatmeal cookies without raisins, and Chick Fil A cookies.

Best cranberry walnut cookies

Cranberry walnut cookies are one of my all-time favorites!

The cookies have a soft and chewy texture with thick, tender centers and slightly crispy edges.

Hearty oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar give the cookies a rich taste.

Plus, they are jam-packed with fruity cranberries and crunchy walnuts!

These cranberry walnut oatmeal cookies are the latest variation of our beloved old-fashioned oatmeal cookies.

The recipes are almost identical, except that the raisins are replaced with dried cranberries and walnuts are added.

Oatmeal cranberry nut cookies are the perfect treat for a holiday cookie platter or a cookie exchange.

Ginger cookies, condensed milk snowballs, and snickerdoodles are more recipes that I bake every year during the festive season.

My walnut cranberry cookies recipe calls for simple ingredients you probably already stock in your pantry. Please see the recipe card at the end for exact measurements.

• Rolled oats: You want to use old-fashioned rolled oats for the best results, not quick oats or steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats aren’t processed enough to create a chewy texture, whereas quick oats will fall apart.
• All-purpose flour: Measure the flour with a kitchen scale or use the spoon-and-swipe method. Otherwise, the cookies might turn out dry.
• Baking powder gives the cookies a little lift.
• Light brown sugar has molasses and adds richness, moisture, and a lovely chewy texture.
• Granulated sugar provides additional sweetness and helps the oatmeal cookies spread.
• Salted butter: I recommend using salted butter to balance the sweetness of the dough. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
• Egg: A large egg helps to bind the dough. The egg should be at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract enhances the other flavors.
• Ground cinnamon gives the cookies a wonderfully warming, cozy taste.
• Dried sweetened cranberries add a lovely, sweet tartness to each bite. They are also the star ingredient in my dried cranberry cookies and dried cranberry muffins.
• Walnuts: Roughly chop the walnuts before stirring them into the dough.

If you have extra oatmeal leftover from the cookies, check out our McDonald’s oatmeal recipe and oatmeal banana breakfast cookies.

There is no chilling time, so these oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies come together quickly, which is perfect for last-minute holiday baking. Let’s go over each step!

1. Combine dry ingredients

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon; set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar

• Beat the softened butter with both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy.

3. Incorporate egg and vanilla

• Reduce speed to low; add the egg and vanilla. Beat until well combined, about 1 minute.

4. Mix dry and wet ingredients

• Add flour mixture; mix until almost combined.

5. Fold in cranberries and walnuts

• Using a rubber spatula or cooking spoon, stir in dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.

6. Drop cookie balls

• Using a medium ice cream scooper, drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart onto the lined baking sheets.

7. Bake

• Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Keep the following tips in mind for the best cranberry walnut oatmeal cookies:

• Use fresh brown sugar: Your brown sugar should be moist and soft. If it has hardened,
• Use room temperature ingredients: Have cold ingredients (like the butter and egg) at room temperature so they mix better into the dough. Just take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start.
• Measure the flour and oats correctly: Adding too much flour or oats results in dry, dense cookies. A digital kitchen scale is the easiest way to measure dry ingredients. If you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method: Fluff the flour in the bag, then spoon it loosely into your measuring cup and wipe off the excess with the back of a knife.
• Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes if it seems too soft or your kitchen is very warm.
• Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat so the cookies don’t stick. It also helps to prevent the bottom of the cookies from getting too brown.
• Don’t crowd the cookie sheet: The cookies will spread as they bake, so leave 2 inches between the dough balls on the baking sheet.
• Slightly flatten the cookie balls with the palm of your hand to help them spread in the oven.
• Press a few extra cranberries and walnut pieces into the cookies before baking for a prettier presentation.
• Watch the bake time: Be careful not to overbake the cookies. The middle should be slightly underbaked. They will continue to bake and set as they cool.

You can customize your cranberry walnut oatmeal cookies with different mix-ins and substitutions if you want to get creative. Here are a few ideas:

• Dried fruit: The recipe works with any dried fruit. Try raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries, or dried blueberries.
• Other nuts: Feel free to swap out walnuts for pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachios.
• White chocolate chips + cranberries + walnuts are an incredibly delicious combo! Add 1 cup white chocolate chips when stirring the cranberries and nut into the dough.
• Orange zest: Up the festive flavor and add the finely grated zest of 1 large orange to the cookie dough.
• Spices: You can play with the flavor profile and add more spices. Try adding a dash of ground ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom. Or season the cookies with gingerbread spice.
• Chocolate dipped: For a festive garnish, melt 8 oz chopped white chocolate. Dip the chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies into the melted chocolate and shake the excess off. Let set on parchment paper.

How to store cranberry walnut oatmeal cookies

Oatmeal craisin walnut cookies will last at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Once they have fully cooled, store them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature.

Freeze cranberry nut cookies

Cranberry nut oatmeal cookies freeze well if you want to store them longer.

Once cooled, place the cookies into a freezer-friendly container or large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

When it’s time to eat, thaw them at room temperature or pop a cookie into the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds to warm up quickly.