These old-fashioned drop cookies are soft and full of tangy cranberry flavor!
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Old-fashioned fresh cranberry cookies are the perfect addition to Christmas-time cookie exchanges and dessert tables.
- This recipe is full of tangy cranberries and crunchy pecans which is the perfect snack all winter long.
- Cranberries freeze well, and so does this cookie dough so indulge in some holiday goodness anytime you want by freezing extra bags of cranberries.
These cranberry orange cookies are full of old-fashioned flavor with every single bite.
They're not fancy or exceptionally pretty but they bring back that feeling of a country Christmas - and they smell better than any scented candle ever made.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
- Walnuts are traditional in these - we just like pecans better.
- Macadamia nuts are also good.
- Add in a cup of white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
- Use lemon zest instead of orange or leave it out altogether.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Cream the butter and sugars together.
- Add the egg, orange juice, and orange zest - mix well.
- Mix the dry ingredients and blend in.
- Stir in the cranberries and pecans.
- Spoon onto prepared baking sheets and bake according the the recipe below. Cool on a wire rack.
🍴 Equipment
- hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- cookie scoop
🥫 How to store cranberry cookies
Cranberry cookies store well baked or unbaked.
- Store unbaked dough, tightly covered in the refrigerator for a day. After that the leavening will lose potency.
- Unbaked dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
- Although these ship well they are not great for overseas shipping because if the box is held up too long they could go bad because of the fresh cranberries. Substitute dried cranberries for overseas shipping.
- Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: These orange cranberry cookies freeze beautifully! I like to drop them by spoonfuls on the cookie sheet then put the in the freezer. When they're completely frozen add the frozen cookie dough into a freezer container. I can have fresh cookies in minutes with no mess!
- You 'could' mix these by hand but it's really hard. I suggest an electric mixer.
- The orange glaze is completely optional.
- Don't chop the cranberries too finely or you'll have pink cookies with no texture.
- The 2 ½ cups of flour works perfectly for me but if you think the dough is too soft or it runs together stir in an extra ¼ - ½ cup of flour.
- If you will be shipping these overseas substitute dried cranberries for the fresh ones. They'll stay fresh longer.
- Buy cranberries in season and freeze the bag for use later in the year.
- Good, ripe cranberries will bounce so Bounceberry is an old timey name for them. This is because the berries have pockets of air inside - which also cause them to float. That's your trivia for today.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this cookie recipe.
Brown sugar, fruit, dried fruit - anything with a higher moisture content will help cookies stay soft. In this recipe the cranberries and orange zest combined with brown sugar does the trick!
Start with chilled dough, for one thing. Using a vegetable shortening like Crisco rather than butter can help, too.
📚 Related recipes
Here are plenty of Christmas cookie recipes plus lots of information on storing, shipping and more! Make an assortment for your holiday cookie tray.
📞 The last word
Keep in mind that shipping times are notoriously slow during the busy holiday season. If you'll be mailing these to loved ones send them early!
Another favorite for the holidays is this gingerbread snowball cookie recipe. Try it and let me know what you think!
You'll also want to make some of my favorite cranberry oatmeal cookies.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Nut Cookies
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
Cookies
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecans, or walnuts - chopped
- 2-½ cups cranberries, chopped
Glaze
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Grease baking sheets or cover with parchment paper.
- Beat together room-temperature butter and sugars until creamy.
- Stir in orange juice and egg. Set aside.
- Stir together dry ingredients.
- Mix flour mixture into the butter mixture.
- Stir in nuts and cranberries.
- Drop dough by tablespoons about 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets.
- If you are making these to bake later flash freeze them by placing the unbaked cookies on the cookie sheet and putting them in the freezer. When frozen add them to freezer bags.
- Bake 10-15 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top when cool.
Glaze
- Mix glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle on cookies.
Notes
- Walnuts are traditional in these - we just like pecans better. Macadamia nuts are also good.
- The orange glaze is completely optional.
- Don't chop the cranberries too finely or you'll have pink cookies with no texture.
- The 2 ½ cups of flour works perfectly for me but if you think the dough is too soft or it runs together stir in an extra ¼ - ½ cup of flour.
- If you will be shipping these overseas substitute dried cranberries for the fresh ones. They'll stay fresh longer.
- Buy cranberries in season and freeze the bag for use later in the year.
- Good, ripe cranberries will bounce, so bounceberry is an old fashioned name for them. This is because the berries have pockets of air inside - which also cause them to float. That's your trivia for today.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published November 2008. Last updated December 16, 2023 to improve readability and add more tips.
Kat says
I made these as a gift for the staff at my doctor’s office. Everyone was asking for the recipe before I even left the office! I doubled the recipe so I could also have some for my neighborhood cookie exchange. I used macadamia nuts, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Of course I kept a bit for my family at home and they were gone by end of day
LAWESE G DILLON says
Hoiw do you store the finished cookies and how long do they keep?
Marye says
You can freeze them for several months or keep them in a tin at room temperature for 4-5 days. They also ship well.
Teresa says
Pecan Cranberry Cookies! Oh my! Cranberries, orange, pecans….what’s not to love?!! Those three flavors get me so excited! The drizzle of glaze really fancies them up! Can’t wait to make these……I have cranberries in the freezer, so that’s my mission tomorrow!
Judy says
Found your recipe and was glad to see that it uses whole fresh cranberries. Noticed that using freeze dried cranberries also would work. My Mom's Cranberry Orange Nut Bread is do good and I just discovered why not make cookies too. Will be giving them a try really soon. Thanks for sharing. **
Marye says
Let me know what you think! Using dried cranberries makes these cookies a little chewier and sweeter.
Linda Furby says
I just made them they are so good .
Maureen Foster says
Just made these. They are great. Just the right amount of sweetness and just the right amount of tartness. I love cranberries and pecans and this definitely fits the bill. Have cranberries in the freezer so I can make these anytime.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Diahn Carroll-Szafran says
I made these Amazing cookies tonight to take to take on my weekend trip to Houston Texas. I hope that my friends enjoy them!!!
Kitty says
Love your site! I have made a whole lot of your recipes! Can you use dried cranberries in the Cranberry Nut Cookies recipe?
Marye says
yes!