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–+ servings
Overhead view of cranberry oatmeal cookie on a napkin next to a wooden spoon with cranberries and oats.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

easyhealthyrecipes.com/
Chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies are perfect for the holidays. Festive and warm, with bursts of cranberry, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla. So easy to make and totally gluten free!
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Cool: 15 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Recipe makes approximately 26 cookies

Equipment Needed

  • 2 large bowls
  • slotted spoon
  • Paper towels
  • whisk
  • stand mixer bowl (or large mixing bowl)
  • stand mixer (or hand mixer)
  • Silicone spatula
  • cookie sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Cookie scoop with release handle
  • Wire cooling rack

Ingredients Needed

  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • hot water (enough to cover cranberries)
  • 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour (see Notes)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature, cut into small pieces)
  • ½ packed cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats (or rolled oats)

Instructions

  • Place dried cranberries in large bowl. Cover cranberries with hot water and set aside to soak 10 minutes. Lay out paper towels to drain cranberries. After cranberries have soaked 10 minutes, use slotted spoon to transfer cranberries from water to paper towels.
    Overhead view of rehydrated cranberries resting on paper towels to drain excess water.
  • Preheat oven to 355° Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to second large bowl. Whisk until ingredients are well blended. Set aside.
    Overhead view of flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in large glass mixing bowl.
  • Add softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar to stand mixer bowl (or large mixing bowl). Using stand mixer (or hand mixer), mix ingredients together on low speed 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium. Continue mixing 2 to 5 minutes, until ingredients are creamed. Mixture should be fully combined and fluffy. Note: Be careful not to overmix. Overmixing will make mixture greasy and soupy. If you overmix, discard mixture and start again.
    Overhead view of butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large metal mixing bowl from a stand mixer.
  • Pause mixer and crack one egg directly into mixing bowl. Resume mixing on medium speed until egg is fully incorporated, then repeat with remaining egg. Once both eggs are fully incorporated into sugar mixture, add vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
    Overhead view of creamed butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl with one egg, unincorporated.
  • Slowly, in gradual increments, add flour mixture to bowl with sugar mixture, mixing on low speed between each addition. Repeat process until all flour mixture has been transferred and ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
    Overhead view of a silver stand mixer bowl with gluten free flour added to creamed butter and sugar.
  • Once ingredients are combined and dough has formed, add oats to bowl and use silicone spatula to gently fold oats into dough. Once oats have been incorporated, add drained cranberries and repeat.
    Overhead view of rehydrated cranberries added to a large silver stand mixer bowl containing oatmeal cookie dough.
  • Use cookie scoop to portion cookie dough into 1-tablespoon balls. Place cookie dough balls on parchment paper, leaving approximately 1 ½ inches between each dough ball. Repeat until all cookie dough has been rolled and placed on parchment paper.
  • Use hands to very gently press down on top of each cookie dough ball to flatten balls into discs. Be careful not to make cookies too thin or close together.
    Small unbaked cranberry oatmeal cookies lined 3x4 on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
  • Place filled cookie sheet in preheated oven. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden and firm around edges.
  • Remove cookie sheet from oven and set aside. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes, then gently transfer cookies to wire cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely, then serve as desired.
    Overhead view of cranberry oatmeal cookies cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Recipe Notes

  • Dried Cranberries: Feel free to use fresh or frozen cranberries instead.
  • Gluten-Free Flour: We used King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten-free flour to test and perfect this recipe. Different types and brands of gluten-free flour may behave differently and yield different results. Make sure to use a flour that contains xanthan gum.
  • Measuring Flour: Baking is fairly precise, and gluten-free baking is even more so. Be sure to use the scoop-and-level method to measure your flour - that way you know you're using the right amount. Don't pack the flour in to the measuring cup, either.
  • Room Temperature: Your butter and eggs must be at room temperature in order for the ingredients to combine correctly.
  • Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.
  • Freezer Option: Prepare recipe as written. Once cookie dough balls have been flattened, place cookie sheet in freezer instead of oven. Freeze cookies on baking sheet 30 minutes or until hardened, then transfer cookies to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months. Cookies can be baked from frozen - adjust bake time as needed.

Nutrition Info (Approximate)

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 128kcal | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Total Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Net Carbs: 20g | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 52mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 5mg