Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies! Oatmeal cookies are even better when they’re loaded with tart dried cranberries and rich chocolate chips. Sometimes less is more, and sometimes more is better.

Two stacks of oatmeal cookies with cranberries and chocolate chips with a glass of milk.

Oatmeal cookies in all forms are wonderful, in my book. I particularly love the contrast of the tangy cranberries and rich chocolate chips in these hearty cookies.

This recipe makes about 2-3 dozen cookies depending on how big you scoop them. The recipe can easily be doubled for a crowd or for stocking the freezer.

a parchment lined cookie sheet with unbaked cookie dough balls
Line the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined sheet pan and set in the freezer. Transfer the frozen dough balls into a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.

This brings me to the subject of temperature. Not oven temperature, dough temperature.

Did you know that one of the single biggest factors in how butter-based cookies bake is the temperature of the dough when it goes into the oven?

You can completely alter the texture of your cookies if you chill or freeze the dough before baking.

If you like a thin, crisp cookie start with butter that is quite soft and go ahead and bake the cookies as soon as the dough is made. Because the dough is soft, the cookies will spread quite easily in the oven and will crisp up.

If you prefer a cookie that is thicker and soft in the center, chill or freeze the dough before baking. The cookies will spread slowly in the oven and the edges will set before the middle.

You can see the difference in the photo below.

Both cookies are made with the same amount of dough. The frozen cookie dough baked up thicker and spread less. The cookie baked with defrosted dough is thinner and spread a little more.

If I had baked the cookies without chilling the dough at all the cookies would spread even more.

You can play with the temperature of the butter and dough to make your perfect cookie.

Two oatmeal cookies showing how the dough will spread less if the dough is chilled or frozen.
The wider cookie at the top was baked with chilled but not frozen dough. The cookie at the bottom was baked from frozen dough. The colder the dough, the less the cookie will spread.

Because one oatmeal cookie recipe is never enough, you might want to try my Oatmeal Cookies with Maple Glaze or Ice Apple Oatmeal Cookies with chunks of fresh apples baked into the dough.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.

oatmeal cookies and a glass of milk
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4.45 from 34 reviews

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

The best oatmeal cookie loaded with dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
Prep Time20 minutes
Bake Time8 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
30 cookies
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Ingredients

  • 4 oz all purpose flour (¾ cup, see note)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 oz unsalted butter (room temperature but still firm)
  • 4 oz brown sugar (½ cup, packed)
  • 2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 oz old-fashioned rolled oats (1 ½ cups)
  • 4 ½ oz dried cranberries (¾ cup)
  • 4 ½ oz chocolate chips (¾ cup)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Sift together 4 oz all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt set aside
  • Cream 4 oz unsalted butter with 4 oz brown sugar and 2 oz granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix just until combined, scrape the bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture, add 5 oz old-fashioned rolled oats all at once and mix until partially combined. Add 4 ½ oz dried cranberries and 4 ½ oz chocolate chips. You may need to finish the dough off the mixer to incorporate the cranberries and chips evenly.
  • Using a 1½ oz cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 1½" balls. Set the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet at least 2" apart (see note). If you want a thinner cookie bake right away. If you want a thicker cookie with a soft center, chill the dough before baking.
  • Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges and the center is just barely set. About 7-9 minutes depending if the dough is chilled or not.

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Notes

If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
The portioned cookie dough can be frozen on a sheet pan and then packed into freezer bags. No need to defrost before baking. The dough balls can go straight from the freezer into a preheated oven.
The cookies will keep several days at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!

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2 Comments

  1. This is very easy to adapt and looks very healthy . I am going to replace egg with flax seed meal . Hope it works . I have an allergy to egg !