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These cranberry walnut cookies are slightly chewy, filled with tangy cranberries and crunchy walnuts, and flavored with a hint of orange for a bright citrusy note. In addition, they’re quick to whip up, and freeze well, making them perfect for gifting and sharing the holiday spirit!
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
We’ve been making these cranberry walnut cookies every holiday season for many years, and we love them for their versatility. When we originally added them to the blog, we decided to ramp up the flavor a bit by adding a little orange juice to the dough. The flavor is subtle and complements the cranberries nicely. If you like that flavor combo as much as we do, you can ramp it up a bit by adding some fresh orange zest. You can also replace the dried cranberries with raisins and add a little cinnamon for a totally different flavor profile.
Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.
- DRIED CRANBERRIES: We generally keep the low-sugar variety of dried cranberries in our pantry. They have about 50% less sugar than regular “craisins,” but they suit our taste for these cookies.
- ORANGE JUICE: A little orange juice in the dough adds a subtle citrusy flavor that pairs really nicely with the cranberries. If you don’t care for it, you can replace it with some extra milk, or, if you’d like a more pronounced orange flavor, stir some fresh orange zest into the dough.
- WALNUTS: Look for shelled, whole walnuts instead of pre-chopped, and chop them yourself. Inspect the date and look for packages without an excessive amount of crumbs. The fresher the walnut, the better it tastes. Walnuts can be frozen to keep them fresh.
How To Make Cranberry Walnut Cookies
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
CREAM THE BUTTER AND SUGAR: Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and well blended (you can use an electric mixer for this).
COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and combine until blended.
FINISH MIXING THE DOUGH: Mix in the milk, orange juice, vanilla, and egg until blended. Stir in the cranberries and chopped walnuts.
DROP THE DOUGH ON TO BAKING SHEETS: Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-1/2 inches between them.
BAKE AND COOL: Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until the bottoms and edges are golden. Cool for 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Storage Tips
Store cranberry walnut cookies in containers with tight-fitting lids and place sheets of parchment or wax paper between layers. They should stay fresh at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
7 Expert Tips for Delicious Drop Cookies
Drop cookies are by far the easiest type of cookie to make, but there are still a few things to keep in mind for maximum success. Here are seven tips you can apply to just about any drop cookie recipe you make.
- Don’t overmix the dough: Mix your ingredients together thoroughly, but don’t go overboard as this can make the texture of your cookies hard or tough.
- Don’t grease your cookie sheets: Greasing the cookie sheets can cause your cookies to spread too much, so avoid it unless your recipe specifically calls for it. Instead, line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Make your cookies a uniform size: Whether you’re making drop cookies or rolled, make the size and thickness of your cookies as uniform as possible. This will ensure even baking and overall better results.
- Adjust your oven racks: If you are baking just one sheet of cookies at a time, position the rack in the center of the oven. If you are baking two sheets at a time, divide the oven into thirds with your racks and swap the sheets top to bottom about halfway through the baking time.
- Let cookie sheets cool between batches: When baking multiple batches of cookies in succession, allow the cookie sheets to cool completely before dropping more dough on them. If you are using parchment paper, you can prepare a fresh batch ahead of time and as soon as the sheet cools, slide the parchment onto it.
- Don’t overbake: Most cookie recipes list baking time in a range. Cookies bake very quickly so you always want to check for doneness at the minimum time listed in the instructions. Touch the top. Cookies that are done will feel like they have set and be dry to the touch.
- Transfer baked cookies to cooling racks immediately: Cookies on a hot baking sheet will continue to bake, so unless your recipe specifies not to, transfer finished cookies to cooling racks as quickly as you can. Always wait until cookies are completely cooled before storing them.
Recipe Variation and More Cookies To Try
CINNAMON RAISIN COOKIES WITH NUTS: Switch up the flavors of our cranberry walnut cookies and make them with raisins. Just replace the dried cranberries with raisins, substitute more milk for the orange juice, and add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough. You can swap out the walnuts for pecans, too, if you like.
Two More Easy Drop Cookies
Looking for more easy-to-make drop cookie recipes? Our Lemon Ricotta Cookies are a great choice. They’re flavored with lemon zest and a bit of limoncello liqueur, making them a perfect treat for the holidays, or any time of year.
For another cookie with a holiday vibe, try our Soft Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies. They have a cake-like texture and are flavored with a fragrant blend of fall spices.
Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, see notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup dried cranberries, about 6 ounces
- 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and well blended (you can use an electric mixer for this).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and combine until blended.
- Mix in the milk, orange juice, vanilla, and egg until blended. Stir in the cranberries and chopped walnuts.
- Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-1/2 inches between them. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until the bottoms and edges are golden.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Storage Tips
Store cookies in containers with tight-fitting lids and place sheets of parchment or wax paper between layers. They should stay fresh at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.Recipe Variation: Cinnamon Raisin Cookies with Pecans
You can change the flavor profile of these cookies completely by replacing the cranberries with raisins, substituting more milk for the orange juice, and adding 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These cookies have quickly become one of our favorite family recipes!! Great flavors, color, etc. Great recipe! Thank you!!