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Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies are oatmeal cookies loaded with dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and white chocolate chips. These oatmeal cranberry cookies are soft, chewy and perfect for fall!
Easy Oatmeal Cookie Recipe with Cranberries and Walnuts
I have been making this recipe for oatmeal cranberry cookies with walnuts for years — ever since I found a recipe on a package of Craisins, which I bought to use in chicken salad.
Usually, I’m only tempted by chocolate chip cookies, but the mix of cranberries, white chocolate and walnuts in these Craisin cookies sounded pretty good and very fall-like to me. And these chewy oatmeal cookies did not disappoint! They are also perfect for the holiday season!
This easy cookie recipe is slightly different from the one I found on the package. I added vanilla, chopped walnuts and cinnamon — gotta have cinnamon, you know!
I also mixed everything up in one large bowl even though the original recipe calls for using two — 1 bowl for wet ingredients and 1 for dry ingredients — anything to have one less dish to wash.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies
You can find the simple ingredients for this oatmeal cranberry cookies recipe in your local grocery store if you don’t have these pantry staples at home.
- Oats — Rolled oats or old-fashioned oats add the classic texture of old fashioned oatmeal cookies, but you can use quick oats in this recipe for a softer texture.
- Flour — all purpose flour
- Butter — room temperature butter, either salted or unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Eggs — 2 large eggs
- Vanilla extract — pure vanilla extract for best flavor
- Baking soda — to help the cookies rise
- White chocolate chips — You can use chocolate chunks or dark chocolate if you prefer.
- Dried cranberries — Craisins or any brand
- Walnuts — chopped walnuts for texture. You can sub chopped pecans or leave out.
- Ground cinnamon — for that fall flavor
- Salt
How to Make Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
First, you start out by creaming the softened butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or hand mixer on medium speed until soft and creamy.
Alternately, you can use a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
Next, add the eggs, one at a time. Then, mix in the oats. Add the flour, sea salt, soda and cinnamon.
Finally, stir in the walnuts, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips using a spatula or wooden spoon. You can also do this with a mixer on low speed.
Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto a un-greased cookie sheet. You can also use a small cookie scoop for this,
I like to line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up. Keep the dough balls about 2 inches apart, since the cookies will spread out.
Baking Time
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown and the edges are firm.
Be careful not to over bake the cookies. As soon as cookies are cool enough to handle, place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Storage
Store freshly baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They stay nice and soft, but you can place a piece of bread in the container, and this will also help prevent them from drying out.
For longer storage, you can freeze these white chocolate oatmeal cookies for up to 3 months. Just store in a freezer-safe container.
You can also freeze the un-baked cookie dough. I recommend forming a tablespoon of dough into balls, and freezing them in a freezer bag until ready to use.
Recipe Tip
Old fashioned oats will give you the texture of classic oatmeal cookies. If you want a softer cookie, use the quick oats. Do not use steel-cut oats as they will change the texture of these chewy cookies.
Make sure the butter is at room temperature for easy mixing.
You can add a few extra cranberries or white chocolate morsels on top of the white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies before baking for an added pop of color.
Use parchment paper, aluminum foil or silicone baking mats for easy clean-up.
More Delicious Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
Try the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe for the absolute best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie you will ever eat! You may also like these oatmeal butterscotch chocolate chip cookies or these easy banana oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups oats rolled oats or quick cooking
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar together with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy
- Beat in eggs, 1 at a time
- Add oats, and mix well
- Stir in the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon
- Add the walnuts, cranberries and white chocolate chips, and mix with spatula or mixer on low speed until combined
- Drop by rounded tablespoons onto un-greased cookie sheets
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or lightly brown
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies in the afternoon, and they were still nice and warm when the kids came home from school. Have them with a tall glass of milk, and you’ve got a tasty after school snack.
The cookies were also perfect when we had them for dessert, and I just may have to sneak one for breakfast. They contain fruit, nuts and oats, so that’s acceptable, right?
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These cookies are so amazing, I made them just two days ago and my family already ate them, very yummy and I will make again!
These cookies are perfect for fall! So tasty!
Super charged oatmeal cookies! Tons more than a plain cookie! My new favorite!
I made these for my co-workers, and they were a big hit!
I don’t have any white chocolate chips in the house so I am going to substitute Heath Bar toffee chips instead.. Hopefully it will be okay, sounds good to me. I will find out tomorrow, taking them to Bible study as a treat.
I tried one of the cookies with Heath bar chips, they are delicious, Not as sweet as white chocolate chips
Sounds good! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve made these cookies for a coworker a few times (it started as a running joke – when I’d ask a question she’d joke about putting it on my tab, then I told her I’d pay it off in cookies. Don’t think she realized I’d eventually show up with cookies ;u; haha). She’s allergic to grapes (and I’m intolerant to them) so I thought cranberries would be a fun twist. They are absolutely lovely! I love the texture as opposed to usually very goopy oatmeal cookie styles.
Now, I’m in the middle of replacing the craisins with raisins for my step dad for Father’s Day. I won’t be able to taste them, but I have no doubt they’re going to be delicious~
Thanks, Haley! I’m so glad you are enjoying the cookies!
Great recipe ..I made these cookies today..however I substituted gluten free flour for the all purpose flour..
I quickly realized when all out together it was way to thick to drop from a spoon or anything else..lol
I moved quickly put all the dough in the fridge and the made the best out of whatever went wrong..it took me a long time but I saved the dough working with it..
The cookies were far from correct after using the gluten free flour..but they were still delicious I will definitely try them again with reg flour…it’s a delicious recipe..Thank you
Thank you so much, Christine! I think gluten free flour is tricky, but I’m glad you liked them! 🙂
Fantastic! I’m not a fan of white chocolate, so I used dark chocolate – the cookies had the perfect amount of sweet. I love that this recipe uses only brown sugar, which is the main reason I selected this recipe over many others I found online. I was not disappointed. This recipe is a total “keeper” – thank you.
Thanks, Donna. So glad you enjoyed them!
I have 2 questions..
1. Salted or unsalted butter?
2. Can I use regular salt instead of sea salt?
I use salted butter, and you can use regular salt. Sea salt is just a preference. 🙂
Yum! Baking these now as I type this! Cookie dough was amazing can’t wait to eat when they are done!! Fantastic recipe
Thanks so much, Mary! I need to make some again soon. 🙂