These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies take your classic oatmeal cookie to a whole new level. These cookies are thick, hearty, soft, and packed with dark chocolate and cranberries.

Close up view of a stack of oat cookies with cranberries and chocolate.

Easy Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with Dark Chocolate

“What’s for dessert?”

That is probably the most-asked question in my house. Most of the time, we have cinnamon rolls, peanut butter fudge, or chocolate chip cookies.

This time, though, I decided to switch things up and make these Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. They were a hit! Plump, tart cranberries, chunks of chocolate with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon make these cranberry oat cookies a special variation on a classic cookie.

This recipe is so simple and so good!

How to Make Cranberry Oat Cookies

These simple homemade cranberry oat cookies come together in just a few minutes!

See the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full instructions.

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla, then mix until combined.

Creamed butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.

Eggs and vanilla added to creamed butter and sugar.

Add in the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, then fold in the cranberries and chocolate chunks.

Flour, baking soda, and cinnamon on top of creamed sugar.

Dark chocolate chips and cranberries added to cookie dough.

Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough onto a lined baking sheet, then place the tray in the fridge to chill for 45 minutes.
Once the dough chills, take individual portions and place them about 2 inches apart on a separate baking sheet. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the top of the dough if you’d like.
Bake the cookies at 350ºF until the edges are brown and the tops are golden-brown, then remove and cool.

Tips for Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you put together this oatmeal cranberry cookie recipe!

Use brand name butter. Store brands tend to spread too much which can cause the cookies to lose their shape and texture.
Portion the dough evenly. I recommend a 1½ to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop. We want to make sure all of the cookies bake evenly.
Chill the dough. This is essential so that the cookies can hold their shape and thickness. If the dough is too warm, the cookies will spread too much.
Line the baking sheets. This helps prevent the cookies from burning on the bottom or sticking to the baking sheet.
Feel free to swap the dark chocolate chips out for white chocolate, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate.
This recipe makes 35 to 40 2-inch cookies. If you don’t need this many, simply cut the recipe in half!

Storage

Room Temperature: Leftover cranberry oat cookies will last in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

Freezer: To freeze the baked cookies, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw the cookies on the counter or microwave to warm slightly.

Making Ahead of Time: Want to prep your cookies in advance? You can prep and freeze the dough! To freeze the dough, assemble it as directed, then portion the dough into balls. Place them onto a baking sheet and flash freeze until hardened. Once fully frozen, you can transfer the dough balls to a ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.

When you’re ready to bake, place the dough onto a parchment line baking sheet, then bake as directed. You may need to add a couple of extra minutes to the bake time since the dough is frozen.

Can I Use Quick Oats Instead of Rolled Oats?

I don’t recommend it. While quick oats can sometimes be substituted in baking, they are more processed and won’t give you that same chewy, hearty texture that rolled oats will.

Should I Rehydrate Cranberries for Cookies?

Yes! Before adding the cranberries to the cookies, place them into a bowl of warm water and set aside for a few minutes.

Soaking the cranberries rehydrates them so they plump up. That way you get that delicious pop of tart flavor in each bite!

Don’t sweat it if you forget! The cookies are fantastic either way.

Top down view of an oatmeal cookie with cranberries.

Why Do My Oatmeal Cookies Get Hard?

There may be a couple of reasons that your oatmeal and cranberry cookies ended up too hard or crunchy. Here are a couple of things you can do to prevent that from happening!

Don’t over-mix. Mixing too much can over-develop the gluten in the flour which can result in dry, tough cookies.
Don’t over-bake. Pull the cookies out of the oven as soon as the edges are slightly browned and the tops are golden-brown. If they bake too long, they will just get hard and crunchy.