Feastical

Your New Favorite Cookie: Soft, Chewy, & Bursting with Joy

Hey friends, Beau here! Welcome back to the Feastical kitchen—where the coffee is always hot, the oven is always warm, and the cookie jar is never, ever empty. Well, at least it won’t be after today.

Is there anything better than the smell of cookies baking? That sweet, buttery aroma that wafts through the house, pulling everyone into the kitchen like a magnet. It’s pure magic. And while I love a classic chocolate chip as much as the next person, sometimes you need a cookie that’s got a little more personality. A cookie that’s sweet, but not too sweet. Soft and chewy, but with a delightful little pop of tartness. That, my friends, is the magic of the humble cranberry cookie.

These aren’t just for the holidays, though they absolutely shine on a Christmas platter. These are your any-day-of-the-week, brighten-up-your-afternoon, share-with-a-neighbor kind of cookies. They’re ridiculously easy to make, require no fancy equipment, and the result is a bakery-style cookie that’s soft in the center, slightly crisp on the edges, and packed with juicy, tart-sweet cranberries in every single bite. So, tie on your favorite apron, grab that trusty mixing bowl, and let’s bake up a little happiness together.

A Spoonful of Nostalgia: Why These Cookies Feel Like Home

You know, every recipe in my kitchen has a story, and these cranberry cookies take me right back to my grandma’s linoleum-floored kitchen. She wasn’t a fancy pastry chef; she was a “a little of this, a pinch of that” kind of cook. One chilly fall afternoon, I was rummaging through her pantry—a treasure trove of mason jars and mysterious Tupperware—and found a bag of bright red, wrinkly dried cranberries. I was intrigued.

Grandma saw my curiosity and, without a word, pulled out her big yellow mixing bowl. She whipped up a simple cookie dough, let me pour in the entire bag of cranberries, and showed me how to drop perfect little mounds onto her well-loved baking sheets. The wait for them to bake felt like an eternity, but that first warm, soft cookie, melting in my mouth with its buttery sweetness and sudden tang… it was a revelation. It was more than a cookie; it was a lesson that the most extraordinary things often come from the simplest ingredients. That’s the spirit I try to bring to every recipe here at Feastical.

Gathering Your Cookie Crew: The Ingredients

Alright, let’s get our mise en place together! (That’s just a fancy chef term for having all your ingredients measured and ready to go—it makes everything smoother). Here’s your shopping list. Don’t worry, it’s all straightforward stuff!

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened – This is the foundation of our flavor. Unsalted lets us control the salt level. Chef’s Tip: “Softened” means cool to the touch but your finger can leave a gentle indent. Don’t melt it! If you forget to take it out early, cut it into chunks and it will soften in about 15 minutes.
• 1 cup granulated sugar – This gives our cookies their sweetness and helps them spread just the right amount.
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed – The secret weapon for chewiness and that warm, molasses-like depth of flavor. Pack it firmly into your measuring cup!
• 2 large eggs – They bind everything together and add richness. Make sure they’re at room temperature to blend seamlessly with the butter.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – The classic flavor enhancer. Use the real stuff if you can—it makes a difference!
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour – The structure of our cookie. For a lighter cookie, fluff your flour with a spoon before measuring, then level it off. No scooping straight from the bag!
• 1 teaspoon baking soda – Our leavening agent. It helps the cookies rise and become beautifully puffy. Check the expiration date—old baking soda won’t work!
• ½ teaspoon salt – Crucial for balancing all the sweetness and making the flavors pop. Don’t skip it!
• 1½ cups dried cranberries – The star of the show! I love the chewy texture and tart burst they provide. Craisins work perfectly.
• Optional: ½ teaspoon cinnamon or 1 tablespoon orange zest – A little warmth or a citrusy zing takes these to the next level. Highly recommended!
• Optional: ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) – For a little extra texture and flavor. White chocolate and cranberry are a match made in heaven.

Let’s Get Baking: The Step-by-Step Magic

Okay, team! Preheat that oven to 350°F (175°C) and let’s get our hands dirty. Or, you know, just get the mixer going. I promise, it’s a breeze.

1. Prep Your Stage. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This is my number one kitchen hack for perfect cookies—no sticking, easy cleanup, and it helps them bake evenly. Silicone mats work great too!
2. Creaming is Key. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar. Now, here’s the secret: beat it on medium-high speed for a good 2-3 minutes until it’s light, pale, and fluffy. This incorporates air, which is what gives us a tender, soft cookie. Don’t rush this step!
3. Bring in the Binders. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is homogenous.
4. Combine the Dry Team. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures our leavening is evenly distributed so we don’t get any bitter pockets of baking soda. If you’re using cinnamon, whisk it in here.
5. The Grand Union. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix! Overworking the dough after adding the flour is the #1 cause of tough, cakey cookies. A few streaks of flour are okay—we’ll finish mixing by hand.
6. Fold in the Fun Stuff. Switch to a sturdy spatula. Gently fold in the dried cranberries and any other add-ins (white chocolate, nuts, orange zest) until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
7. Scoop & Space. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop rounded 1.5-tablespoon portions of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them. They need room to spread their wings! For a thicker, bakery-style cookie, I like to roll the scoops into smooth balls.
8. Bake to Perfection. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They’re done when the edges are set and just starting to turn a light golden brown. The centers will still look soft and slightly underdone—this is what we want! They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet. Chef’s Secret: For ultra-chewy cookies, slightly underbake them by a minute.
9. The Patient Wait. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 full minutes. This allows them to set up so they don’t fall apart when you move them. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, you know, eat three immediately with a glass of milk. I won’t tell.

Sharing is Caring: How to Serve These Beauties

Okay, you’ve created a masterpiece. How do you present it? These cookies are incredibly versatile.

For a simple, homey treat, just pile them high on a plate or in a rustic wooden bowl. They speak for themselves. If you’re feeling fancy, you can drizzle them with a simple powdered sugar glaze (just mix powdered sugar with a tiny bit of milk or orange juice) or even melt some white chocolate and zig-zag it over the top for a professional touch.

They are the absolute perfect companion to a hot cup of coffee, a mug of tea, or a cold glass of milk. For a next-level dessert, crumble one over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream—the warm cookie and cold ice cream combo is a religious experience. Trust me.

Mix It Up! Creative Twists on the Classic

Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, the world is your oyster! Or, well, your cookie. Here are a few of my favorite ways to play with it:

• Orange-Cranberry Bliss: Add the zest of one large orange to the dough when you cream the butter and sugar. The citrus aroma is incredible and pairs perfectly with the tart cranberries.
• White Chocolate Cranberry Delight: Fold in ¾ cup of white chocolate chips along with the cranberries. It’s a classic combo for a reason—sheer decadence.
• Oatmeal Cranberry Chewies: Replace 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats. This adds a wonderful chewy texture and makes them feel just a tad heartier.
• Gluten-Free & Fantastic: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. I’ve had great success with Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur blends. The texture is nearly identical!
• Nutty Professor: Add ½ cup of chopped toasted pecans or walnuts. Toasting them first in a dry pan for a few minutes brings out their oils and makes them incredibly fragrant and flavorful.

Beau’s Kitchen Chronicles: A Few Parting Thoughts

This recipe has been my go-to for years, and it’s evolved in tiny ways. I used to be terrified of underbaking, but then I learned that a soft, almost-gooey center is the hallmark of a perfect cookie. Don’t be afraid to pull them out when they still look a little doughy in the middle!

One time, I was filming a video for the blog and was talking so much I completely forgot to add the brown sugar. The cookies baked into pale, sad, crispy pucks. My dog wouldn’t even eat one. It was a hilarious (and delicious) reminder that baking is a science, and every ingredient has a job. So learn from my mistake and double-check your list!

This dough also freezes like a dream. Scoop the balls onto a tray, freeze them solid, then toss them in a freezer bag. You can bake frozen cookies straight from the freezer—just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time. Fresh, warm cookies anytime the mood strikes? Yes, please.

Cookie 911: Your Questions, Answered

Q: My cookies spread too much and came out flat! What happened?
A: This is usually one of two things: 1) Your butter was too warm or melted. Make sure it’s just softened. Or 2) Your baking soda might be old and lost its potency. Always check the date! Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking can also help prevent overspreading.

Q: Can I use fresh or frozen cranberries instead of dried?
A: I don’t recommend it for this particular recipe. Fresh cranberries have a much higher water content, which will release into the dough and make the cookies soggy and cause them to spread unpredictably. Dried cranberries provide the perfect chewy texture and concentrated flavor.

Q: My cookies are too cakey and puffy. How do I get them flatter and chewier?
A> This usually means you overmixed the dough after adding the flour, which developed too much gluten. Next time, mix until *just* combined. Using more brown sugar than white sugar also promotes chewiness, so make sure you’re packing that brown sugar!

Q: Can I reduce the sugar?
A> You can try reducing it by a ¼ cup, but keep in mind sugar doesn’t just add sweetness; it contributes to texture, spread, and browning. Reducing it significantly will change the final product.

Cranberry Cookies

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• Author: BeauCollier

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Description

Sweet, buttery, and studded with tart cranberries, these cookies are soft in the center, lightly crisp on the edges, and perfect any day of the week. Simple to make, yet bakery-worthy every single time!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1½ cups dried cranberries

• Optional: ½ tsp cinnamon or 1 tbsp orange zest

• Optional: ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped nuts (pecans/walnuts)

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Instructions

Step 1: Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugars
Beat softened butter with granulated and brown sugar for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.

Step 3: Add Eggs & Vanilla
Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl.

Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and optional cinnamon. Gradually mix into wet ingredients on low speed until just combined.

Step 5: Fold in Mix-Ins
Gently fold in cranberries and any optional add-ins (white chocolate, nuts, orange zest).

Step 6: Scoop & Bake
Drop 1.5-tablespoon portions onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden. Centers will still look soft.

Step 7: Cool
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Dough spreads too much? Butter too soft or baking soda old—chill dough 30 min.

• Too cakey? Don’t overmix after adding flour. Use more brown sugar for chewiness.

• Fresh/frozen cranberries? Stick to dried to avoid soggy, spreading cookies.

• Dough freezes beautifully: scoop, freeze, then bake straight from freezer (+1–2 min).

Nutritional Information (Because Knowledge is Power!)

Disclaimer: I’m a chef, not a dietitian! This info is an estimate based on the standard recipe without add-ins, calculated using a third-party tool. Your specific results will vary based on the brands you use and your exact portion sizes.

Per Cookie (based on 36 cookies):
Calories: ~140 | Total Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 85mg | Total Carbohydrates: 18g | Dietary Fiber: 0.5g | Sugars: 11g | Protein: 2g

These are a treat, through and through. But hey, life’s all about balance! Enjoy one (or three) mindfully with people you love. That’s what good food is all about.

The Last Bite: Why These Cookies Belong in Your Life

Well, we’ve made it to the end of our cookie journey, and I hope you’re as excited to bake these as I am to talk about them. These cranberry cookies are more than just a recipe; they’re a reminder of how simple, wholesome ingredients can come together to create something truly special—something that can turn an ordinary day into a small celebration.

They’re the cookie you bring to a new neighbor, pack in a lunchbox for a sweet surprise, or simply enjoy quietly with a good book. They’re unpretentious, deeply satisfying, and made for sharing. So, from my Feastical kitchen to yours, I hope this recipe becomes a staple in your home, creating its own stories and memories for years to come.