The traditional oatmeal cookie gets a festive makeover with these Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies!

I decided to give my favorite oatmeal cookie a festive makeover for the holiday season. Are you as excited as I am?! The original oatmeal chocolate chip cookie is one of my all-time favorites, but I like to take that recipe and change it up with different combinations of ingredients. It’s super easy to modify and customize with your favorite nuts, chocolate, dried fruits, or a mix of all of them.

I’m not a huge fan of dried fruits – especially the dreaded raisin, so you’ll likely never see one of those in a recipe over here. Cranberries are different. They have a unique and yummy flavor, and I can get past the texture. Raisins? Not so much. You could totally make these with raisins instead though, if they’re your kinda thing.

I wanted a seasonal fruit and nut combo with these cookies, so decided to go with pecans, which I love. In hindsight, I probably should have added more of them, as the nuts got a bit lost in the oatmeal/cinnamon/cranberry flavor, so you may want to increase the amount of nuts in the recipe or toast them beforehand.

If you like thick, chewy, delicious oatmeal cookies, then this recipe is for you! If you prefer your cookies to be less puffy, just press down on the tops a bit before putting them into the oven.
These Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies will be my last holiday themed cookie for the year. Sad times, right? Fear not, as there are a few more holiday recipes on the way, and plenty of cookies on my radar for the new year!

Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon ground
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes).
- Add egg and beat on high for 1 minute. Add vanilla.
- Turn mixer to low and add flour mixture, mix until combined.
- Add oats, cranberries, and pecans. Mix until just combined.
- Chill dough in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place cookies on baking sheet 2″ apart. I did 11 cookies per sheet. Press cookies down slightly if desired (I didn’t).
- Bake for 10mins or until edges are lightly browned but center is still soft and unset.
- Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
larry peters says
sounds like a good cookie. I have oatmeal for breakfast.
Olivia says
Hi Larry! These cookies are delicious, I hope you try them!
Alli says
DEEEEEEEElicious!! These cookies are now a staple in the home! My family is hooked! No tweaking necessary.
Olivia says
So happy you loved these, Alli!
Azabala says
Excellent oatmeal cookie recipe – my family loved them. Will be making these again for sure
Olivia says
Thank you Azabala!
Anne says
My family loves these cookies! often leave out nuts due to allergies and still yummy
Olivia says
Hi Anne! I’m so happy everyone loves these 🙂
Celia says
Can this recipe be baked as bars instead of cookies? I’m a lazy baker that likes to get to the end result as quickly as possible 😉
Olivia says
Hi Celia! For sure, that should work no problem. I’m not sure how long the baking time would be though!
Ys says
Best recipe ever! I was a little naughty and added a handful of white chocolate chips as well. Delicious !
Olivia says
Hi Ys! So happy you liked it 🙂 I love the addition of the white choc chips!
Robyn says
Love this recipe. My favorite oatmeal cookies!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Robyn! I’m so happy you like them 🙂
Debbie says
Can you freeze these cookies?
Olivia says
Hi Debbie! You bet. The freeze really well. Just toss them into a freezer bag and you’re set.
Sharon says
A perfect recipe for a perfect cookie.
Olivia says
So happy you loved them Sharon!