Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies (Craisin Cookies)

Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies are oatmeal cranberry cookies loaded with dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and white chocolate chips. These Craisin cookies are soft, chewy and perfect for fall!

I have been making these chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies with walnuts for years — ever since I found a recipe for oatmeal cranberry cookies 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 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 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.

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 for oatmeal cookies. You can use quick oats in this recipe.
• 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.

How to Store

Store freshly baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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.

Expert Tips

Old fashioned oats are best for baking as they will give you the texture of traditional oatmeal cookies. You can use instant oats although the texture will be slightly different. If you don’t like the texture of classic oatmeal cookies, or 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 or even more delicious desserts!

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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Recipe published in 2016 and updated in 2023.