These healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies scented with orange and covered with white chocolate are the ultimate holiday cookies. Loaded with rolled oats and dried cranberries, they make a healthy sweet treat. What's more? You will get about 30 cookies within an hour!
LIf you look for traditional holiday cookies, please, do not look any further. This oatmeal cranberry cookie recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh is the ultimate one to keep and make during the magical Christmas time.
What I love about these cookies is that they make a great edible gift. Just have a look at cookies packed into small plastic bags and tied with a tartan ribbon. I bet you love this gift idea!
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Oatmeal cranberry cookies
To highlight the main cookies' ingredients, I would say that they are whole wheat flour, old fashioned oats, dried cranberries, orange zest, and white chocolate. I still wonder about their proper title.
Should I simply call them as oatmeal cookies or dried cranberry cookies? Or should I go deeper and call them as oatmeal cranberry cookies or oatmeal cranberry orange cookies.
Now, the cookies are covered with melted white chocolate. Should I call them chocolate cranberry cookies in this case?
Well, it does not matter how the cookies are called; they are super tasty and delicious. This is guaranteed!
Why these oatmeal cookies are healthy
These oatmeal cranberry cookies do not contain any trans fats; there are no such ingredients as margarine or vegetable shortening in the recipe.
They are made with whole wheat flour that takes one-third of the flour used in the recipe. To make the cookies healthier, please, try to replace all-purpose flour with biodynamic whole wheat flour by ISIS Biodynamic® or King Authur white whole wheat flour.
Old fashioned oats bring health benefits due to proteins and fiber.
These cookie recipe include healthful fats such as almonds.
And yes, this oatmeal cranberry cookies recipe calls for refined sugar, but the cookies are not over sweetened. The amount of granulated sugar used in the recipe is needed to keep the texture of cookies.
To make these cookies healthier and to cut down on sugar, I would recommend using unsweetened dried cranberries and omit the white chocolate decoration on top.
Why you should try these cookies
- The recipe is easy and quick: there is no need to chill the cookie dough, and you will make about 30 cookies within an hour.
- Whole wheat flour combined with oats brings nutrients and texture to cookies.
- Tart cranberries beautifully pair with white chocolate in these healthy cranberry cookies.
- Orange zest and orange juice give the cookies doubly citrus flavor.
- Replacing almonds with other nuts such as hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, and switching dried cranberries for dried cherries open vast possibilities to customize these cookies.
- If you are not fun of white chocolate, please, go for dark or milk chocolate.
- These cookies are a treasure during holidays: they make a great edible gift! Just pack cookies into small plastic bags tied with a tartan ribbon. You might consider arranging these sweet treats in a pretty gift box layered with a paper shred filler and tied with a festive ribbon.
- Following this easy recipe, you will make a batch of cookies within one hour.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results.
Almonds: use whole almonds with skin on and toast them in the oven at 355 F/180 C for 10 minutes. Replace these nuts with toasted hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, or pecans.
All-purpose flour: it is part of these cookies.
Whole wheat flour: use whole wheat flour (in the US) or wholemeal flour (the UK and Europe). One of the best brands of whole wheat flour is BIODYNAMIC® whole wheat flour.
Oats: use regular old fashioned oats, and avoid steel-cut oats that will not work for this recipe. I would not recommend using quick-cooking oats either since they will not give the right chewy texture in oatmeal cookies.
Salt: a pinch of salt elevates the taste of these cookies.
Butter: the recipe calls for unsalted softened butter.
Sugar: use regular granulated or caster sugar.
Orange zest: choose an organic, untreated orange and use a zester grater to make the orange zest.
Dried cranberries: use sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries if you watch your sugar intake. Replace dried cranberries with dried cherries, raisins, or even dried apricots.
Orange juice: make it yourself with a citrus squeezer or use a store-bought orange juice.
White chocolate: use Lindt classic white chocolate or Callebaut white chocolate.
How to make healthy cranberry oatmeal cookies
To toast almonds, heat oven to 355 F/180 C. Place whole nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Remove almonds from the oven and let cool.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 375 F/190 C. Prepare two baking sheets covered with parchment paper.
To make the cookie dough, chop dried cranberries in half and soak in orange juice. Chop roasted nuts into big enough pieces (⅓ inches/0.8 cm).
In a separate bowl, mix almonds, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, salt, and set aside. Place butter cut into big pieces, sugar, and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer (photo 1) and mix on medium speed for about two minutes (photo 2).
Add the almonds/flour dry mixture to the butter/sugar preparation and mix at low speed just to combine (photo 3). Add the drained cranberries and mix for a few seconds (photo 4).
Bring the ready cookie dough on the floured surface of a table and make a ball with hands. You might need to add some flour to facilitate the work with the dough.
Take half of the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin to reach the thickness of⅕ inches/0.5 cm. Cut the dough into rounds, using a round cookie cutter of 2.5 inches/7 cm in diameter (photo 5).
Arrange unbaked cookies on baking sheets with the parchment (photo 6) and bake for 18 minutes. Finish the remaining dough in the same way.
Remove ready cookies from the oven and let cool (photo 7).
To decorate cookies, melt white chocolate on a bain-marie/water bath. Pour one tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie and spread with the back of a spoon (photo 8).
Leave cookies for about one hour at the room temperature for the chocolate to set.
Expert tips
- Beat butter, sugar, and orange zest with an electric mixer and then mix the dough in a bowl, using a rubber spatula if you do not have a stand mixer.
- Use dried cherries instead of dried cranberries.
- Replace almonds with other nuts such as hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, or pecans.
- Be sure to read about how to melt chocolate.
- Cover cookies with melted dark or milk chocolate if you prefer.
- Let any chocolate to thicken a bit if you prefer to cover cookies with a thick layer of chocolate.
- Allow the chocolate to set for a least one hour before packing cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the whole wheat flour?
Whole wheat flour is flour that is made by grinding the entire grain of hard white spring wheat and contains the bran and germ. It is healthy and nutritious due to the high amount of dietary fiber.
Can you substitute whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour?
You can replace some whole wheat flour with white flour, but you will reduce the health benefits of your baking goods.
If you substitute whole wheat for all-purpose flour, you will limit yourself with fiber and other nutrients containing in the whole wheat flour.
How can you make the cookies gluten-free?
I have not tested it, but you should be able to make a gluten-free version of cookies, using gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats, and a gluten-free flour blend.
How to store these cookies
Store these cranberry oatmeal cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
More delicious cookie recipes you will love
- Authentic Italian Shortbread Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Banana Cookies
- Easy Four-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
- Browse all the Cookie Recipes
Please, note that the recipe was primarily developed using gram measurements for high precision and then converted to the US volume and weight measurements. I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy and the best results.
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Recipe
Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
These healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies scented with orange and covered with white chocolate are the ultimate holiday cookies. Loaded with rolled oats and dried cranberries, they make a healthy sweet treat. What's more? You will get about 30 cookies within an hour!
- Total Time: 1 hour (plus setting time)
- Yield: 28 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 5.3 oz (150 g) whole almonds with skin on
- 1 cup + 3 ½ tablespoons (150 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (75 g) whole wheat flour
- 5.3 oz (150 g) old fashioned oats
- 1 pinch of salt
- 7.9 oz (225 g) butter, softened
- ⅓ cup + 5 ½ teaspoons (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 4.4 oz (125 g) dried cranberries
- 1 ½ tablespoons (25 ml) orange juice
For the decoration:
- 10.5 oz (300 g) white chocolate
Instructions
- To toast almonds, heat oven to 355 F/180 C. Place whole nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Remove almonds from the oven and let cool. Increase the temperature of the oven to 375 F/190 C. Prepare two baking sheets covered with parchment paper.
- To make the cookie dough, chop dried cranberries in half and soak in orange juice. Chop toasted nuts into big enough pieces (⅓ inches/0.8 cm). In a separate bowl, mix almonds, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, salt, and set aside. Place butter cut into big pieces, sugar, and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed for about two minutes. Add the almonds/flour dry mixture to the butter/sugar preparation and mix at low speed, just to combine. Add the soaked cranberries and mix for a few seconds. Bring the ready cookie dough on the floured surface of a table and make a ball with hands. You might need to add some flour to facilitate the work with the dough.
- Take half of the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin to reach the thickness of ⅕ inches/0.5 cm. Cut the dough into rounds, using a round cookie cutter of 2.5 inch/7 cm in diameter. Arrange unbaked cookies on baking sheets with the parchment and bake for 18 minutes. Remove ready cookies from the oven and let cool. Finish the remaining dough in the same way.
- To decorate cookies, melt white chocolate on a bain-marie/water bath. Pour one tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie and spread with the back of a spoon. Leave cookies for about one hour at the room temperature for the chocolate to set.
Notes
- Beat butter, sugar, and orange zest with an electric mixer and then mix the dough in a bowl, using a rubber spatula if you do not have a stand mixer. It works!
- Use dried cherries instead of dried cranberries.
- Replace almonds with other nuts such as hazelnuts, pistachios, or pecans.
- Be sure to read about how to melt chocolate.
- Cover cookies with the melted dark or milk chocolate if you prefer.
- Let any chocolate to thicken a bit if you prefer to cover cookies with a thick layer of chocolate.
- Allow the chocolate to set for a least one hour before packing cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 8.1 g
- Sodium: 67 mg
- Fat: 11.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.8 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
Keywords: chewy oatmeal cookies, healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies, best cranberry oatmeal cookies, healthy cranberry cookies
The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.
The recipe was adapted from https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/. It was originally published on December 02, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
Patty at Spoonabilities says
I've never tried using cranberries for an oatmeal cookie! These look amazing! What a wonderful Christmas cookie!
★★★★★
Irina says
Geoffrey, I am happy to serve you with a great idea! Enjoy!:)
Chris Collins says
I'm an absolute sucker for oat cookies and these cranberry versions look absolutely divine!!! 🙂
★★★★★
Cyndy says
Cranberries always a hit around the holidays! Can't wait to make these for Christmas!
★★★★★
Irina says
I agree, Cyndy! Happy baking and enjoy!:)
Mary says
I'm loving the combination of cranberries and oats in these! So good!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you Mary! This combo is great in cookies. I agree:)
Mirlene says
I can't wait to build my own cookie tower using this recipe. They look too good not to make them these holidays!
★★★★★
Irina says
Oh, WOW! I did not build a tower while baking. It is an interesting idea! Just let me know how high will be your cookie tower! Thanks a lot.
Kerri says
I love the cranberry and chocolate combo. These were a huge hit in our house... they didn't even last a day!
★★★★★
Irina says
I am happy to hear that. Thanks for your comment, Kerri!
Janelle says
It is an easy recipe to follow - thank you!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thanks, Please, enjoy it, Janelle!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
These cookies sound absolutely amazing. I love that they're healthy too so you can indulge without any guilt. Delicious.
★★★★★
Charla says
We made these last year for Christmas and loved them, looking forward to making another big batch again.
★★★★★
Irina says
I agree that these meringue spheres are lovely to serve on the Christmas table. Thanks for your comment, Charla!