White Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries

1 Shares

**Pin with your favorite Christmas Cookies**

These are the oatmeal cookies traditions are made of…

Exceptional Tea Cookies

Sometime in the late 80’s -I wish I could remember when -one of my sisters shared her version of this recipe using raisins; they’re exceptional with afternoon tea. Not being a fan of raisins at that time, I quickly switched out the more common dried fruit for currants and loved the result.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Come the next December, I began searching through holiday magazines for a Christmas cookie that I could easily make with my children -nice enough to give as gifts. Unhappy with the fussy details of the beautiful holiday cookies I found, I gave my family collection another look.

Simple Made Best

White Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries are distinctive. Rolled oats give these rustic sugar cookies a unique ‘nutty’ chew -without nuts! With the exchange of cranberries and the addition of decorative sugar, the kids and I quickly dressed up our homey cookies for Christmas. And they were a hit! So much so, our delicious cookies embarked the family on a three-decades-long tradition of cookie gift-giving to our neighbors and friends.

Many cookie bakers these days ‘swear by’ chilling their cookie dough before baking, sometimes for days. I have added this step to my recipe because it ensures a chewy center to the cookies that Stache loves best. However, I don’t recommend chilling beyond the suggested half-hour because the oats will soften too much, changing the intended texture.

Why We Give

One of our Indiana neighbors once gratefully asked my kids, ‘why do you do this(?)’ referring to our annual Christmas cookie gift, handed out door-to-door. We gave them for kindness; we gave them for goodwill. We gave our neighbors a sweet good cheer gift for face-to-face connection, hoping to share a hint of Christian love at Christmas.

Today I share this easy, delightful recipe with you, hoping the same—Merry Christmas from Grammie’s Cottage Kitchen. Enjoy!

White Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries

These crispy, chewy oatmeal cookies are uniquely delicious! Lighter than traditional oatmeal cookies in flavor and texture, White Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries are a perfect accompaniment with afternoon tea --and they're a great choice to give as gifts at Christmas.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup Butter
2 cups Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs
2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Dried Cranberries sweetened. *Note: Can exchange equal amount of currants, raisins, or chopped dried apricot
Decorative Sugar

Instructions

Using a stand mixer or by hand, whip softened butter and add sugar, creaming together.
Add eggs slowly and beat until light and fluffy.
Sift flour and baking soda together.
Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just enough to incorporate, but no more.
Add oats and mix.
Add cranberries and mix until just incorporated, scraping sides of the bowl to be sure all is combined evenly.
Cover prepared dough and refrigerate for 30 min.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of chilled dough and roll into a 1 1/2"-2" ball. Press dough balls somewhat flat with a fork. Sprinkle with decorative sugar.
Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are very lightly golden with centers still slightly soft. Cookies will continue to bake after removing from the oven. Be careful not to overbake. Enjoy!