These oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies are so soft and chewy! Made without a mixer, these brown butter oatmeal cookies are lightly spiced. They're sure to become a family favorite.
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This recipe was originally published in October 2021. It has since been updated with a new recipe and new images.
I'm usually a small batch chocolate chip cookie girl, but I can't get enough of oatmeal cookies during the Fall and Winter! Super soft and chewy with spices, they are truly comfort in a cookie.
These oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies are based on my oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, brown butter oatmeal cookies, and coconut oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. These oatmeal cranberry cookies though have dried cranberries and also a touch of molasses for extra flavor.
You can make these easy oatmeal cookies for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or really any holiday. They're just that good!
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Why you'll love this recipe!
- Brown Butter: This oatmeal cookie recipe starts off with browning butter. This gives you a delicious nutty and toasted taste. If you haven't tried brown butter yet it is a game-changer!
- Spices: The cookies are lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of cardamom - my favorite spices for drop cookies!
- Walnuts & Cranberries: The dough is folded with cranberries and toasted walnuts! You don't have to toast the walnuts but I think it gives it a flavor boost.
- No Mixer: No need to haul out the large stand mixer or use a handheld mixer, these are made in 2 bowls with a whisk and a rubber spatula. That's it!
Ingredients Needed
- Oats: make sure you are using whole rolled oats or old fashioned oats - not quick cooking oats. Those oats will be too dry and powdery and your cookie won't have the same texture.
- Butter: I always use European style butter for my cookies! The higher butterfat content will make your cookies much richer.
- Spices: I use a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom for all the fall flavors. Feel free to swap in your favorite spices!
- Cranberries: You can swap out dried cranberries for craisins or raisins.
- Molasses: This is optional but is going to give your cookies a deeper flavor.
- Flour: I've only tested this recipe with all purpose flour.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Start off by browning your butter! Place your butter in a small saucepan and melt it on medium-low heat. The butter will then begin to foam and sputter, keep an eye on it until the milk solids turn brown. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool.
Step 2: Once the butter has cooled, whisk the flour with the spices, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Add the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and molasses to the cooled brown butter. Whisk until smooth, then add in the two eggs and whisk again.
Step 4: Pour in the dry ingredients, rolled oats, walnuts and dried cranberries.
Step 5: Mix everything with a rubber spatula. Place in the fridge for 45 minutes. While the cookie dough chills, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ºFahrenheit.
Step 6: Take the chilled cookie dough out of the fridge. Scoop out 2.5-3 tablespoons of cookie dough and place the cookie dough balls 3-4 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges have set but the middles are slightly underbaked.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Weighing out ingredients: I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. It makes a huge difference to your baking and is the most accurate way to bake
- Browning Butter: Make sure your butter is fully browned before taking it off the heat. Make sure the milk solids have turned a light brown and it smells nutty and toasted.
- Chocolate Chips: Swap out the walnuts for white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or caramel chips!
- Slightly Underbake: I always recommend underbaking your cookies slightly so you get extra soft and chewy oatmeal cookies! Take them out of the oven when the edges have set but the middles are slightly underbaked.
- Chilling Time: don't skip out on the chilling time! The cookie dough needs time in the fridge to firm up so the cookies don't spread out too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once your cookies are out of the oven, use a large circular cookie cutter and place it over the cookie. Scoot the cutter around gently, this will smooth out any edges and make your cookies perfectly round.
You may have added too much flour or overbaked the cookies. You also don't want to overmix the cookie dough, as that will give you hard and dense cookies.
I don't recommend it. I have tested these oatmeal cookies with instant oats and I found the cookies were super dry!
Try these cookie recipes next
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 ½ cups (222 grams) rolled oats
- 1 cup (100 grams) cranberries
- ½ cup (58 grams) walnuts
- 1 tablespoon molasses unsulphured
Instructions
- Place your butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Once melted, allow the butter to foam and sputter and then let it brown. This can take 5 minutes. The white milk solids should turn a light brown and it should smell nutty and toasted. Take off the heat.1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
- Pour the browned butter in a bowl and let it cool
- While the butter cools you can toast the walnuts. This is totally optional! Preheat the oven to 350℉/175℃ and place the walnuts in a baking dish or tray. Toast for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.½ cup (58 grams) walnuts
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.1 ¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Add the light brown sugar, white sugar, molasses and vanilla extract to the cooled brown butter. Whisk until smooth.1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon molasses
- Add the two eggs and mix until smooth.2 large eggs
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients along with the oats, cranberries and toasted walnuts. Stop mixing once it's combined.2 ½ cups (222 grams) rolled oats, 1 cup (100 grams) cranberries, ½ cup (58 grams) walnuts
- Place the cookie dough in the fridge for 45 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and make sure you have 3-4 inches between each cookie. Bake them 6 at a time on your cookie sheets for 11-13 minutes. I recommend baking them one sheet at a time. You want the edges to have set but the middles will still be slightly underbaked, giving you a softer cookie.
- Allow the cookies to chill for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
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Audra says
This recipe is fun and easy to follow! I've made these several times now and although each batch has been a little different, they have ALL been absolutely delicious! DO make the effort to include the molasses - it makes them much more complex and sophisticated. I use a scale, but I frequently struggle with flour ratios, so mine haven't been flattening out as much as I'd like...guess I'll just have to keep trying!!
Mary Covelli says
Good! 🎄🎁🙏🇺🇸🥰
Ella says
Thank you so much!
Mary Covelli says
So good!