Why You’ll Love This Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
- A Textural Dream. You get this fantastic play of textures in every single bite. The cookie base is soft and chewy, while the pistachios offer a satisfying, gentle crunch and the cranberries provide a lovely, juicy chew. It’s a real party for your mouth.
- The Sweet & Salty Balance. Using salted pistachios is a little secret weapon here. They cut through the sweetness of the dough and the cranberries beautifully, creating a flavor profile that’s far more interesting and addictive than your average cookie.
- Impressively Easy. Don’t let their elegant appearance fool you. This is a simple drop cookie recipe. If you can cream butter and sugar, you can absolutely make these. They come together in one bowl with minimal fuss, which I honestly love.
- They Travel Like a Champ. These cookies are sturdy! They hold their shape well, making them ideal for shipping to loved ones or bringing to a potluck. They stay soft for days, too, if stored correctly—though they rarely last that long.
Ingredients & Tools
- 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 200 g (1 cup) light brown sugar, packed
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 315 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 150 g (1 ½ cups) shelled pistachios, roughly chopped (salted or unsalted, see notes!)
- 150 g (1 cup) dried cranberries
Tools: A stand mixer or hand mixer, mixing bowls, a baking sheet, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and a cooling rack.
Using room temperature ingredients is key here—it helps everything emulsify properly for a cookie with the perfect texture. And don’t skip the brown sugar; its molasses content is what gives these cookies their signature chew and depth of flavor.
Serves: Makes about 24 cookies | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10-12 minutes per batch | Total Time: About 1 hour (with chilling and baking in batches)
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Butter Temperature is Everything. Your butter should be soft enough that you can easily press a finger into it, but not melty or greasy. If it’s too cold, your cookies won’t spread properly; too warm, and they’ll spread into thin, greasy puddles.
- To Salt or Not to Salt? I highly recommend using salted pistachios. That hint of saltiness is what makes these cookies so incredibly moreish. If you only have unsalted, just add an extra ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt to the dry ingredients.
- Chop, Don’t Crush the Pistachios. You want small, distinct pieces for even distribution and a nice crunch. Avoid turning them into a fine dust—a rough chop with a knife is perfect.
- The Cranberry Conundrum. If your dried cranberries are particularly hard or dry, you can plump them up a bit! Just soak them in a bowl of very hot water for 5-10 minutes, then drain and pat them completely dry before adding to the dough.
How to Make Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 175°C (350°F) and lining your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures the leavening agent is evenly distributed, so you don’t get any bitter bites of baking soda. Set this dry mixture aside for now.
Step 2: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the softened butter with both sugars on medium-high speed. You’re looking for a light, pale, and fluffy mixture—this should take about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which helps the cookies rise.
Step 3: Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until they are fully incorporated. Then, mix in the vanilla extract. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point if your eggs were cold, but don’t worry, it will come together once you add the flour.
Step 4: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry flour mixture. Mix just until the flour streaks disappear—you absolutely do not want to overmix at this stage. A few streaks of flour are okay; we’ll finish mixing by hand.
Step 5: Now, switch to a sturdy spatula. Gently fold in the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. The dough will be quite thick and chunky, which is exactly what we want.
Step 6: Here’s a pro tip for beautifully shaped cookies: chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and results in a thicker, chewier cookie.
Step 7: Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between them to allow for spreading. You can gently press the dough balls down slightly if you like a flatter cookie.
Step 8: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft and underdone. The trick is to pull them out when they look *almost* ready—they’ll continue to cook on the hot baking sheet. Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A Simple Cheese Board — The sharpness of an aged cheddar or a creamy brie creates a fantastic savory contrast to the sweet, nutty cookies.
- A Bowl of Spiced Apple Soup — For a cozy autumn pairing, the warm spices in the soup complement the cranberry and pistachio flavors beautifully.
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream — Create incredible ice cream sandwiches! The cold, creamy ice cream against the soft, chewy cookie is pure heaven.
Drinks
- Earl Grey Tea — The bergamot in the tea is a classic, elegant partner for the nutty pistachios and sweet fruit.
- A Crisp Chardonnay — A glass of unoaked Chardonnay has the acidity to cut through the butter and the fruit notes to match the cranberries.
- Warm Spiced Cider — Especially during the holidays, this is the ultimate cozy beverage to enjoy alongside these festive cookies.
Something Sweet
- Dark Chocolate Bark — A piece of dark chocolate with sea salt won’t compete but will satisfy any extra chocolate cravings.
- Lemon Sorbet — The bright, clean citrus is a refreshing palate cleanser after the rich, buttery cookies.
- Cardamom-Spiced Rice Pudding — For a truly decadent dessert spread, the warm spice of the pudding echoes the warmth of the cookie.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using melted butter. This is the number one reason cookies spread too much. You need creamed, softened butter to create the right structure. If your butter melts, chill the dough for longer.
- Mistake: Overmixing the dough after adding the flour. This develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tough, cakey cookies. Mix just until combined—a few flour streaks are fine!
- Mistake: Baking until the centers look fully set. If you wait for the centers to look completely dry and firm, you’ve overbaked them. They should look a little underdone when you take them out for the perfect chewy texture.
- Mistake: Skipping the chill time. I know it’s tempting, but this step is non-negotiable for controlling spread and achieving a thick, professional-looking cookie.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Weigh your flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off. Scooping directly with the cup packs in too much flour, leading to dry cookies.
- Tip: Toast your pistachios. For an even deeper, nuttier flavor, spread the chopped pistachios on a baking sheet and toast them in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 5-7 minutes before adding them to the dough. Let them cool completely first.
- Tip: Make the dough ahead. You can refrigerate the cookie dough, well-wrapped, for up to 3 days. This actually deepens the flavors. You can also freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months and bake them straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
- Tip: For uniform cookies, use a scoop. A medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) ensures all your cookies are the same size and bake evenly. It also makes the process much faster and cleaner.
FAQs
Can I use a different nut?
Absolutely! While pistachios are the star, almonds or pecans would work wonderfully. Just make sure to chop them to a similar size. If you use a stronger-flavored nut like walnuts, just be aware it will change the overall flavor profile quite a bit. The sweet-tart cranberries are pretty versatile, so they’ll pair well with most nuts you choose.
My cookies came out flat. What happened?
This is almost always a butter temperature issue. If your butter was too warm or melted, the cookies will spread excessively. Another culprit could be an old baking soda that’s lost its potency, or not enough flour (if you measured by volume and didn’t fluff/scoop/level). Next time, ensure your butter is just soft, not greasy, and don’t skip the chilling step!
Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
You can certainly try! I’ve had good results using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum. The texture might be slightly more delicate and crumbly, but they should still be delicious. I can’t guarantee results for every blend, but it’s a great starting point for an adaptation.
How should I store these cookies?
Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and delicious for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Just layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy.
Can I use frozen cranberries instead of dried?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. Frozen cranberries have a very high water content, which will release into the dough as they bake. This will make the cookies soggy, prevent them from spreading correctly, and the tartness of a fresh cranberry is much more intense and less sweet than a dried one. Stick with dried cranberries for the best result.
Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
Bake Mike's perfect Pistachio Cranberry Cookies! An easy, chewy cookie recipe with sweet-tart cranberries & crunchy pistachios. Ideal for holidays, gifts, or a tasty treat.
Ingredients
Ingredients
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225 g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature (1 cup))
-
200 g light brown sugar (packed (1 cup))
-
100 g granulated sugar ((½ cup))
-
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
-
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
-
315 g all-purpose flour ((2 ½ cups))
-
1 tsp baking soda
-
½ tsp fine sea salt
-
150 g shelled pistachios (roughly chopped (salted or unsalted, see notes!) (1 ½ cups))
-
150 g dried cranberries ((1 cup))
Instructions
-
Start by preheating your oven to 175°C (350°F) and lining your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures the leavening agent is evenly distributed, so you don't get any bitter bites of baking soda. Set this dry mixture aside for now.01
-
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the softened butter with both sugars on medium-high speed. You're looking for a light, pale, and fluffy mixture—this should take about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which helps the cookies rise.02
-
Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until they are fully incorporated. Then, mix in the vanilla extract. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point if your eggs were cold, but don't worry, it will come together once you add the flour.03
-
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry flour mixture. Mix just until the flour streaks disappear—you absolutely do not want to overmix at this stage. A few streaks of flour are okay; we'll finish mixing by hand.04
-
Now, switch to a sturdy spatula. Gently fold in the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. The dough will be quite thick and chunky, which is exactly what we want.05
-
Here's a pro tip for beautifully shaped cookies: chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and results in a thicker, chewier cookie.06
-
Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between them to allow for spreading. You can gently press the dough balls down slightly if you like a flatter cookie.07
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Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft and underdone. The trick is to pull them out when they look *almost* ready—they'll continue to cook on the hot baking sheet. Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.08
