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These cranberry orange oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and full of plenty of cranberries and orange peel! Made with just 5 simple ingredients, they take less than 15 minutes to whip up!
Cranberry Orange Cookies
When it comes to using up all my cranberries, my favorite recipes to make are cranberry bread, white chocolate cranberry no bake cookies, and these cranberry oatmeal cookies.
The holiday season ALWAYS leaves me with plenty of fresh and dried cranberries. It’s funny though. I feel like between January to November, cranberries are like truffles. Unless you want the dried variety, they’ll be a rarity. Luckily, I love dried cranberries just as much as their fresh counterparts. I love adding them to trail mixes and even to my oatmeal, as it really balances out the sweetness. Recently, I’ve loved adding them to my oatmeal cookies!
What initially started out as cranberry cookies soon got some added orange to them, because what better flavor combination during the holiday season than cranberry and oranges?
These cookies may look fancy and decadent, but they are secretly healthy. No eggs, no butter, and no milk are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is thick, soft, and chewy, with plenty of dried cranberries and orange zest. They are sweet and tart, without being overpowering.
Perfect for a wholesome dessert or a cheeky breakfast, these foolproof cookies need just 5 ingredients and only take 15 minutes from prep to baked!
Ingredients to make cranberry orange cookies
- Rolled Oats: Rolled oats work best, as they provide a chewy and firm texture, but quick-cooking oats will also work.
- Banana: Mashed, overripe banana adds sweetness, along with holding the cookies together. You can replace this with mashed pumpkin, but you will need to add some granulated sweetener or maple syrup.
- Peanut Butter: Peanut butter adds healthy fats and pairs beautifully with the banana. For a nut-free option, use tahini or sunflower seed butter. Other nut butter options include almond butter and cashew butter.
- Dried Cranberries: Be sure to use 100% unsweetened dried cranberries. I’ve tried using fresh cranberries and unfortunately, they fell apart.
- Orange peel: You can use orange peel or a mixed citrus peel.
How to make cranberry orange cookies
Start by mixing together your oats, banana, and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Gently fold through your dried cranberries and orange peel, until combined. Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, scoop out balls of cookie dough and place them on a lined baking sheet. Press down onto each cookie, to form a large cookie shape. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, before removing from the oven and letting them cool completely.
Tips and tricks
- For softer cookies, remove the cookies around the 12-minute mark. For thick, firmer cookies, cook until golden brown (15-16 minutes).
- These cookies will not spread much, so shape them in the desired thickness and size you want.
- Reserve a few tablespoons of the cranberries and orange peel, to add on top
- Add some vegan white chocolate chips for extra sweetness and a hint of chocolate.
- If your peanut butter is too thick, feel free to microwave it for 30-seconds until it is more runny/drippy.
Flavor Variations
I love this recipe as it is, to really bring out the orange and cranberry combination. However, you can change up the mix-ins for other flavor variations.
- Dried fruit: Instead of cranberries, you can use dried raspberries, dried strawberries or even raisins.
- Nuts: Add some chopped almonds, pecans or my favorite walnuts.
- Other: Fold through some dairy-free chocolate chips or toasted coconut flakes.
How to store and freeze cookies
- To store: Leftover cookies should be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. Usually, cookies are okay at room temperature but as these ones are eggless, they tend to dry out and/or spoil if not refrigerated.
- To freeze: Wrap the cookies individually in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag or shallow container. Frozen cookies will keep fresh for up to 6 months.
More holiday cookies to try
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten free, if needed
- 3 large bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup peanut butter See post for substitutions
- 3 tablespoon unsweetened dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon dried orange peel
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all your oats, banana and peanut butter and mix well. Fold through your cranberries and orange peel until combined.
- Form 12 balls of dough and place on the lined baking tray, 2-3 inches apart. Press each ball of dough into a cookie shape.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges go golden brown. Remove cookies from the oven and allow cooling completely.
A really delicious & festive cookie without sugar. I added some pistachios for colour and crunch. I will definitely bake these again! Thank you very much for the recipe! 🙂
Thank you 🙂 Have a safe holiday!
Hey Arman! These look great and will be perfect for my hubby to nosh on while he walks to the office. Love your recipes! Thank you very much. Cheers!
I love it! Thanks for the feedback, Janeth!