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It doesn’t get better than these cranberry pistachio cookies. They’re full of tart, nutty, and chocolatey flavor, all wrapped in a soft, chewy cookie. Made with no flour, no butter, and fresh out of the oven in 12 minutes!
If you are after cookie recipes, try our blueberry oatmeal cookies, thumbprint cookies, strawberry cookies, and lemon ricotta cookies.
When we have a surplus of cranberries in our house, I know it’s time to get to baking!
Some of our favorite dessert recipes for using leftover dried cranberries are cranberry orange oatmeal cookies, cranberry orange cake, and cranberry pistachio cookies.
These cookies, in particular, are studded with pistachios, milk chocolate, and white chocolate chips. If this sounds like an odd flavor combo to you, trust me: after one bite of these soft, decadent cookies, you’ll wonder why you never thought of it yourself!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- The best flavor. If you’ve tried cashew butter cookies, you’ll love this recipe. The cashew butter cookie dough adds richness but doesn’t overpower the flavor of the cranberries. Plus, did I mention there are TWO kinds of chocolate?
- Bakes up quick. Yes, there is some chilling time, but after that, these cookies only need 12 minutes in the oven. I promise your patience will be rewarded.
- Perfect for sharing. If your family loves cookies like mine, I guarantee they’ll love these. There’s something in them for everyone, plus they make fantastic Christmas cookies.
Ingredients needed
A handful of albeit quirky ingredients are needed to make these delicious cookies, but you might find you have a lot of them in the back of your pantry. Here is what you will need:
- Cashew butter. I prefer cashew butter in this recipe because it has a naturally mild, sweet flavor. That said, you could use any type of smooth nut butter or tahini to make it nut-free.
- Sugar. I used old-fashioned white sugar, but brown sugar could also work if you want your cookies to be extra moist.
- Baking soda. To help the cookies spread and rise.
- Large eggs. To add moisture. Room-temperature eggs are best.
- Pistachios. Shelled, unsalted, roughly chopped pistachios are preferred.
- Dried cranberries. Unsweetened is best if you can find them. If you can’t find cranberries, dried cherries will also work.
- White chocolate chips. For creamy, buttery flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips. Technically optional, but I like how it pairs with the other mix-ins. Plus, it satisfies the chocolate lover in me.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make cranberry pistachio cookies
Step 1- Make the dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the cashew butter, baking soda, sugar, and eggs. Fold in the cranberries, pistachios, and both chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for one hour.
Step 2- Prep. While the dough mixture is chilling, preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3- Shape. Using a cookie scoop, form 12 large or 18 small balls of cookie dough. Place them on the prepared cookie sheet and press lightly into a ‘cookie’ shape.
Step 4- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until just golden brown along the edges. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet briefly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe tips and variations
- Keep them soft. If you like your freshly baked cookies a bit on the softer side, pull them out after 8-10 minutes.
- Make them vegan. Use vegan-friendly chocolate chips and swap the eggs for flax eggs, which you can make by combining 1 tablespoon of flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water for every egg.
- Pull them out early. Since there’s no flour or grains in the cookies, they will continue to cook as they cool down, making them easy to overbake. As soon as the edges look cooked, pull them out, and they should firm up nicely.
- Don’t overmix. Once you add the mix-ins, only stir until they’re combined. If you mix the dough too much, it’ll sink to the bottom.
- Enhance the flavor. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract, almond extract, orange zest, or a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.
- Garnish. Reserve some pistachios and cranberries to top the cookies with when they’re out of the oven.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze: To keep the cookies fresher for longer, I like to store them in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, let the cookies thaw overnight in the fridge.
More cookie recipes to try
- Hazelnut cookies– If you love Ferrero rocher chocolates, then this hazelnut cookie is a no-brainer.
- Almond butter cookies– Smooth and drippy almond butter meets gooey chocolate chip cookies.
- Cream cheese cookies– Chewy and gooey, with a subtle tang that is surprisingly delicious.
Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cashew butter can use tahini or any smooth nut/seed butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pistachios chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your cashew butter, baking soda, sweetener, and eggs. Mix well until combined. Fold through your cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate chips and mix well. Cover your bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a cookie scoop, form 12 large or 18 small balls of dough. Place on the lined tray and press into a slight cookie shape.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just cooked on the edges. Remove and allow to cool completely.
Notes
TO FREEZE. To keep the cookies fresher for longer, I like to store them in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, let the cookies thaw overnight in the fridge.
