Cranberry Hazelnut Cookies
I know. Everybody loves cookies with chocolate. But if you’re willing to try these cookies, they will, I promise, make your top two favorite cookies ever list. I’m not kidding.
Cranberries – fresh ones – so that they’re moist and bursting with flavor, pair with the fragrance and crunch of toasted hazelnuts in this cookie. Everything else is a pretty standard drop cookie dough. There’s just something about the cranberries and hazelnuts!
This recipe was actually published in Oklahoma Today magazine years ago. They didn’t want the recipe, per se, it just came with the article they asked me to write on cranberries. I jumped at the chance because, as with many of my fellow bloggers, if not all, I just love cranberries. They scream holidays for me.
Plus, they’re so versatile. They’re so good cookies, like this recipe, as they are in a cranberry compote or a cranberry chutney – adding that tartness that is so unique and yet so necessary. I just have a love relationship with these little guys. Back in our lean years, I even made cranberry garlands for our Christmas tree. So beautiful and festive.
But back to the cookie recipe, here it is. I know you’ll enjoy its uniqueness and fabulousness as much as I do!
Cranberry Hazelnut Cookies
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup, packed, brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chopped cranberries
1 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts
Before you begin, have all of your major players ready. Have your cranberries rinsed, dried, and chopped. Have your hazelnuts skinned, and have the flour sifted along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Place the butter in a large bowl, along with both sugars.
Beat the mixture with an electric mixer until fluffy. Then add the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
Beat the batter well. Then gradually add the flour mixture, beating at a low speed, until it’s almost all incorporated into the batter.
It will be slightly crumbly.
Switch to a spoon, and add the cranberries and hazelnuts.
Fold them in until they’re completely incorporated into the batter. At this point you can chill the dough for a couple of hours and continue with the recipe, or chill the dough overnight, which is what I did. To continue, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and let it warm for about 30 minutes.
Then, using a scoop, place balls of dough, approximately 1 1/2″ in diameter on a non-stick or greased cookie sheet, approximately 2″ apart from each other.
Bake them for approximately 15 minutes; the time will vary depending on how thick they are, your oven temperature, and the temperature of the dough. When they’re done they should be ever so slightly golden, but still soft to the touch.
After about a minute rest, place the cookies on a rack to cool. Then they’re ready to serve. Or hide, whichever you want to do.
I have frozen these cookies with good luck, so if you need to hide them from people, freezing is a great idea.
If people get to them, there will be none left. Guaranteed. Merry Christmas.
I love cranberry and macadamia cookies. Make them often….but have never made cookies with fresh cranberries. We don’t see the fresh ones normally in Singapore, but they are here for Christmas. I’m going to try these out. They look beautiful!
Thank you! I guarantee you will love them!
Really the perfect holiday cookie, they look so soft and moist. They look wonderful. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
These look amazing, especially with the fresh cranberries, Mimi! Happy holidays. :-)
Thanks, Shanna. Merry Christmas to your sweet family!
“If you need to hide them from people”… he, he, he…. loved it!
I have all ingredients, but the department is basically empty no more students around, and very few faculty members…. I think I’d have to wait for the New Year to make a batch of these beauties… they do seem amazing!
Happy Holidays!!!!!
They really really are!!!
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
These look great, Mimi! Happy X-mas!
Merry Christmas to you and yours as well, Stefan!
I love cranberries, can’t get enough of them. Looking forward to trying these cookies at home. Check out my recipe for cranberry and white chocolate chip muffins on http://www.surreyKitchen.com. Emma xx
Oh my. I’ve never had that combo in muffins! Merry Christmas!
Cranberries are such a wonderfully festive fruit, thank you for a delicious cookie recipe my friend :D
Happy Holidays!
CCU
Thank you! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Wonderful flavour combo Mimi. Have a happy Christmas!
Thank you so much! Have a wonderful and warm Christmas!
These look delicious! What a great combo of flavors, and so festive! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas
Fresh cranberries and toasted hazelnuts really do make a fabulous combination. Merry Christmas Miss Catey Lou!
I know I’d ADORE these!
They’re pretty adorable!
My sister bugh cranberries by mistake yesterday…I know just how to use them now!
Hahaha! Wonderful. You’ll have to tell me what you think!
Cranberries and hazelnuts scream holidays to me! I love that this recipe uses fresh cranberries. If I ever bake (and eat) anything sweet again, I will certainly try these. Right now I don’t care if I ever see anything sugary again! :) Happy Holidays!
I know what you mean. I’m ALMOST sick of cheese…
Just made these and we like them! Think I should have used more cranberries. I used 2.5 cups cranberries, perhaps 2.5 cups chopped cranberries is more? I think these would also be great with chocolate chips added in :-)
Oh that’s great! Definitely, 2 1/2 cups chopped cranberries is more than 2 1/2 cups whole cranberries, but you get the idea. Even with their tartness, they’re fabulous in these cookies, aren’t they?!!
These look divine! Just enough cookie to hold the cranberries and hazelnuts together! I love cranberry in anything, so I know I’d love these, especially on a pretty holiday plate.
I agree. Such a fabulous fruit!
Those look outstanding! The berries are just oozing with flavor
Thanks. I just love fresh cranberries!
My taste buds are begging for a bite of these!!! Mimi, I think WordPress has hijacked your link for removing the hazelnut skins. I got a 404 message. Are the skins bitter like on walnuts? I have some hazelnuts in the pantry, and I’m ready to give this a go.
Oh ooops. Good to know. They aren’t bitter, but they’re like paper, and not really palatable. Plus the nuts without the skins look better toasted.
Delicious way to get into the holiday spirit. I can only imagine how delicious the tart cranberries are with sweet cookie and irresistible macadamia nuts. We are addicted to chewy cookies. It’s time to get baking. Thanks so much for this easy cookie recipe. Love it!
Of course it’s easy! I can’t bake to save my life!!!
You are always cracking up. There is all that measuring stuff to do.. LOL
There certainly is!
These type of recipes usually call for sweetened, dried cranberries so I am totally in LOVE that these are fresh and unsweetened. Definitely going on my Christmas baking list.
Yes, I agree! There’s nothing like fresh cranberries. I like the dried ones too but they’re so different.
i wonder if you could use raspberries instead as we don’t have cranberries in Australia!
What about quandongs? Is that how they’re spelled? Cranberries are tart, so raspberries wouldn’t work at all.
I really like using fresh cranberries in my holiday baking, so these cookies are perfect! :)
They are so good with the toasted hazelnuts. Hope you have a chance to try them!
I love cranberries, and my husband is really crazy for them. The combination of hazelnut with cranberries is a real winner! I don’t actually do a lot of baking these days, but I was thinking the other day how glad I was for a reason to bake cookies–the holidays! I think this recipe will be the star this season. I’m not waiting for Christmas, either! :-)
Hahaha! Don’t wait! I really like the combination, plus the cookie itself isn’t overly sweet.
You are absolutely right that cranberries scream holidays! I love sugaring them as decorations on cakes…or brie. While a good chocolate chip cookie is a classic, I think I would reach for one of these instead. They sound delicious! (Ok, maybe I’ll grab one of each type of cookie…haha.) And great use of hazelnuts here, too. Hazelnuts are underappreciated in the nut world, but they are so tasty!
Are hazelnuts under appreciated? Oh no. I don’t understand that at all, but then, they’re my favorite nut. And toasted, they’re almost like a completely different nut. Hope you get a chance to make these cookies!
I love cranberries and I like the idea that you put fresh ones in the cookies. I going to have to make these.
Yes! The tartness and sweetness is fabulous in this cookie.
Those look great! And I always make Christmas cookies…I think these will make the cute this year!
Thanks, Ann. They’re really good.
I love cranberries strung on our tree….but I like them in cookies even more!!! YUM!
They really are pretty on trees. I should do that again. I haven’t since my girls were little!
I love everything cranberries and these cranberry hazelnut cookies look amazing. Can’t wait to try them out closer to christmas when I can get fresh cranberries here!
I think you’ll love them!
This is my kind of cookie and it’s so perfect for the season.
I hope you have a chance to make them – they fabulous!
What a wonderful cookie recipe Mimi, and just in time for the Holiday season. This is so a great idea for a food gift basket. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks, Kristy. They’re really good!
These look like beautiful and delicious Christmas cookies. I’m yet to see fresh cranberries here in North Queensland, so I’m just used to using the dried ones. Terrific recipe, thanks Mimi.
Oh that’s too bad. They are just so different fresh than dried.
These look wonderful! And you’re right, cranberries are just too good to enjoy just once or twice a year.
They really are! And I never freeze enough.
Cranberries are one of my favorite things. I look forward to the time of year when you can get them fresh. I’m always looking for things to do with them, and have never used them in cookies! I love the idea of pairing them with hazlenuts.
Thanks, Jeff! Yes, the pairing of fresh cranberries and the toasted hazelnuts is exquisite! Hope you get a chance to make them.
I love the tartness and sweetness of cranberry desserts. Cranberries also add a beautiful pop of color to everything. These cookies look amazing and perfect for this time of year.
Thanks, Thao! The combination is really wonderful!
I’m sold, Mimi! Making these ASAP. I’m a huge hazelnut fan — LOVE them, and can imagine how delicious the combination is with the tart fruit. :-) ~Valentina
I truly hope you get a chance to make these. Cookies don’t normally get me excited, but these are wonderful.
Tart cranberries, crunchy, toasted and fragrant hazelnuts. This sounds like a fabulous cookie. And yes, cranberries do scream ‘holidays’. Thanks, Mimi.
It truly is a fabulous cookie. Hope you get a chance to make them!
My daughter and I have already put it on the ‘bake list’ for December. :)
You’ll love them!
You don’t have to convince me — I am on board! The fact they they use fresh cranberries makes all the difference. I imagine (until I make them and try them) that there is a nice balance between sweet and tart. As usual, I am sure I won’t get to cookies before Christmas but why not these for Valentine’s Day?
Oh definitely. Hell, I’d make them in the summer if I could find cranberries!
These look fantastic! I love cranberry anything. I might add some white chocolate chips to mine. Yum. Thanks for the recipe
I can see why you’d want to do that, but the chocolate of course would make them sweeter, and they’re just so good with the toasted hazelnuts and raw cranberries…
I must have missed these cookies somehow, but am glad to see the recipe, as I have lots of fresh cranberries that need to be put into good use! :)
Oh, you’ll love them. Please make them!!!
I love cranberry season. Once I start baking with them I can’t stop :)
I want a handful of these cookies to eat right now. They look so good!! I can almost taste the wonderfully sweet/tart combination.
The toasted hazelnut and raw cranberry combination is so good…. you won’t be able to stop eating them!