Studded with bits of chocolate and dried cranberries, and spiced with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice – these delicious Chocolate Chip & Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are unbelievably easy to make. Great for holiday baking!
These Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are crisp, buttery, crumbly and addictively delicious!
>> PIN IT FOR LATER <<
Autumn isn’t just a distant pipe dream anymore. It really truly is here. Well, almost. I’ve said it before – summer just wasn’t meant for me. I like cooler, colder weather better and the prospect of Fall is very exciting.
And personally, another reason for me to celebrate Fall – cranberries! There’s a reason why cranberries are so popular, especially during the holiday season here in the US. Apart from being sweet, tart and citrusy on their own, they do have numerous health benefits and they have this uncanny ability to brighten up and enhance any dish. They reach their plump, bright red, ripe form during September – November, not a moment too soon for all that holiday baking.
But the great thing about a product like Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries is that it lets you enjoy this versatile and flavorful fruit any time of the year! Plus, there’s even more flavor concentrated into those ruby red, dried cranberries which makes even snacking on them fun! And that makes these Craisins® Dried Cranberries a very flavorful addition in your baking as well.
Fun Fact – did you know Ocean Spray®’s first product was jellied cranberry sauce, and then cranberry juice cocktail in the 1930s? They’ve come a long way since then with innovative products like Craisins® Dried Cranberries.
Last year, I shared these Orange and Cardamom Melting Moments Cookies (a cousin of shortbread cookies), which I make often simply because they are just so damn easy to make, versatile and delicious. They have the right amount of sweetness (I don’t like my shortbread cookies too sweet), and they are so delightfully crumbly and buttery. They are like a blank canvas to me to add on more flavors, spices, bits of chocolate, nuts, raisins, whatever! They never disappoint. I’m serious – THEY, NEVER, DISAPPOINT.
So I decided to give my melting moments cookies a Fall makeover with some warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and bits of chocolate and Craisins® Dried Cranberries. The result – these Chocolate Chip Cranberry Shortbread Cookies that you simply HAVE to make! 🙂 These are ridiculously easy to make that even someone who has never baked before could make these perfectly well!
As you can see in the video, the cookie dough comes together easily in a matter of minutes and bakes in 15 minutes! There’s a resting time to let the dough chill, so you can preheat the oven while the dough is chilling and you’ll have these unbelievably delicious Chocolate Chip Cranberry shortbread cookies in no time!
They are buttery, crunchy, crumbly and crisp at the same time, with just the right amount of sweetness while studded with bits of chocolate and those flavorful Craisins® Dried Cranberries, and then with a hint of all those amazing warming spices! Those dried cranberries are like bits of chewy candy in these cranberry shortbread cookies. Really, these chocolate chip & cranberry shortbread cookies should be right up there on your list of what to bake next. These are so easy make, it’s almost unfair.
They are perfect to be dunked in hot milk or coffee too. We enjoyed ours with a cup of hot chocolate. Maybe next time I’ll have it with a pumpkin spice latte and really celebrate the spirit of Fall!
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
- 150 g unsalted butter 11 tbsp (1 stick + 3 tbsp)
- 75 g icing sugar confectioner's sugar - about ⅔ cup (measured by spoon and level method)
- Generous pinch of salt
- 100 g dried cranberries chopped, ½ cup
- 100 g chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. You can use any type of chocolate you prefer (dark or milk chocolate)
- ½ tsp pumpkin spice or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
- Zest of 1 lemon a generous 1/2 tsp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g AP flour about 1 ¼ cup (spoon and leveled)
- 50 g cornstarch about 5 tbsp
Instructions:
- Place the butter, salt and confectioner's sugar in a bowl, and beat until the mix is creamy and fluffy.150 g unsalted butter, Generous pinch of salt, 75 g icing sugar
- Add the spices, lemon zest, dried cranberries, chocolate, and vanilla, and mix well.100 g dried cranberries, 100 g chopped chocolate, ½ tsp pumpkin spice, Zest of 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sift the AP flour and cornstarch together into a separate bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mix in two batches, mixing gently with a wooden spoon or spatula after each addition. Following the second addition, mix until a soft dough is formed.150 g AP flour, 50 g cornstarch
- Refrigerate the dough for about 15 - 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C while the dough is chilling, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll the chilled dough into 1 inch balls and place them on the lined tray with about 2 inches of space between each. Press down gently on each with a fork. You should end up with about 28 cookies.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cookies turn a light golden color (the bottom will be a golden color).
- Remove from the oven and let them cool down for a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool down completely. Then store them in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Genna says
Wow these were so easy and delicious! I made these for a potluck and everyone loved them. I didn’t add dried cranberries, but I imagine those would be great for the holidays. Thank you!
cakespy says
The texture on these babies looks perfect!! I love buttery crumbly cookies esp when they have a little contrast like you have here with the cranberry!
DessertForTwo says
These sound (and look!) so good!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
You have combined the best two things into one!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
These cookies sound so amazing! Going to have to try them!
Julie says
I love the new look Dini! It’s so homey and a person could hang out for a long time just looking at all of your beautiful recipes.
Fisch says
Absolutely delicious! I whipped these up today and they were a huge hit. At first I was nervous since all I had was unsweetened baking chocolate but the sweetness of the dough and cranberries balanced it out beautifully! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Barb says
Simply wonderful, best Autumn cookie ever. THank you.
Helen in CA says
Sounds delicous!
Not all of us weigh our ingredients……wishing that these were also in Cups etc. (Here I am assuming that you might be in the US, if not well, never mind)
Helen in CA says
Esp since you’re talking about Sam’s Club and Walmart
Dini says
Thank you Helen!
I have included the cup measurements in the recipe now 🙂 I prefer not to bake with cup measurements as they always differ and don’t always provide consistent baking results. I find weight measurements a lot easier and far more accurate – Plus cup measurements differ from country to country as well.
The measurements I have included now are in US cups, but make sure you measure them they way I did (as noted in the recipe) to keep it as accurate as possible.
I hope that helps!
Dini
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
These sound like such a great twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie! Delicious!
Diane says
What is icing sugar and why is everything in ounces?
Dini says
Hi Diane!
I prefer not to bake with cup measurements as they always differ and don’t always provide consistent baking results. I find weight measurements a lot easier and far more accurate – plus cup measurements differ from country to country as well.
However, I have included US cup measurements in the recipe now, but make sure you measure them they way I did (as noted in the recipe) to keep it as accurate as possible.
Icing sugar is the same as confectioners sugar or powdered sugar.
I hope that helps!
Dini