Cranberry shortbread cookies are a sweet and easy cookie recipe packed with dried cranberries and pecans and then dipped in dark chocolate for a decadent treat.
Shortbread cookies are soft and buttery cookies that is easy to make. Adding dried cranberries and chopped pecans into the mix makes them even better.
Of course, dipping them in dark chocolate is another glorious way to serve up these chewy, buttery, and light cookies.
Cranberries, pecans, and chocolate are a winning combination. The crunchy and nutty mixed with sweet, rich, and tart all play well together in this holiday cookie recipe.
For more cranberry recipes, make sure to check out my Cranberry Orange Sauce, Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, and Cranberry Eggnog Streusel Muffins.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple ingredients. We need basic pantry staple ingredients like flour, powdered sugar, and butter. Adding in pecans and cranberries makes these cookies unique and festive.
- Easy to prep. Just mix everything together, chill, slice, and bake. This recipe is very easy to follow. Perfect for novice bakers.
- They're great for the holidays. Bring a platter or baggie of these cookies to the next holiday cookie exchange. Present them as gifts, or serve them at the Christmas party.
🥘 Ingredients
Butter- You will need some butter to make these cookies rich and buttery in taste.
Powdered sugar- Instead of granulated sugar, we use powdered sugar for a sweet taste and a softer cookie texture.
Salt- This is a natural flavor enhancer.
Almond extract- For flavor enhancement.
Flour- The gluten structure and base of this recipe is all-purpose flour.
Dried cranberries- You'll need some dried cranberries (or craisins) for this recipe.
Pecans- Chopped pecans add a nice nutty flavor and subtle crunch.
Dark Chocolate- Dip the cookies in some melted dark chocolate for an indulgent taste that's rich and fabulous.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make cranberry shortbread cookies with these simple step-by-step instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar until well mixed.
Add in the almond extract and then mix again.
Add in the flour, dried cranberries, and pecans, and mix again until distributed.
Lay a piece of parchment paper and spread out your cookie dough into a log.
Tightly roll the dough up in the parchment paper and then wrap well in plastic wrap to help keep it from drying out and to maintain shape.
Chill for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and then slice into ¼ inch thick slices.
Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and then bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.
Let cool on a cooling rack over a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, melt your dark chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Dip half of the cookies in the chocolate and return to the cooling rack until set.
Keep cookies stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
🍴 Recipe Tips
This cranberry shortbread cookie recipe doesn't contain any leavening agents and are a very simple cookie by nature. The most important thing is to make sure to chill the dough before baking as that will keep the cookies from spreading, allowing them to maintain their round shapes.
Make sure to use unsalted butter or to omit the additional salt if using salted butter or else you may find these cookies saltier than expected.
💭 FAQs
3 days. You can make the dough to this cranberry shortbread recipe up to 3 days in advance and keep it stored in the fridge.
Absolutely! These cookies freeze very well and taste incredible too. Freeze the dough log raw or freeze the cookies after they've been cooked. If dipping in chocolate, I recommend waiting until cookies are thawed so that the chocolate doesn't sweat as it thaws.
More cookie recipes to check out and try
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies
- Captain Crunch Cookies
- Cookie Monster Cookies
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened ($1.50)
- ½ cup Powdered sugar ($0.12)
- ½ teaspoon Salt ($0.05)
- 1 teaspoon Almond extract ($0.02)
- 2 cups All-purpose flour ($0.16)
- ½ cup Dried cranberries ($0.55)
- ½ cup Chopped pecans ($0.41)
- 1 cup Dark chocolate ($0.99)
Instructions
- Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until well blended.
- Add in almond extract and mix again.
- Add in the flour, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans. Mix until distributed.
- On a piece of parchment paper, lay your dough out into a log shape and then tightly roll up the dough with the paper.
- Wrap the parchment rolled dough log in plastic wrap, twist the ends, and tuck them under. place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Remove dough from fridge and unwrap it. Slice into ¼ inch thick slices and arrange 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
- Let cool on wire rack over baking sheet.
- Melt your dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each until smooth.
- Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and place back onto wire racks to set. Continue until all cookies have been coated or drizzle chocolate over others.
- Keep cookies stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
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