Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (+ Mix in a Jar)

How to Make Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The method is the same whether your dry ingredients came out of a jar or you just measured them into a bowl. We’ll mix the butter, egg, and vanilla first, then stir everything else in at once. That’s it. No creaming, no chilling, and no stand mixer.

Start by heating your oven to 350°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment. If you’re baking from scratch, measure the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk them with a fork, then add the rest of the dry ingredients (oats, both sugars, cranberries, and chocolate chips). Whisking the flour first spreads the baking soda through it, so you don’t end up with a bitter little pocket of it in one cookie. Set aside the bowl of dry ingredients.

Put the softened butter, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Mash them together with a fork, then beat until the butter is broken up and fluffy. A hand mixer makes quick work of it, but a fork and some elbow grease get you there too.

You’re going for an under-creamed batter, rather than fully creamed. Under creaming is a great shortcut to a chewier, more tender oatmeal cookie. Don’t worry when it looks lumpy and a little curdled. Butter and egg don’t fully blend without sugar beaten in, so this is totally normal. It all comes together once the dry ingredients go in.

Now dump in your dry ingredients (or your entire jar of mix ingredients) and stir. At first it’ll look like there’s WAY too much dry mix for that much butter. Keep going. Once the spoon stops making a difference, switch to your hands and squeeze the dough together. The warmth of your hands helps the butter coat everything.

Is My Cookie Dough Too Dry?

Probably not, so long as you put the full stick of butter in. But here’s a test: grab a small handful and squeeze. If it holds together in a ball without falling apart, it’s ready, even if the dough in the bowl still looks crumbly. If it falls apart in your hand, stir in a splash of milk (like just one tablespoon) and squeeze again. Be careful not to add more than you need, though, because too much liquid makes the cookies spread thin.

How Big Should I Make the Cookies?

You can choose, but I prefer decent sized cookies so I scoop heaping 2-tablespoon mounds (a medium cookie scoop is perfect), squeeze each one into a ball, and space them 2 inches apart. About nine fit nicely on a standard baking sheet. Then press each one down to about 3/4 inch thick with your palm. This dough is fairly stiff, so it won’t flatten out much on its own. If you skip pressing, you get tall domes that are still raw in the middle when the edges are done.

How Do I Know When Oatmeal Cookies Are Done?

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers just look set. The centers should still look a little soft, and that’s exactly right. Here’s what my cookies looked like when I decided to pull them.

The cookies keep baking on the hot pan, so if you wait until the middles look done in the oven, they’ll be dry once they cool.

Let them rest on the pan for 2 minutes. This helps because they’re too fragile to lift right out of the oven. Then move them to a wire rack with a spatula for about 10 minutes to finish cooling.

Serve when they are just barely warm.

How to Make a Cookie Mix in a Jar

This is where the recipe does double duty. The jar holds all the dry ingredients, and whoever gets it adds butter, an egg, and vanilla. You’ll want a 1 quart wide-mouth mason jar. The wide mouth makes layering SO much easier, and it’s easier to pour out later too. I used these quart-size jars which have smooth sides and make it easier to label.

A canning funnel keeps the layers clean, so nothing sticks to the inside of the glass.

We’ll layer from the bottom up in this order. Tap the jar on the counter and press each layer down firmly before you add the next one:

1. Flour, baking soda, and salt, whisked together right in the jar with a fork, then packed down well
2. Old-fashioned oats
3. Packed brown sugar
4. Granulated sugar
5. Dried cranberries
6. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

The reason we whisk the flour mixture right in the jar is that nobody will whisk it later. It all gets dumped into the bowl together, so this is the only chance to spread the baking soda and salt evenly.

Packing is the part that makes a jar mix look so cool. I use a mini masher to pack and tamp down my layers, but the back of a spoon works too. Unpacked layers settle in transit, and then the pretty stripes slump and mix together. If you don’t care about that, then don’t pack as carefully. But DO pack firmly so it all fits. And don’t worry if your layers aren’t perfectly level… a slightly wavy line looks homemade in the best way.

The cranberries and chocolate chips go in last. If you have a little space left at the top, fill it with a few extra chips or cranberries so the jar is full to the brim. A full jar keeps the layers from shifting.

What to Write on the Gift Tag

I like to put the baking directions on a round label right on the lid, but a tag tied on with twine works just as well. Here’s what it should say, so whoever gets it knows exactly what to do:

Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Mix

Add: 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Make: Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Beat butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the entire jar, then squeeze the dough together with your hands. If it won’t hold a ball, add a splash of milk. Drop by heaping 2-tablespoon spoonfuls 2 inches apart and press each to 3/4 inch thick. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers just look set. Cool 2 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack. Makes about 18 cookies.

Best by: [date 3 months from filling]

How Long Does a Cookie Mix in a Jar Last?

The mix keeps for about 3 months in a cool, dark pantry with the lid on tight. After that, the brown sugar starts to harden and the oats can taste a little stale. Write the best-by date on the tag so whoever gets it doesn’t have to guess.

Making Jars to Sell?

If you’re making these for a craft fair or farm stand, check your state’s cottage food rules first, since most states require a label with the ingredients and allergens. This mix contains wheat, and most chocolate chips contain milk and soy.

Can I Freeze Oatmeal Cookie Dough?

Yes, and it’s my favorite way to keep cookies around without eating the whole batch. Scoop and press the dough balls, freeze them on a parchment-lined pan until solid, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F and add a minute or two to the bake time. There’s no need to thaw.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie FAQs

Can I use white chocolate chips instead?

Absolutely. White chocolate and cranberry is a classic holiday pairing. Swap them in one for one, but keep an eye on the oven, because white chocolate browns faster than semi-sweet.

Can I make these dairy-free?

Yes. Use dairy-free butter sticks (not the soft tub kind, which has too much water) and dairy-free chocolate chips.

Can I add nuts?

Chopped walnuts or pecans are lovely here. Stir in a handful with the cranberries. In a jar there’s not much room to add them, so swap them for some of the chocolate chips.

Why did my cookies spread flat?

Usually the butter was too warm. Butter that’s melty or shiny makes the dough spread before it sets. Next time, let the butter soften on the counter instead of in the microwave, and chill the scooped dough for 15 minutes if your kitchen is warm.

Can I fit this mix in a pint jar?

Not this batch. It needs the full quart to hold everything.

How should I store the baked cookies?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months.