How to make the best oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies recipe -- they're chewy with crispy edges, and SO good. These oatmeal cranberry cookies are a must-make recipe that is so easy and perfect for the holidays or any time of year!
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If you want more of my favorite cookie recipes, definitely try my Peppermint White Chocolate Sugar Cookies, my Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter and Sea Salt, and my Key Lime Cookies!
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Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies
If you like chewy cookies that are crispy on the edges, you will LOVE these cookies! The crispy, crunchy edges full of buttery, caramelized flavor is fantastic. Also the warm cinnamony oatmeal texture pairs so well with the tart cranberries. This recipe for oatmeal cranberry cookies will knock your socks off!
What's the secret? Candied pecans. The first time I made these, I didn't have regular pecans, only candied pecans that I had been snacking on. I threw those in and out came the best oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies I had ever had! The salty candy around the pecans spread along with the cookie dough and caramelized even further in the oven, and lent an amazing depth of flavor. Also, the tartness of the cranberries and the crispness of the cookie edges made these cookies irresistible!
Ingredients for this Cranberry Pecan Cookies Recipe
To make these delicious pecan cranberry oatmeal cookies, you'll need just a few ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen!
- butter - your butter should be room temperature, which means soft to the touch but not greasy or losing its shape.
- light brown sugar - adding to the caramelized flavor, brown sugar gives the perfect rich sweetness to these cookies.
- eggs - like your butter, your eggs should be room temperature before adding them in.
- vanilla - be sure to use a high-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
- all-purpose flour - make sure you're measuring your flour correctly -- I recommend measuring it by weight with a kitchen scale.
- ground cinnamon - I love the touch of spice that a little cinnamon adds to these oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies! And if you love it too, you'll definitely want to also check out my Chai Spice Bundt Cake and my Cinnamon Roll Apple Pies!
- oats - because what's an oatmeal cookie recipe without rolled oats?
- baking powder - to give our cookies a bit of lift we'll add in some baking powder.
- dried cranberries - toss in some of your favorite dried cranberries to add some tart sweetness to these cookies!
- candied pecans - the star ingredient! I used these glazed pecans and I love how the cookies turned out, but you can use any candied pecans you like, storebought or homemade. They should be chopped before being added to the recipe. And if you love pecans, try my Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars or my Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie!
Equipment
You won't need any special tools for these cookies! I would mainly recommend a good, ¾ sheet baking pan and a silicone baking mat. Beyond that, a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat your butter and sugar, and a cooling rack!
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies, Step-by-Step
These oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies are incredibly easy. And because it's a thin and chewy/crispy cookie, we don't need to chill the dough either!
- Beat your butter and sugars together until they're nice and fluffy.
- Mix in your eggs and vanilla.
- Fold in your dry ingredients -- flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Fold in those yummy cranberries and pecans!
- Scoop out your cookies and bake!
Tips and F.A.Q.
Sure! I would recommend cutting the fresh cranberries into smaller pieces and increasing the brown sugar to 1-¾ cups to offset the tartness of fresh cranberries. If your dough seems too soft, you could also add in an extra couple of tablespoons of flour to counteract the added moisture from the fresh cranberries.
I wouldn't use quick oats in these cookies because we're going for that classic chewy oatmeal cookie texture. Quick oats are not as hearty, so the final product won't have as much texture.
While there are benefits to eating oats in the form of slow-burning energy, heart health, and regulating blood sugar, I wouldn't consider typical oatmeal cookies like these particularly healthy. I'm no nutritional expert, but I'd consider any kind of cookie best in moderation.
If you love thumbprint cookies, try my Lemon Curd Cookies or my Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies with Cinnamon Sugar. Or if you're more into cake mix cookies, you'll love my Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies or my Lemon Blueberry Cookies.
Chocolate chip cookie lovers should definitely check out these Coconut Oatmeal Cookies or my Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar!
Check out my list of cookies for cookie swaps or my gluten free dairy free cookie collection or more ideas! And try my Cake Mix Apple Cobbler for another easy recipe!
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter - room temperature
- 1½ cup (330 g) light brown sugar - packed
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 ¼ teaspoon (6 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup (167 g) all-purpose flour - (171g)
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cup (142 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- ¾ cup (91 g) dried cranberries
- ¾ cup (84 g) candied pecans - roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Beat with hand mixer or paddle attachment of stand mixer until light and fluffy.1 cup salted butter, 1½ cup light brown sugar
- Whisk in eggs and vanilla and mix just until evenly combined.2 large eggs, 1 ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add flour, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon and stir until just combined.1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Fold in cranberries and pecans.¾ cup dried cranberries, ¾ cup candied pecans
- Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place on baking sheets, about 2” apart. Keep in mind the cookies will spread as they bake.
- Bake until set and outer edges are a deep golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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Last Updated on October 25, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Denise says
These cookies scream a warm cup of hot chocolate or coffee or even apple cider!
Chenée Lewis says
Yes they do! Glad you like them!
Connie says
Looks delicious! I love a crisp around edges slightly chewy in the center cookie. Testing these out today to see if I want to take them to a cookie exchange at church next month. I'm sure they're going to turn out as beautifully as yours look.
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much! I hope you love them!
Jazz says
These are so crispy and addictive! Will be making again...and again. 🙂
Chenée Lewis says
Addictive is the word! Thanks for giving them a try 🙂
Chef Mireille says
I had never tasted glazed pecans before - OMG - these were so good - not just the cookies but the pecans itself. Thank you for introducing me to such a delicious product!
Chenée Lewis says
You're welcome! They make a huge difference in the flavor of these cookies 🙂
Britney says
We couldn’t get over how delicious these cookies are! They’re soft and chewy and perfect little bites of Fall!
Chenée Lewis says
Definitely a great fall cookie! Glad you enjoyed them!
Rhonda dunlap says
Made these an absolutely a hit..Husband is very picky about his cookies an these past with flying colors .will def make again
Chenée Lewis says
So glad your husband liked them!! They're definitely a favorite of mine.
Capri Lilly says
I love a good oatmeal cookie and these are stellar! I love the cranberries and pecans. I added chocolate chips in mine too-- I couldn't resist! They were soo good!
Chenée Lewis says
Sounds like a delicious addition!! So glad you liked them!
Marta says
This recipe was fantastic. I loved the addition of cranberries instead of the go-to raisins.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm not a fan of raisins so cranberries were perfect, haha. Thanks!
Mila says
These were simple to make and I loved the crisp texture! These are going to be great for the holidays!
Chenée Lewis says
Glad to find another crispy cookie lover like me!
Tamara says
The cranberry in these cookies took them to the next level! Oatmeal cookies are already amazing, but that hint of cranberry is delicious. Can’t wait to whip up the next batch!
Chenée Lewis says
Glad you liked them! I love oatmeal cookies too!!
Desirée says
Cranberry is my fav, so I knew I would love these! I was right! Sooooo good!
Chenée Lewis says
So glad you liked them! 🙂
Aline says
Cranberry oatmeal cookies are my ultimate fave, but I had never had it with candied pecans - OMG that was such a genius delicious twist! This is our favorite cookie now! Thank you!
Chenée Lewis says
That's how I felt too the first time I had these! Glad you enjoyed them!