Chewy cranberry gingerbread drop cookies with visible ruby dried cranberries throughout the warmly spiced molasses dough.
Dried cranberries give these drop cookies concentrated tart fruit without the extra water in fresh berries.
Look at the exposed dough around each berry to judge doneness, since the fruit can hide surface cracks.
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Cranberry Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 11–13 minutes · 3 trays of 12 cookies on 13 × 18-inch pans
Allow 144 minutes: 25 hands-on, 60 chilling, 39 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Digital kitchen scale and US measuring cups/spoons
- Large mixing bowl and electric mixer
- 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Two 13 × 18-inch light-colored baking sheets and parchment paper
- Wide spatula and wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Fruit add-in
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Instructions
Cream and combine
- Beat butter and both sugars for 2 minutes. Mix in molasses, then egg and vanilla; scrape the bowl. Whisk flour, soda, salt and spices separately, then mix into the wet ingredients just until combined. Fold the sweetened dried cranberries into the dough after mixing in the flour.
Firm the dough
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If chilled longer than 2 hours, let stand about 20–30 minutes until scoopable; keep it cool rather than greasy.
Portion evenly
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan. Scoop 36 equal portions of about 25 g, roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons. Space 3 inches apart on lined pans. No sugar coating is needed.
Check the centers
- Bake 11–13 minutes until edges are set and centers no longer look glossy-wet. Dried cranberries may hide cracks, so judge the exposed dough. Cool pans before the next batch.
Let the structure set
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then lift onto a wire rack. Cool another 15 minutes before sealing airtight. Cookies firm as they cool; do not bake until hard.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Choose dried fruit
Fresh cranberries change the dough moisture and can leave wet pockets.
Cut long pieces
A few knife cuts spread cranberries through more bites.
Keep the finish simple
No icing is needed; dried fruit supplies a tart-sweet contrast to the spices.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze portions airtight; thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- Use dried cranberries rather than fresh or frozen berries. Rough chopping distributes the tart-sweet fruit through the molasses dough. This version contains no nuts or icing; brand sweetness of dried fruit varies.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh cranberries?
No direct substitution is provided. Use dried cranberries for this formula.
Does this include pistachios?
No. This version is a cranberry drop cookie without a nut topping.
Should I soak the cranberries?
No. Use them dry, roughly chopped, so no extra water enters the dough.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
