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Light, buttery, and much softer than traditional shortbread, this cranberry shortbread cookie is a favorite on my holiday cookie trays and a hit at cookie exchanges.
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I'm hardly a baking blogger, but I do love a good cookie. These cranberry shortbreads have been on my holiday baking list for well over a decade and is my most requested holiday recipe. They freeze perfectly, making them one of the first cookies I make every December.
Take them to cookie exchanges. Bring them to a hostess. Add them to a cookie box. You can't go wrong with these easy, buttery holiday cookies.
What's in Cranberry Shortbread
- Butter - Use real dairy butter. No butter substitutes. It's the main flavor in this recipe.
- Sugar - White sugar - either beet sugar or cane sugar - is great.
- Flour - Plain all purpose flour works well here.
- Egg - I've made these with room temperature eggs and straight-from-the-fridge eggs with no noticeable difference.
- Vanilla - Choose a good quality, pure vanilla extract for this recipe.
- Baking powder - For a little rise in your cookies.
- Dried cranberries - Sweetened, dried cranberries are best. Dried cherries or finely chopped chocolate or nuts also work in place of the cranberries.
How to Make Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy.
Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until blended. Add flour and baking powder to the butter mixture. Stir until incorporated.
Stir in dried cranberries.
Form dough into logs aprox 2 ½” inches diameter.
Wrap in parchment paper or wax paper and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 2 hrs. (I often leave mine overnight.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from wax paper.
Place on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut into slices aprox ¼ inch thick.
Place dough about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set, but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.
Enjoy!
FAQs and Substitutions
Nope. This is no time for substitutions. Butter is a main ingredient in this recipe so only use real, dairy butter. Do not use vegan butter or butter substitutes. If you don't eat dairy butter, this is not the recipe for you.
No. You absolutely MUST chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours before you slice and bake it. Feel free to chill it longer, or even overnight if desired.
Toasted chopped pecans, diced dried cherries, chopped chocolate, or toffee bits are all great substitutions for the dried cranberries.
YES!! It's one of my favorite things about these cookies - they're very freezer friendly. You can freeze as dough in logs - slice it first! - then thaw overnight in the fridge and bake. Or you can bake the entire batch and freeze the baked cookies. (This is what I do.) Thaw the baked cookies at room temperature, or place frozen into cookie boxes for shipping or gifting. They'll thaw en route.
Holiday Drink Pairings
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PrintCranberry Shortbread Cookies
Light, buttery, and much softer than traditional shortbread, this cranberry shortbread cookie is a favorite on my holiday cookie trays and a hit at cookie exchanges.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours, 18 min
- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
Instructions
Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until blended. Add flour and baking powder to the butter mixture. Stir until incorporated. Stir in dried cranberries.
Form dough into logs aprox 2 ½” inches diameter.
Wrap in parchment paper or wax paper and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 2 hrs. (I often leave mine overnight.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from wax paper.
Place on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut into slices aprox ¼ inch thick.
Place dough about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set, but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 108
- Sugar: 7.2 g
- Sodium: 3.1 mg
- Fat: 5.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.1 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 18.7 mg
Betsey Ingraham says
These cookies were a HIT with my family and friends this past Holiday Season. I can only describe them as a cookie that you can have for breakfast, a side a lunch, dessert with dinner, and a compliment with a cocktail, glass of wine or beer.
The recipe is simple, real ingredients. I did substitute Michigan dried cherries for the cranberries. The tart, sweetness of both berries is what makes this cookie so good!
MittenGirl says
Dried cherries would definitely be delicious in these! 🙂
Ashley says
My in-laws are huge Christmas cookie people, and I've always looked for my own recipe to bring to the table to no avail until I tried Katy's recipe. Now not only is it a staple at Christmas, but I get requests to make them year-round. I added Trader Joe's orange-infused cranberries, which is *chef's kiss*. Thank you, Katy!
Katy McAvoy says
I'm so happy to hear this, Ashley! Using orange-infused cranberries sounds delicious. I'm going to have to try that! 🙂
Sherry says
I made these cookies at Christmas. They were a huge hit with my family and looked so pretty in our Christmas gift baskets alongside my homemade jams and jellies. They will definitely be a holiday staple along with my mom’s Spritz Cookie recipe. 😋
Katy McAvoy says
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that! 🙂
Katie Belland says
We LOVE this recipe for a not too sweet, just right addition to our Christmas cookie trays. I added a bit of dried orange peel. Thank you Katy for a keeper!
Katy McAvoy says
Adding some orange sounds delicious! So happy you like the recipe. 🙂