Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are a delicious Christmas cookie recipe that is easy to make. The buttery shortbread pairs perfectly with the tart dried cranberries making them a festive cookie for holiday dessert platters.
One of my favorite Christmas cookies is shortbread. I love the buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture and they can be flavored in so many ways. For the holidays, you can’t beat a red and white cookie and these cranberry shortbread cookies are just perfect.
Shortbread cookies are so easy to make and they keep well at room temperature so they are great for gifting. For this recipe, you only need five ingredients!
They are so simple and the flavors are great. Sweet, buttery, and each bite has tart cranberry. If you want an easy cookie recipe to make this year, you need to give them a try.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – be sure your flour is at least 11-12% protein, this will help keep the cookies from spreading.
- Softened butter – I use salted butter, but if you use unsalted add a bit more salt.
- Caster sugar – this is a very fine sugar.
- Pinch of salt
- Dried cranberries
Instructions
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) in a large bowl for about two to three minutes or until the mixture is creamy.
Sift the flour and salt into the butter mixture and stir. When it’s almost combined, add the cranberries and continue mixing on medium speed until the dough is firm.
Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 to 60 minutes. You can also chill it overnight.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator. If it’s very firm, gently knead it to soften it up. Place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and roll it out until it’s 1/4″ thick.
Cut the dough out into rounds or squares using a cookie cutter and place them on baking sheets or cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle sugar over the tops, if desired.
Place the pans in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 320°F.
Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool them for two to three minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
FAQs
You could add some orange zest a little orange flavouring, some white chocolate chips or even some coarsely chopped nuts.
Fresh and frozen cranberries are not good for this recipe. They have too much moisture which will change the texture of the shortbread cookies. For best results, use dried cranberries.
Caster sugar is very fine and really makes a difference in these cookies. it melts into the butter so your cookies practically melt in your mouth. If you only have granulated, you can blend it in a food processor until it’s finely ground like caster sugar.
Did you chill the dough for at least 30 minutes? Chilling it allows the butter to firm up so your cookies don’t spread. And be sure to use a flour with at least 11-12% protein, this also helps from spreading.
Store them in an airtight container. They can keep for several weeks as long as they are in a good container stored in a cool, dry spot.
Yes, the baked cookies freeze great. Place them in a freezer container and separate the layers with parchment paper. They will keep for up to three months.
Whether you make these cranberry shortbread cookies for you or to share, I hope you love them! You can’t beat the color combination – it’s perfect for the holidays. Enjoy!
More Cookies Recipes
Easy Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾-2 cups all purpose flour (at least 11-12% protein / sifted)** (220-250 grams)
- ⅔ cup + 1 tablespoon butter (softened) (165 grams)
- ⅓ cup + 1½ tablespoons sugar (caster / fine) (85 grams)
- 1 pinch salt*
- ¼-½ cup dried cranberries
*If using unsalted butter then use ¼ teaspoon salt.
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes, add the sifted flour (start with 1 3/4 cups add the remaining 4 tablespoons if needed one at a time) and the salt, combine, when almost combined add the cranberries and continue to beat with the flat beaters (#2 speed) until a firm dough is obtained, be aware that it does take time to bring it together. If you knead by hand it will take approximately 4 minutes of kneading.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or even overnight).
- Remove the dough from the fridge, and if very firm, gently knead, place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to ¼ inch thickness, cut out with round or square cookie cutters, place on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sugar before baking if desired. Refrigerate the cookies while the oven is pre-heating, for about 15 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 320F (160C). Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Joanne says
Love the cranberry cookies and the video helps also.
You go girls…cest bon
Joanne
Rosemary says
Hi Joanne, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed the video. Take care.
April Friley says
Think I will add some lemon peel as well. I will let you know how it goes.
Rosemary says
Hi April, yes let me know how it goes.
Lucinda says
Recipe looks easy enough except for the caster sugar. I do not remember seeing that in our grocery store in Statesville, NC.
Rosemary says
Hi Lucinda, if you don’t see it under very fine sugar then you can make your own with granulated sugar in a blender or food processor, just blend or pulse until the grains are fine, but not enough to turn it to powdered sugar. Hope that helps.
Lily says
What brand flour do you use?
Thank you!
Rosemary says
Hi Lily in Italy I use a Manitoba flour in Canada usually Robin Hood. 🙂
Lily says
Amazing recipe, delicious cookies.
Excellent way to explain the recipe and results. Thank you for letting us know the difference between sugars and flour for best results. Loved the pictures for each step!
Rosemary says
Hi Lily, thanks so much, so glad it was helpful. Have a great week.
Betty says
Can orange zest or rind be added?
Rosemary says
Hi Betty, I don’t see why not, probably a tablespoon would be a good amount. Add it when creaming the butter and sugar. Hope you enjoy them. Have a great week.
Paula says
Looks good and wants to try that
Princess says
Can the cookie dough be frozen to be used later? Then sliced and baked?
Rosemary says
Hi Princess, yes it can, if you prefer to slice and bake, then freeze the dough formed into 2 logs, be sure to wrap it well and place in a freezer safe bag, thaw it enough that the knife will slice through it, and bake. If it’s still a little frozen, it may take a couple of extra minutes to bake. It will last 2 months in the freezer.
Deana says
Hi. Could you roll them into a log prior to putting them in the fridge and thinly slice them prior to baking?
Rosemary says
Hi Deana, yes that would work also. I hope you enjoy them. Have a great week.
Diane Smith says
I thought this recipe looked so good but my dough will not come together in a ball as your directions show. I have the dough in the refrigerator presently but don’t see the dough coming together. It’s way too dry. Please advice.
Rosemary says
Hi Diane, it does take a minute to bring it together, did you use a mixer? I just remade the dough and it came together, maybe you added too much flour.If needed then add a bit more butter to bring it together. Hope that helps.
Nettie says
What do you think about using powdered sugar?
Rosemary says
Hi Nettie, when creaming butter and sugar it really isn’t a good idea to use powdered sugar, plus powdered sugar is sweeter so you will have to use less. I would stick with a fine / caster sugar for this recipe. 🙂
Nettie says
Great advice, thanks so much. Can’t wait to bake!
Rosemary says
Hi Nettie, thanks, glad to help. Let me know how it goes. Have a great week.
Lynne Conway says
I have a question about the weight of the flour. I have always followed the King Arthur Flour chart for the weight of ingredients. All purpose flour weighs 120g for one cup. In this recipe you have 2 cups weighing 250g. Other recipes I have seen it at 260g. I experienced a dry cake when using more than the 120g per cup. I only bake with KAF flours and their AP is 11.7% protein.
Rosemary says
Hi Lynne, if 120g works for you and that is your measurement then use 120g, sometimes it depends on the flour, but when I weigh my 1 cup of flour it does come to 130g. Hope that help. And 11.7% is fine. That will work perfectly. It’s because some people use a 00 flour which is only 9-10% and the cookies always spread. Have a great Sunday.
Mary Hutcheson says
I am anxious to bake the Cranberry short bread cookies, but my oven does not have a temperate of 320 degrees, it has 300, 325, 350 degrees, I don’the want to ruin my cookies. Can you help?
Rosemary says
Hi Mary I would go with 325F. Although they might bake a 1-2 minutes faster, so check on them. Let me know how it goes.
Joan says
I love anything cranberry – dried or fresh, but I always add a little orange zest. Love all of your recipes.
Rosemary says
Hi Joan, thanks so much, yes orange zest is a great idea. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Deborah says
These cookies look truly delieous and ideal for gifting (if any left!). 😊 I will certainly be making, perfect as a morning treat. Please could you confirm the size of the cookie cutter used. Hoping mine look as good and taste yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Rosemary says
Hi Deborah, the cookie cutter is approximately 2 1/ inches or 6 cm. I hope you enjoy the cookies. Have a great weekend. Let me know how it goes.