These Cranberry Pistachio Cookies are buttery, tender, flaky, sweet, and melt in the mouth. They are studded with sweet, tart, chewy dried cranberries and crunchy, nutty pistachios!
These Eggless Cranberry Pistachio Cookies can be a classic and festive addition to your Christmas cookie tray. They look beautiful and taste like shortbread cookies full of nuts and dried fruits.
About Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
The recipe is simple, with only a handful of ingredients, but yields buttery, tender, and melt-in-the-mouth cookies.
These cookies can be made with or without pistachios. If you do not prefer nuts in your cookies, skip pistachios and add more chopped cranberries.
I have updated this recipe for a better taste and flavor. I used baking soda in my previous recipe, but after many experiments and from my experience of baking cookies, I realized the recipe could be made without baking soda.
So here I am with an updated recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Cookies for buttery, tender, and delicious cookies. They are made without eggs and an egg replacer.
The Cranberry Pistachio Cookie recipe is another addition to my long list of eggless cookie recipes. If you plan to bake cookies for the holidays or cookie exchange, do not forget to check out other cookie recipes on my blog.
Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Cranberry Pistachio Cookies are studded with dried cranberries and pistachios.
- They are addictive and perfect as teatime snacks.
- The recipe is straightforward to follow.
- They are bursting with orange and vanilla flavors.
- These cookies are buttery, tender, flaky, and melt in the mouth.
- The cookies are sweet, nutty, and slightly tart with cranberries.
- Cranberry Pistachio Cookies look pretty and can be homemade gifts for friends and family on the occasion of Diwali, Christmas, or New Year.
Ingredients and Notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, and it should be at room temperature. It adds flavor and makes the cranberry pistachio cookies almost like shortbread cookies.
- Sugar: It provides structure and sweetness and makes the cookies tender.
- Vanilla: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla.
- Orange Zest: Using orange zest adds freshness and zing to these cookies. Also, it goes great with pistachios and cranberries. But it is optional if you don’t have it on hand.
- All-Purpose Flour: I have used unbleached all-purpose flour. It is essential to measure the flour correctly. The best way is to weigh the flour using the kitchen scale if you have one. But if you measure by volume, fluff your flour with the spoon, then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then, level it off with the knife.
- Salt: It contrasts pleasantly with sweet cookies and enhances the flavors.
- Cranberries and Pistachios: Finely chop the cranberries and pistachios to distribute them evenly in each bite of cookies.
How To Make Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Making The Cranberry Pistachio Cookie Dough
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer.
- Instead of a stand mixer, you can also use a hand-held electric mixer.
- Cream the butter and sugar using a paddle attachment, initially at low speed and then at medium to high speed, until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add vanilla and orange zest and mix for a few seconds until well combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add flour and salt to the butter mixture, and on low speed, mix until combined.
- Finally, add cranberries and pistachios and mix until everything is just combined.
- Do not overmix.
- The dough should be soft and hold its shape but not sticky or crumbly.
- Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured surface and shape it into a 7- or 8-inch log, about 2- to 2.5-inch in diameter.
- Warp the log with cling wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours and up to three days.
Baking The Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set it aside.
- Remove the log from the refrigerator and cut it into slices with ½-inch thickness.
- Place the cookie slices on the baking sheet about two inches apart.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
- The center will be soft but will firm upon cooling.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Then, transfer the cookies to the wire rack and let them cool completely.
Storing Suggestions
Once the cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container for a week at room temperature.
Make-Ahead and Freezing Suggestions
Freezing The Dough: Tightly cover the dough log with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the log overnight in the refrigerator, then slice and bake as directed.
Freezing The Cookie Dough Slices: Place the cookie dough slices in a single layer on a plate or baking tray. Freeze them for 3-4 hours or until solid. Then, freeze them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. Thaw the cookie dough slices overnight in the fridge and bake them as directed.
Freeze The Baked Cookies: Place the cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to two months. Thaw the cookies overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Baking Tips For Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Measuring The Ingredients: Correctly measure the flour and other ingredients for the perfect cookies. I will suggest using a kitchen scale. If using the cup method, fluff your flour with the spoon and then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then, level it off with the knife.
Butter: Butter should be at room temperature for a perfect creaming method.
Dough: Do not overwork the dough; otherwise, the butter will start warming, and the dough will become sticky. Once everything is combined, stop mixing and bring the dough together with a spatula or your hands. If your dough is crumbly and not coming together, add 1-2 teaspoon of milk to get it together. However, make sure not to add too much milk.
Chilling The Dough: Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and for the flaky texture. So do not skip this step.
Scaling: The recipe can easily be scaled up for a bigger batch of cookies.
More Cranberry Recipes
Recipe Card
Cranberry Pistachio Cookies (Eggless)
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (114g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 6 tablespoon (75g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoon (140g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (50g) finely chopped dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup (50g) finely chopped unsalted pistachios
Instructions
Making The Cranberry Pistachio Cookie Dough
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer. Instead of a stand mixer, you can also use a hand-held electric mixer.
- Cream the butter and sugar using a paddle attachment, initially at low speed and then at medium to high speed, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add vanilla and orange zest and mix for a few seconds until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add flour and salt to the butter mixture, and on low speed, mix until combined. Finally, add cranberries and pistachios and mix until everything is just combined. Do not overmix.
- The dough should be soft and hold its shape but not sticky or crumbly. Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured surface and shape it into a 7- or 8-inch log, about 2- to 2.5-inch in diameter.
- Warp the log with cling wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours and up to three days.
Baking The Cookies
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set it aside.
- Remove the log from the refrigerator and cut it into slices with ½-inch thickness. Place the cookie slices on the baking sheet about two inches apart.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. The center will be soft but will firm upon cooling.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies to the wire rack and let them cool completely.
Storing Suggestions
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container for two weeks at room temperature.
Notes
- Measuring The Ingredients: Correctly measure the flour and other ingredients for the perfect cookies. I will suggest using a kitchen scale. If using the cup method, fluff your flour with the spoon and then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then, level it off with the knife.
- Butter: Butter should be at room temperature for a perfect creaming method.
- Dough: Do not overwork the dough; otherwise, the butter will start warming, and the dough will become sticky. Once everything is combined, stop mixing and bring the dough together with a spatula or your hands. If your dough is crumbly and not coming together, add 1-2 teaspoon of milk to get it together. However, make sure not to add too much milk.
- Chilling The Dough: Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and for the flaky texture. So do not skip this step.
- Scaling: The recipe can easily be scaled up for a bigger batch of cookies.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Meena says
Hey can I freeze the dough ? Thanks
Jigna says
Hi Meena, after making the dough, make a log and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. And then again put the log into a freezer Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake, take out the log, let it thaw into the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Then slice and bake as per the recipe’s instructions. I hope this will help.?