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These cranberry macadamia nut cookies are a comforting, cozy fruit-and-nut treat, perfect if you need a chocolate-free Christmas cookie recipe for your holiday dessert table.
I’m always on the lookout for new favorites when it comes to Christmas cookies, and these cranberry macadamia nut cookies are definitely a winner. If you have an extended family with different dietary needs, you know how nice it is to try to include a little something for everyone in your plans for which Christmas cookie recipes to bake. If you know someone who can’t eat chocolate, these are a comforting, festive option for them and a great alternative to the standard oatmeal cookies that might usually be their best option. Fruit-and-nut cookies are such an elegant treat option for any occasion and are just perfection as a little dessert after a big meal or for a cozy afternoon snack to satisfy a sweet craving.
The best cookies for any Christmas cookie tray: Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients Needed for the Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
You’ll need:
- Dried, sweetened cranberries
- Macadamia nuts (coarsely chopped)
- Butter (or a plant-based substitute)
- Granulated white sugar and brown sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Eggs (or a plant-based alternative)
- All-purpose flour (or substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Powdered confectioner’s sugar
- Milk (or a non-dairy option)
The confectioner’s sugar and milk are for a simple vanilla glaze that is, of course, completely optional but that I highly recommend. Cookies with macadamia nuts often include white chocolate because the two ingredients pair so well together. The glaze really adds the extra boost of sweetness that’s missing in these cookies without the white chocolate and creates a perfectly balanced flavor with the tart cranberries and buttery macadamia nuts. I think walnuts would make an excellent nut option as well if that’s what you have in your pantry.
An all-time favorite for chocolate lovers: Chewy Toasted Almond Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Method for Preparing the Macadamia and Cranberry Cookies
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda, then set aside. Drop the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated-sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and cream them together well. Add the vanilla and the eggs to the electric mixer and mix further until everything comes together evenly into a smooth mixture.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, a little at a time, and mix until the cookie dough just comes together. Measure out the cranberries and the macadamia nuts and drop those in the mixer bowl, mixing until everything seems well-distributed. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir things together a little further with a spoon or a rubber spatula to distribute the mix-ins more, if necessary.
The ultimate cookie for peanut butter fans: Irresistible Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop the dough out onto the cookie sheet with a medium cookie scoop and bake for 16 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the baking time.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. When they’re done cooling, mix up the glaze and drizzle it over the cooled cookies with a teaspoon, allowing the glaze to set before you store the cookies in an airtight container or the freezer.
Try next: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins
These cranberry macadamia nut cookies are a comforting, cozy fruit-and-nut treat, perfect if you need a chocolate-free Christmas cookie recipe for your holiday dessert table.
- 3/4 cup Sweetened dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup Macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup Granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1 cup Softened butter or a plant-based substitute
- 2 Eggs or a plant-based alternative
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Icing sugar for the glaze
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract for the glaze
- 2-3 tsp Milk or a non-dairy alternative
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Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add the first amount of vanilla extract and the eggs and continue mixing until you have a smooth, uniform mixture.
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With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture a little at a time. Continue stirring until an even cookie dough forms. Add the macadamia nuts and the dried cranberries and continue mixing until everything is evenly distributed.
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With a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough out on a parchment-lined baking sheet or a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat. Bake for 16 minutes, turning halfway through the baking time.
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Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Once they're cooled, mix together the icing sugar, milk, and the second amount of vanilla to form a smooth glaze. Drizzle over the cookies and allow to set for about 20-30 minutes before serving, storing in an airtight container, or freezing.
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.