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The Best Light Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Cookies

cranberry pistachio Christmas cookies - featured image
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These light and festive cookies combine tart dried cranberries with crunchy pistachios, all with a hint of almond extract for a bakery-quality flavor. They’re quick, easy, and perfect for holiday cookie swaps or gifting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (pure, not imitation)
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (120g) dried cranberries (plump and soft)
  • 1 cup (120g) shelled pistachios, unsalted and raw, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup (90g) white chocolate chips (optional, for drizzling)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Chop the pistachios into rough pieces. Set aside 2 tablespoons for topping if desired.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale yellow. Scrape down the sides halfway through.
  4. Add the egg and almond extract. Beat on low speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture may look slightly curdled; that’s okay.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt for 10 seconds to aerate and combine.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, about one-third at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. Stop when the flour is just incorporated. A few streaks of flour are fine.
  7. Fold in the cranberries and pistachios using a rubber spatula. Gently fold until evenly distributed. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
  8. Chill the dough for 30 minutes (optional but recommended for best texture).
  9. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, placing each ball about 2 inches apart. For bakery-style cookies, roll each ball between your palms to make them round.
  10. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and the centers should look slightly underdone and puffy. For softer cookies, bake 10 minutes; for crisper cookies, bake 12 minutes.
  11. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Optional: Once completely cool, drizzle with melted white chocolate. Melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon coconut oil in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each. Drizzle with a fork or spoon.

Notes

For the best texture, use room temperature ingredients. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes prevents excessive spreading. The flavors develop over time—day 2 cookies are often better. For softer cookies, replace 2 tablespoons of butter with vegetable oil. To toast pistachios for extra flavor, spread on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until fragrant, then cool completely before adding to dough.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry pistachio cookies, Christmas cookies, holiday cookies, light cookies, almond extract cookies, easy cookie recipe

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