Fresh cranberries aren’t just for sauce! These Cranberry Peanut Butter Cookies strike the perfect balance of tart and sweet!
**Post and photos updated 12/8/15*
Hi Friends!
Let’s talk cookies, shall we? This was my second year participating in The Great Food Blogger’s Cookie Swap. The idea is simple. You sign up, donate a few dollars to charity, mail out a dozen cookies to three different people and get three dozen cookies in the mail. Although this year was a bit of a bust on the return end for me – I only got cookies from one person instead of three- I still had fun baking and sending mine out!
I was having a tough time coming up with a totally new cookie to try, but after much deliberation, I decided to do something a little crazy! I used FRESH cranberries…in cookies. Cranberry peanut butter cookies. And guess what? They’re delish!
Here’s how you make them:
PrintPeanut Butter Cookies with Fresh Cranberries
A fun twist on traditional peanut butter cookies. Using fresh cranberries adds a pop of tartness to contrast with the sweetness of the peanut butter and chocolate chips
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 22-24 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix melted butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and egg until well combined. Stir flour, baking soda and spices and stir until just mixed. Add in fresh cranberries and white chocolate chips and stir gently.
- Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, flattening with a fork at 6 minutes.
- Let cool 10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Notes
I updated this recipe in 2015 – here were the original ingredients if you want them: 1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
13/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Aren’t they just so pretty and festive?!
I revisited this recipe in 2015 and made a few tweaks and they turned out even better than I remember! To see the original recipe, please see the notes section of the recipe above.
These Cranberry Peanut Butter Cookies would make a great addition to your holiday baking list! And then i’d highly recommend you use the leftover cranberries to make a batch of my favorite Fresh Cranberry Sauce! Good on so many things!
[Tweet “Yum! These PB Cookies with Fresh Cranberries from @leangrnbeanblog are tart and sweet!”]
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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What a great idea! I usually have half a dozen bags of cranberries in my freezer because I love that tart taste in so many foods. I even mix them into ricotta when i make lasagna. But I haven’t tried them directly in cookies. I know what I’m bringing to my next holiday potluck event! Thanks for sharing!
I’m sorry you are two dozen cookies short..that’s not cool. I’m sure all your people LOVED these cookies ;). I’ve never used fresh cranberries in cookies before…plus peanut butter? I’m all in!
I have become addicted to fresh cranberries! I am on my second bag already (I live alone), and love using them fresh in baked goods! Have not tried them with peanut butter cookies though, this is a new one….a must try!
Cranberries are also good for reducing inflammation, and often pushing my body to the max with my training will only make these cookies more important to eat….for health reasons obviously 🙂
anything peanut butter steals my heart! 🙂 🙂
This would never ever have occurred to me and is such a great idea!!
this is on the list to make with the kids this weekend!!! always looking for something healthy to bake ( cuz that’s what we love to do!)
Oooh, I NEEED pb cookies, how did you know? We’re actually doing some holiday baking this afternoon… might need to add these to the list!
PB and cranberries?? YES please! I am now craving cookies!
I’ve been looking for something different to do with fresh cranberries – I am making these this weekend!
This looks so fun! I wish I had heard of this before!!! Would love to participate next year 🙂
Okay, so I’m really annoyed on your behalf (even though you don’t seem bothered) that your other two people never sent your cookies. I hope it was just a glitch with the mail, because that’s ridiculous. Anyway, end rant. These cookies? Peanut butter, fresh cranberries and white chocolate–such an amazing idea!! They look like they came out amazing, and I really love the way the photos came out! Your photography has improved a lot my friend!!
These sound SO good! I have always loved cookies with cranberries in them, but have never thought to add peanut butter…which is silly because it it pretty much one of my favorite foods ;).
Okay this is on the agenda for this weekend! I love all things white chocolate and have been looking for a great recipe! I’m amazed you can just come up with these ideas off the top of your head! I wish I was that talented 🙂
Such an intriguing recipe! But white chocolate and cranberry is a fantastic combo, so I imagine that peanut butter only would have added to it 😉
im so sorry about your cookies missing..never used fresh cranberries in cookies but now that you said it, I want to try this as well. Your recipes never disappoint me so I know its good. 🙂
We are so on the same page. I just spent the morning baking! Calories don’t count during the holidays, so you just gotta enjoy!
These look delicious! I am sad you didn’t receive your cookies 🙁 I hope it was a mail glitch and not a didn’t send issue. This was my first year and I had so much fun, I can’t wait to do it again!
I’m loving this combination. Not one I would have thought to combine!
Yum those look so delicious!! Anything peanut butter I am pretty much on board with though.
Now there’s a new combo! They sure look good!
SO festive and yummy! totally pinning 🙂 What a great flavor combo!
Looks delicious 🙂
Aww, that’s too bad you got shorted on the receiving end. 🙁 Your cookies look so festive & delicious!! Great idea!
Cranberries and peanut butter are an interesting combination, but the more I think about it – the better it sounds! Peanut butter is great with so many fruits, so why not cranberries?
i’ve used fresh cranberries in baking so many times but never in cookies! must try this! i’m so sorry you never got your cookies in the mail. i was feeling sorry for myself for only getting 2 out of 3… but i feel worse for you! 🙁 i’ve seen online that some people are still getting straggling cookie shipments so maybe a christmas miracle will happen still! 🙂
OMG!! I am salivating! COOKIES!!!!!!
I would NEVER have thought to put cranberries in peanut butter cookies. Billiant. These look delicious and festive!