These Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are loaded with dark chocolate, dried cranberries, and pecans. Thick and soft, they’re the perfect cookie for fall.
Sink your teeth into these decadent Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, where rich dark chocolate meets tart dried cranberries and crunchy pecans. I adapted my best chocolate chip cookie base and added autumn-inspired ingredients to create a cookie that’s soft in the center with slightly crisp edges.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- No chill time required—you can mix and bake right away.
- Bold flavor: deep chocolate balanced by tart cranberries and toasty pecans.
- Soft centers with crisp edges, even without chilling the dough.
- Freezer-friendly for easy make-ahead baking.
- Can be mixed by hand if you don’t want to use an electric mixer.
Ingredient Notes
Dried cranberries: Use dried cranberries—fresh berries change the texture and moisture balance of the cookies.
Pecans: Pecans provide a pleasant crunch. Substitute walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts if you prefer. Roasted nuts add extra flavor.
Butter: Use real butter, not margarine, for the best texture and flavor.
Eggs: The recipe uses one whole egg plus one yolk to keep the cookies tender and chewy.
Sugars: A mix of granulated sugar for a bit of crispness and brown sugar for flavor and chewiness works best.
Dark chocolate: Chop a quality dark chocolate bar for melty pools of chocolate in the finished cookie. You can use dark chocolate chips if you prefer.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
This overview covers the main steps—full measurements and the printable recipe are included in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, combine the partially melted butter with the brown and granulated sugars. Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
Step 2: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until almost combined. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans.
Step 3: Scoop dough into balls (about 2.5–3 tablespoons per cookie) and place them roughly 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake 8–10 minutes. The centers may look slightly underdone; the edges should have a touch of brown. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
No—you can use any chocolate you like. Dark chocolate provides a deeper flavor that pairs well with tart cranberries and nuts, but chocolate chips or milk chocolate will work too.
Cool cookies completely, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, remove excess air, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
Chop a solid chocolate bar into uneven chunks. Those irregular pieces melt into pools while baking, unlike many preformed chips that retain their shape.
Tips and Suggestions
- Swap pecans for walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts if you prefer.
- Use chocolate chips instead of chopping a bar for a quicker option.
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookie sizes and even baking.
- Don’t overbake: remove when edges are lightly browned and centers still look slightly soft; they’ll finish setting as they cool on the baking sheet.
More Cookies You’ll Love
- White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
Did you know…
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Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, partially melted
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (55g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2½ cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces (170g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (120g) dried cranberries
- ¾ cup (45g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the partially melted butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until almost combined. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate, dried cranberries, and pecans.
- Scoop into large balls (about 2.5–3 tablespoons per cookie). Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake 8–10 minutes. Centers may look slightly underdone; edges should be lightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- I used a size 24 cookie scoop for uniform cookies.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer-friendly: Place completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag, remove excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Nutrition: Nutritional values are estimates and will vary by ingredient brands and portion sizes.
Nutrition
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