Soft Cranberry Sugar Cookies are the perfect blend of chewy texture, buttery sweetness, and bright bursts of cranberry flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and enhanced by rehydrated dried cranberries, these cookies bake up tender, flavorful, and beautifully festive for the holidays. Whether you’re adding them to a Christmas cookie platter, baking for a cookie exchange, or enjoying them with a warm drink, their soft texture and sparkling sugared exterior make them irresistible. They’re easy to prepare, crowd-pleasing, and ideal for holiday celebrations.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These cookies are incredibly soft, stay moist for days, and have a deliciously nostalgic sugar-cookie flavor elevated with sweet and tart cranberries. They’re festive without requiring complicated decorating, making them perfect for busy holiday baking schedules. The dough is simple, the texture is dreamy, and the sugared coating gives each cookie a delightful sparkle and crunch.

Soft Cranberry Sugar Cookies

Soft Cranberry Sugar Cookies are the kind of holiday treat that instantly captures the warmth and sweetness of the season. These cookies are tender, buttery, and infused with pops of bright cranberry flavor that give them a festive charm. Perfect for Christmas gatherings, homemade gifts, or cozy winter evenings by the tree, they offer a simple yet memorable twist on classic sugar cookies. The combination of soft dough, sparkling sugar coating, and cranberry bursts makes every bite feel like a holiday celebration.

The star ingredient of this recipe—Craisins or sweetened dried cranberries—is gently cooked to plump them up, enhancing their juicy texture and deepening their flavor. By rehydrating the cranberries before adding them to the dough, each cookie bakes with moist, flavorful bits evenly distributed throughout. This step transforms the cookies from ordinary to exceptional, creating bites filled with both sweetness and natural fruity brightness.

These cookies also shine in texture. The unique combination of Crisco and sugar creates a tender, ultra-soft crumb that stays moist even several days after baking. This makes them ideal for holiday gifting, cookie exchanges, or preparing ahead of gatherings. The exterior, rolled lightly in sugar, adds a satisfying contrast—crisp, sweet, and glistening like winter snow.

What makes this recipe truly special is its simplicity. You don’t need any advanced baking skills to achieve bakery-quality results. The dough comes together easily with just a few mixing steps, and shaping the cookies is as simple as rolling small balls and giving them a sugar coating. The ingredient list is minimal and accessible, relying on pantry staples you likely already have on hand.

These cookies bring versatility to your holiday baking routine. They pair beautifully with hot cocoa, mulled cider, or a festive peppermint latte. They can also be dressed up with white chocolate drizzle, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, or a handful of orange zest incorporated into the dough for extra seasonal flair. With just a tweak or two, you can customize them to suit different celebrations or flavor preferences.

Because they bake up soft and thick, these cookies maintain their shape wonderfully, making them ideal for stacking in holiday tins or arranging on cookie platters. Their rustic look, dotted with ruby-red cranberries, adds a charming aesthetic that complements any festive dessert spread. They feel homemade in the best possible way—comforting, inviting, and full of holiday spirit.

Cranberry lovers will particularly enjoy the balance of sweetness and gentle tartness in every bite. The berries add complexity to the classic sugar cookie flavor, enhancing the richness of the dough without overwhelming it. This harmony of flavors makes the cookies appealing to both kids and adults, making them an excellent addition to family gatherings.

These cookies are also incredibly freezer-friendly. You can freeze the dough balls before baking or store baked cookies for later enjoyment. This makes them a lifesaver during the busy holiday season when planning ahead means less stress and more time to enjoy festive activities. Pull out a batch whenever guests drop by or when you need a last-minute dessert option.

Their nostalgic aroma—warm sugar, vanilla, and cranberries—fills the kitchen with comforting holiday scents as they bake. This sensory experience is part of what makes these cookies such a joy to prepare. The aroma alone can make your home feel instantly festive, inviting friends and family into the warmth of the season.

Above all, Soft Cranberry Sugar Cookies are a holiday must-bake because they strike the perfect balance of flavor, texture, simplicity, and festive flair. They’re easy enough for weeknight baking, special enough for holiday celebrations, and delicious enough to become a cherished annual tradition. Once you try them, they’ll quickly earn a permanent place in your Christmas baking lineup.

Servings & Time

Servings: ~30 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10–15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 10 oz Craisins or sweetened dried cranberries

• 1 cup water (for simmering the cranberries)

• 1 1/2 cups sugar (plus extra for rolling)

• 1 cup Crisco

• 2 eggs

• 3 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine Craisins and 1 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until all liquid is absorbed, then let cool.

3. Combine flour and baking soda in a bowl.

4. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, Crisco, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

5. Add cooled Craisins and flour mixture alternately into the sugar mixture.

6. Mix until fully combined.

7. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll in sugar to coat.

8. Bake for 10–15 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

Tips

Ingredient Substitutions

• Replace Crisco with unsalted butter for a richer flavor (cookies will spread more).

• Use orange-flavored dried cranberries for a citrus twist.

• Add a teaspoon of orange zest to the dough for extra holiday flavor.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Dough can be chilled for up to 48 hours before baking.

• Freeze dough balls for up to 3 months; bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.

• Baked cookies freeze beautifully for up to 2 months.

Serving Variations

• Drizzle with melted white chocolate for extra sweetness.

• Add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar before baking.

• Sandwich two cookies with cream cheese frosting for a festive cookie sandwich.

Avoid Mistakes

• Don’t overbake—these cookies should stay soft, not crisp.

• Ensure cranberries cool completely before mixing to avoid melting the fat in the dough.

• Roll cookies lightly—too much sugar can cause overspreading.