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Cranberry Lemon Cookies combine chopped fresh cranberries in a lemon-infused cookie that is topped with a sweet lemon glaze. The cranberry and citrusy flavors are bright and so delicious.
A Perfect Cookie for the Holidays
Over on Facebook, I’m a member of a few different cookie recipe sharing groups. In one group, everyone kept raving about a certain Cranberry Lemon Cookie recipe – so I had to try it.
The reviews were spot on – these Cranberry Lemon Cookies are the perfect cookie to bake when fresh cranberries are in season! The combination of the fresh cranberries and lemon is wonderful together, and these soft cookies have a sweet-tart and citrusy taste in every bite.
These cookies are also very easy to make. Just mix up some chopped fresh cranberries in a simple cookie dough that’s infused with fresh lemon zest. Chill before baking, then portion out with a scoop and bake.
Once these lemony cranberry cookies cool, drizzle a simple glaze over the top made with fresh lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar.
Recipe Credits
As is the case in many Facebook groups, recipes are often reprinted without giving credit to the original creator. I suspected this cookie recipe came from a fellow food blogger – so I searched around and found it.
Credit for this fantastic cookie recipe belongs to Annemarie over at Just a Little Bit of Bacon. Her original recipe includes a little bit of cream cheese in the glaze, plus she sprinkles on some red sanding sugar while the glaze is still wet. We gently adapted her recipe, chopping the cranberries in a food processor (to make it easier), skipping the cream cheese in the glaze (mostly because we didn’t have any on hand), as well as skipping the red sanding sugar she added.
Why you’ll love Cranberry Lemon Cookies
- The combination of sweet tart cranberry and lemon flavors is surprisingly good together!
- These cookies are the perfect way to enjoy fresh cranberries for the holidays.
- They are as pretty as they are delicious and a colorful addition to any dessert table or holiday gift basket.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cranberries – You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe, but not dried. See ‘Tips & Tricks’ below for suggestions on how to easily chop cranberries.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Cornstarch
- Granulated Sugar
- Fresh Lemon Zest
- Unsalted Butter
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- For the Glaze – Confectioner’s sugar, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
Special Tools Needed
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Food Processor or Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
- Medium Bowl
- Whisk
- Stand Mixer or Large Mixing Bowl and Hand Mixer
- Citrus Zester or Microplane
- Citrus Juicer
- Sturdy Spatula
- Cookie Scoop – We used #60 size.
- Cookie Sheets
- Parchment Paper Sheets
- Flat-Bottomed Glass or Small Bowl
- Cooling Rack
- Small Bowl
How do I make Cranberry Lemon Cookies?
- Chop the cranberries with a food processor or by hand. If using a food processor, just pulse to chop into coarse pieces.
- Whisk dry ingredients together.
- Combine lemon zest and sugar in a mixing bowl. Rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers so that the sugar becomes infused with the lemon.
- Add butter to the bowl of sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla and mix again.
- Add dry ingredients then mix on low speed until just blended.
- Add chopped cranberries and mix to incorporate with a spatula.
- Chill cookie dough for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough onto cookie sheets leaving about 2-inches between each portion.
- Flatten the top of each scoop slightly with a flat-bottomed glass.
- Bake until lightly brown on the edges.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for five minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Place a clean sheet of parchment paper under the cooling rack.
- Whisk together glaze ingredients, adding more lemon juice or powdered sugar to achieve a smooth glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over each cookie with the whisk.
Tips & Tricks
- We used a food processor to chop the cranberries into small pieces. (Much easier than trying to chop them with a knife.)
- Use the pulse setting to avoid over-chopping or accidentally pureeing the berries.
- If using frozen cranberries (like we did) thaw them slightly before attempting to chop.
- It’s totally fine if the cranberries are not completely uniform in size after chopping.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Cranberry Lemon Cookies ahead of time? Yes, these cookies stayed fresh for several days.
- How do I store leftovers? Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Can I freeze? Yes, these cookies freeze well in a freezer bag or container. Note that the glaze may get a little smudged after thawing.
You might like these other Cranberry Recipes:
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Cranberry Lemon Cookies
Cranberry Lemon Cookies combine chopped fresh cranberries in a lemon-infused cookie that is topped with a sweet lemon glaze. The cranberry and citrusy flavors are bright and so delicious.
Ingredients
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze
1 cup confectioner’s/powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Chop the cranberries into small pieces by hand or with a food processor. If using a food processor, just pulse a few times to chop the cranberries into coarse pieces.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch.
- Combine sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers so the sugar becomes infused with the lemon.
- Add butter to the mixing bowl of sugar and mix again until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix again.
- On low speed, add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix just until blended.
- Add chopped cranberries to the cookie dough and fold in with a spatula.
- Chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
- While the cookie dough chills, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough onto cookie sheets leaving about 2-inches between each portion.
- Flatten the top of each scoop slightly with a flat-bottomed glass.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for five minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Place a clean sheet of parchment paper under the cooling rack.
- Whisk together lemon juice and powdered sugar (adding more juice or sugar) to achieve a smooth glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over each cookie with the whisk.
- Allow the glaze to set before serving.
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