These buttery Cranberry Pistachio Slice and Bake Cookies are a simple yet perfectly festive and yummy addition to Christmas cookie platters!
There are so many wonderful varieties of Christmas cookies out there. All the fun flavors from classic and simple Ginger Molasses Cookies and No Roll Sugar Cookies to festive and decadent Andes Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies or creamy spiced Eggnog White Chocolate Chip Cookies!
We also make so many different styles of cookies around the holidays. Shortbread cookies, cutout cookies, drop cookies, thumbprint cookies, spritz cookies, Linzer cookies, and slice-and-bake cookies!
This recipe was adapted from a recipe from my great-grandmother (my Baba). Her original recipe calls for dried currants (or raisins) but I switched them out for dried cranberries and pistachios for this variation!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Flavor - Pistachio and cranberry are a great fruity and nutty combination with the sweetness of the cranberries complementing the salty roasted pistachios well.
- Texture - These cookies are buttery and soft and are the perfect vehicle for the crunchy pistachios and chewy cranberries.
- Method - Slice and bake cookies are different but fun and easy to make!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these simple cranberry pistachio cookies.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter - I use salted butter in most of my recipes, however, you could use unsalted butter to make these cookies with an additional ½ teaspoon of salt added to the recipe.
- Cranberries - Dried cranberries are such a nice chewy and flavorful addition to cookies, like in my White Chocolate Cranberry Lemon Cookies!
- Pistachios - I like to use salted and roasted pistachios for more flavor. You could make this recipe with pecans, almonds, or walnuts instead!
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue creaming until fluffy.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix at low speed just until incorporated.
Step 3: Fold in the chopped dried cranberries and pistachios.
Step 4: Shape the cookie dough into a log around 1 ½ inches in diameter using parchment paper to help mold and shape it. Roll up in the parchment paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 5: Slice the chilled cookie dough log into cookie slices around ¼-inch thick. Arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between each cookie for spreading room.
Step 6: Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.
🎄More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Pistachio Cranberry Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Pistachio Slice and Bake Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet(s)
- parchment paper
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- electric handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter * softened
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dried cranberries (chopped finely)
- ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios * (chopped finely)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar for 30 seconds. Add the egg and vanilla and continue creaming until fluffy and light in color. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt before adding to the butter mixture. Mix at low speed just until the flour is fully incorporated. Lastly, fold in the cranberries and pistachios.
- Roll the cookie dough in parchment paper (or wax paper) into 2 logs about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Place both rolls on a baking sheet and place them in the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill and firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ about 10 minutes before you take the cookie dough out of the fridge. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the cookie dough logs and slice into ¼-inch thick rounds using a sharp knife. Arrange the cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake, one pan at a time, for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Bake the remaining cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using unsalted butter, add an additional ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
- You could make this recipe with pecans, almonds, or walnuts instead of pistachios.
Taryn
I didn't have any pistachios in the house, but chopped pecans were a perfect substitute. 👌 This recipe is so super easy, and I love that it can be made ahead. I left the logs of dough in the freezer for several days before we needed the cookies, and then it was so quick to simply slice and bake them! Yum!
Naomi
That sounds so good; cranberries and pecans go great together! Thanks, Taryn!!
Naomi