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    Beyond the Butter >> Recipes >> Cookies

    Published: Dec 11, 2020 · Modified: Feb 24, 2023 by Jennifer • This site generates income via ads and may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy linked in the footer.

    Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Images of dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookies on light gray background from Beyond the Butter®.

    These Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies combine a crispy outside with a soft and fudgy inside that's filled with semi-sweet chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and toasted chopped walnuts. They're a rich and chocolatey cookie recipe that requires no dough chilling before baking and a great addition to any holiday cookie box!

    Dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookie split in half to see the inside | All Images © Beyond the Butter®
    Dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookies on light gray background | All Images © Beyond the Butter®
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients Needed
    • How to Make the Recipe
    • Tips for Getting Perfectly Round Cookies
    • More Delicious Cookies to Enjoy!
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Reviews

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    The taste. These Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies give you a little sweet, a little tart, and a hint of nutty flavor. It's the trifecta of flavor combos in cookie form!

    The consistency. They have a crispy edge with a soft and fudgy inside. And each bite gives you a combo of semi-sweet chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and toasted Diamond of California chopped walnuts.

    Perfect for any holiday cookie box! This recipe makes 36 cookies, making them a perfect addition to your holiday cookie boxes. Or you can simply make them to share with your family right at home!

    No cookie dough chilling! And just like my Lemon Shortbread Cookies and my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies, there is zero chilling required of this cookie dough, so you can make them, bake them, then enjoy them!

    Dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookies on light gray background | All Images © Beyond the Butter®

    Ingredients Needed

    To make these dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookies, you will need the following ingredients:

    • All-Purpose Flour. Use your favorite brand of flour. I didn't test this with any other kind.
    • Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder. Regular unsweetened works just as well too.
    • Baking Soda & Salt. Typical leavening agent you find in cookie recipes. The salt helps to round out the flavors and counteracts the bitterness with unsweetened dark cocoa.
    • Unsalted Butter. Should be softened and at room temperature
    • Sugars. You'll need granulated sugar or organic pure cane sugar and light brown sugar. The brown sugar, if using measuring cups, should be lightly packed.
    • Eggs. You'll need two large, and they should be at room temperature.
    • Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla is best!
    • Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. You can also use milk chocolate in place of semi-sweet!
    • Dried Cranberries. You can find these in the dried fruits section of your grocery store.
    • Diamond of California Chopped Walnuts. Part of the Baker's Box from Diamond of California, which you can find at your nearest Costco! You get 3, 22-ounce bags—chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, and slivered almonds! Or you can get Costco's online exclusive Baker's Box which features macadamia nuts instead of slivered almonds. Definitely toast the walnuts before folding them into the cookie dough to bring out that beautiful fragrant flavor!
    Parchment paper lined baking sheet with dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookies surrounded Christmas tree ornaments | All Images © Beyond the Butter®

    How to Make the Recipe

    Below is a brief overview of how to make these easy dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookies.

    Toast the chopped walnuts. This works best over medium heat in a small skillet. No oil is needed whatsoever! You want to toast them for about 5 minutes, continually stirring until they're fragrant and slightly darker from how they originally started. Don't leave them unattended because they will darken quickly.

    Toasting the chopped walnuts is optional but does help to amplify their flavor when paired with the other ingredients.

    Make the cookie dough. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then mix the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. You can use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer for this part.

    Fold in the rest. Use a spatula or spoon and stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and toasted Diamond of California chopped walnuts.

    Scoop out the cookies and bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375ºF. I got 12 cookies to a baking sheet using my 1 ½ tablespoon size cookie scoop.

    Let the cookies cool. Let them cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. They will be very soft, so use a spatula! For just baked perfectly round cookies, see my tips below!

    Tips for Getting Perfectly Round Cookies

    Use a cookie scoop. I used a 1 ½ tablespoon-size cookie scoop.

    Use a circle cookie cutter. Immediately after the cookies have been baked, take a circle cookie cutter—or any circle object slightly larger than the diameter of the cookie—and in a circular motion, move the cookie cutter around the cookie until it forms a perfect circle.

    For a more detailed step-by-step, you can check out my Salted Brownie Crinkle Cookies recipe!

    Dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookies on light gray background | All Images © Beyond the Butter®

    More Delicious Cookies to Enjoy!

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      Fluffernutter Cookies
    • Pile of decorated buttery classic spritz cookies.
      Classic Spritz Cookies
    • Christmas themed dessert plate filled with soft and chewy gingerbread cookies with ornaments around it on a white marbled background.
      Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
    • Easter bunny cut out sugar cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
      Easter Bunny Cut Out Sugar Cookies

    If you tried this Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know what you thought in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📖 Recipe

    Dark chocolate cranberry walnut cookie split in half to see the inside.

    Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies

    Author: Jennifer
    These Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies combine a crispy outside with a soft and fudgy inside that's filled with semi-sweet chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and toasted chopped walnuts. They're a rich and chocolatey cookie recipe that requires no dough chilling before baking and a great addition to any holiday cookie box!
    5 from 1 vote
    (prevent your screen from going dark while making this recipe)
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Course Cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 36 cookies
    Calories 180 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
    • ½ cup Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
    • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
    • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
    • 2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
    • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 ½ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
    • ½ cup Diamond of California Chopped Walnuts (lightly toasted)
    • ½ cup Dried Cranberries

    Instructions

    • In a small skillet, toast the chopped walnuts over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously until they are fragrant and slightly darker in appearance. You do not need to add any oil to the skillet.
      ½ cup Diamond of California Chopped Walnuts
    • Adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center), preheat the oven to 375ºF, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or you can use silicone baking mats.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
      2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour, ½ cup Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Salt
    • Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy in texture.
      1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
    • Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to mix together until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
      2 Large Eggs, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
    • Switching the mixer speed to low, gradually add in your whisked dry ingredients until just combined. Then fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, toasted chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries.
      1 ½ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, ½ cup Diamond of California Chopped Walnuts, ½ cup Dried Cranberries
    • Using a spoon or cookie scoop (I used the 1 ½ tablespoon size), drop the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheets leaving 2 inches apart between each cookie.
    • Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375ºF.
    • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
    • Keep the cookies stored in an airtight container for up to a week with a slice of bread.

    Recipe Notes

    • Recipe adapted from my Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookies recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritonal information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used.

    Tried this recipe and loved it?Snap a pic and share it with me over on Instagram tagging @beyond.the.butter and #beyondthebutter in your caption or stories!
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    Welcome to my blog! I'm Jennifer, and I love creating and sharing dessert recipes that are sweet, simple, and fun to make and bring me—and hopefully you and your loved ones—wonderful memories! Learn more about me and my inspiration for starting Beyond the Butter!

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    Welcome to my blog! I'm Jennifer, and I love creating and sharing dessert recipes that are sweet, simple, and fun to make and bring me—and hopefully you and your loved ones—wonderful memories! Learn more about me and my inspiration for starting Beyond the Butter!

    Christmas Favorites

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