While most of you are preparing for American T(ofu)urkey Day tomorrow, I am getting ready for Christmas.
And what says Christmas better than a plate full of cookies? Cookies which are meant to be shared. Cookies which give fuel to Santa on the big night. The food of nostalgia.
Cookies played a part in my childhood Christmas exactly one time. These were my pre-baking years, so we would go to the grocery store to get the cookies. If it were up to me, we would be getting Oreos hands down. But these cookies were special. They were for Santa.
The only problem is that, according to my mom, Santa only ate oatmeal cookies.
I remember one year, I made chocolate squares with my class for Christmas. I taste tested them on my family first to determine whether or not they were fit for Santa. No one in my family liked them.
This upset me. I thought that I worked hard to make these chocolate squares, and no one appreciated them. I knew Santa would though.
So that night, when everyone was going to bed, I lingered in the kitchen to place a couple of squares on the plate by the fireplace that held the oatmeal cookies. They were gone by morning and I was overjoyed.
Now that I have been baking for a while, I can tell when something I made was a flop. If I posted everything I have ever made, my blog would have thousands instead of hundreds of posts. I would never want to share a recipe that tastes awful.
Which is why I am telling you, these cookies are the ultimate Christmas cookie. Packed full of chocolate and cranberries, which are pretty much the food of Christmas.
But don’t forget to make it an oatmeal cookie. Otherwise Santa won’t eat it.
Whole Wheat Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the oats, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips.
- Roll the cookie dough into tablespoon balls and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten the dough balls with the palm of your hand. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until they are set and golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
Hi Cathleen, your Cranberry-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies look amazing! Love your recipe, and I will be making these real soon, since I have all the ingredients…and will be linking it back to you!
Thanks for sharing these yummy, crunchy, and healthy cookies! xo
Can't have Christmas without cookies! And these look terrific — such great flavor. Good recipe — thanks so much.
What a great way to make a healthier seasonal cookie!
Dannii – Hungry Healthy Happy
Santa cookies! These look fantastic!
Back in Norway, we have "little christmas" on the 23rd, and then we celebrate on the 24th. So due to going all out on the dinner on the 24th, we make Santa-porridge on the 23rd, hiding a blanched almond in it, and whoever gets it wins a marzipan pig. Buuuut you have to remember to save some porridge for Santa, otherwise you wont get aaaaany presents 😛 It's basically warm rice porridge served with a good sprinkle (aka LOTS) or sugar and cinnamon, and a bit of butter in the middle, so delicious for being such a cheap meal, but it is just one of those traditions I can't do without 🙂 x
O yay! Someone else who is already in the Christmas spirits! I love christmas and have been cooking loads of Christmas things already! These look delicious!
I think this may be the first year I make cookies for Santa with the little guy.
healthy n yummy chocolaty one,Cathleen..pass me a pack 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving !!
You had me at cranberry! Love these cookies, I just pinned them to make.
These look great and sound perfect for the Christmas season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cathleen, these sounds delicious and I love how your recipe is 100% whole wheat! Chocolate and cranberries and oats?! Yessss please! Lovely recipe Cathleen (I think Santa will like these!).
Loved the intro to this blog post! These cookies look great and there is nothing better than a cookie during the Holidays.
Cathleen, Santa is going to bring you a nice big present!
NooooooOoo…I told myself I won't bake chocolate chip cookies this holiday season. Why do you tempt me so! ..lol ^.^
These oatmeal cookies look awesome. I love the combo of oats and cranberries in baked goods, esp. in cookies.
I absolutely love oatmeal cookies, and I love the cranberry addition to yours! I know for a fact that Santa would devour these cookies in this house!
my favourite kind of cookies! oh and even maybe some white chocolate chips in there too. but i cant complain, these look outstanding!
Ooft these cookies are so gorgeous, I wouldn't mind a giant batch please 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
YES to the plate full of Christmas cookiessss!! LOL. Oatmeal cookies are the bomb anyways!
Cute write up! I’m guessing oatmeal were also your mom’s favorite!
Yes, they definitely were!