Festive Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachio and Cranberry Chew
Written by jheelum basu | October 16, 2025
With the vibrant festive season around the corner, from sweet to savory, Indian households are gearing up for a plethora of festival-special food items. Despite its Western origin, cookies, over the years, have carved a niche in the Indian culinary landscape. And,
cranberry chocolate chip cookies with pistachios are indeed one of the most savoured ones.
These cranberry chocolate chip cookies with pistachios offer a delectable symphony of soft and buttery flavors infused with the goodness of chocolate, pistachios, and cranberries. The sweet and salty twist in taste makes the cookies unique.
This simple recipe combines three elements of contrasting taste- chocolate, sweet-tart cranberries and salted pistachios- which work in synergy to bring you a delightful festive delicacy. However, the cranberries can be replaced by dried cherries for another tasty variation.
While the unsalted, softened butter makes the dough creamy soft and the chocolate chip cookies lend the quintessential chocolatey essence, the lightly salted pistachios and chewy dried cranberries further enhance the flavor palette.
With the festivals come the long holiday seasons, and baking becomes an essential practice while we meet our friends and families. Here we will share an easy baking solution to make freshly baked cookies on demand. Let’s take a look at how the delicious cranberry chocolate chip cookies with pistachios can be prepared easily and enjoyed with our loved ones.
Ingredients
- Wheat pastry flour- 1/2 cups
- Unsalted, softened butter (at room temperature)- 1/4 cup
- Mini Chocolate Chips- 1/2 cup
- Roughly chopped Pistachios (without the shell)- 1/2 cup
- Roughly chopped dried cranberries- 1/4 cup
- Baking Soda- 1/2 tablespoon
- Salt- 1/2 tablespoon
- Brown Sugar- 3/4 cup
- Egg (at room temperature)- 1
- Canola Oil- 1/4 cup
- Vanilla essence- 1 teaspoon
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachios: Step-by-step guide
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Cream the unsalted, softened butter and sugar together in a mixer.
- Beat them for several minutes until the mixture reaches a fluffy and pale consistency. This step is crucial to achieving the perfect texture.
- Next, add the egg and oil, one at a time and mix them well until combined.
- Blend in the vanilla essence.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Slowly add all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until combined. Avoid overmixing
- Add the chocolate, cranberries and pistachios and mix until combined. You can use a wooden spoon or clean hands to mix everything together to form the cookie dough base. The dough should be firm but sticky.
- Wrap the dough and put it in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Once the dough has chilled, take it out of the fridge and unwrap it.
- Use a large ice cream scooper or a tablespoon to scoop the dough and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Ensure a gap of two inches between each cookie, as the dough will expand during baking.
- Bake the cookie dough in the oven for 8-10 minutes or just until the edges turn golden.
- Once baking is over, remove the cookies from the oven and leave them to cool for at least 30 minutes before you pick them up. Otherwise, they may fall apart
Tips and Tricks For A Softer Version
To ensure a soft texture for the cranberry chocolate chip cookies with pistachios, the butter and egg should be kept at room temperature.
Exact ingredient measurements should be followed as well to ensure a soft, delicious cookie.
Tips and Tricks For A Healthier Version
To bake a healthier version of the cranberry chocolate chip cookies with pistachios, a few steps can be followed.
Whole wheat pastry flour can be used, which will make it a whole-grain cookie with high fiber.
Butter and heart-healthy Canola oil can be used in a 1:1 ratio, which will help reduce the amount of saturated fat in the cookie and will incorporate healthy fats in the recipe instead.
Add more Pistachios for healthy fats and some protein.
Facts To Know
The cookie dough can be preserved in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Once baking is over, the cookies should be stored in a covered, airtight container.
These cookies are great for gifting as well.