The holidays are prime cookie baking season and you can’t go wrong with buttery shortbread cookies. A generous dose of dried cranberries and chopped pistachios add a festive twist to your traditional shortbread. Make my recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies for friends, family (or even Santa himself) to spread holiday cheer throughout the Christmas season.
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I fell in love with shortbread cookies while traveling through Scotland, where these simple treats were invented. Popular as part of afternoon tea, you can find them in bakeries ( my personal favorite is the Isle of Skye Baking Company) and home kitchens throughout the country. A standard shortbread cookie is a simple mix of butter, sugar, flour and salt but you can add in nuts, dried fruits or other ingredients for an elevated shortbread cookies. The high butter content of shortbread cookies gives them a crumbly texture that is absolutely irresistable.
These cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies are perfect for the festive season and would make a great addition to your holiday cookie tray alongside Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Cranberry Orange Biscotti, Italian Pistachio Cookies and Maple Pecan Cookies.
Ingredients for Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- orange zest
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- kosher salt
- dried cranberries, chopped
- pistachios, chopped
How to Make Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Add softened butter and sugar to a large bowl and cream together using a handmixer on medium speed until fluffy and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and orange zest and beat until combined. Add in the all purpose flour and salt and beat until fully incorporated. Stir in the cranberries and pistachios. Form the dough into two 6 inch logs and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least hour hour or up to overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350 ℉ and line 2 baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper. Cut the cookie dough into 1/2 inch slices and place on the perpared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes (rotating the pans half way through) or until the edges are lightly golden.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
If you like these Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies be sure to take a look at some of my other recipes!
Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cranberry White Chocolate Scones
If you make these Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Youtube, Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making!
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Hand Mixer
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1/2 cup pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Add softened butter and sugar to a large bowl and cream together using a handmixer on medium speed until fluffy and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and orange zest and beat until combined.
- Add in the all purpose flour and salt and beat until fully incorporated. Stir in the cranberries and pistachios.
- Form the dough into two 6 inch logs and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least hour hour or up to overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350 ℉ and line 2 baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.
- Cut the cookie dough into 1/2 inch slices and place on the perpared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes (rotating the pans half way through) or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Karen Hibbard says
Just pulled these out of the oven, and they are perfection! The cranberries and pistachios are such an amazing combination. Can’t wait to share them with others at a holiday party tonight. Thanks!
Brianna Simmons says
Thank you so much for the kind words, I’m so glad you loved these cookies 🙂
Bruce says
Can you use GF flour for these?
Brianna Simmons says
While I haven’t personally used it in this recipe myself I’ve had good success using Bob’s Red Mill GF flour in other baking recipes and it should work well in this. Let me know if you try it!