Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
These buttery, crumbly shortbread cookies get a festive twist with tart cranberries and crunchy pistachios. Ideal for year-round enjoyment or a delicious addition to your holiday baking list!
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If you’re in the mood for a festive treat perfect for gifting that combines sweet, salty, and buttery goodness, these cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies are exactly what you need.
They are quick, easy, and filled with the perfect combination of flavors. I love how the tartness of the cranberries complements the nuttiness of the pistachios, all wrapped in a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie.
Why I love this recipe
- I love how the red cranberries and green pistachios make these cookies look so festive and cheerful for Christmas.
- I can make them with simple ingredients, yet they always taste amazing.
- These cookies are my go-to for gifting as they look beautiful and keep well.
- They’re not overly sweet, which makes each bite perfectly balanced and satisfying.
Give these cookies as Christmas gifts alongside other holiday classics like Coconut Snowballs, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- butter
- salt
- dried cranberries
- pistachios
- almond extract
- freshly squeezed orange juice
Step by step
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Pulse the cranberries a couple of times in a food processor and transfer them to a large bowl. Repeat the process with the pistachios and set them aside in the same bowl.
- In the same food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse 2-3 times until nicely mixed. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a crumbly texture. Drizzle in the almond extract and orange juice and pulse a couple more times to mix.
- Add the dough to a mixing bowl along with the chopped pistachios and cranberries and stir by hand until fully combined.
- Transfer the cookie dough to a floured surface, knead, and roll it into a log. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Cut the chilled dough into 1/4-inch discs. Arrange the discs on the cookie sheets and bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
Tips for best results
- Chill the dough: This step is key to ensuring the cookies hold their shape and develop that classic shortbread texture.
- Use unsalted butter: It lets you control the saltiness, which enhances the cookie’s flavor without overpowering it.
- Don’t overbake: Keep a close eye on them since shortbread can become too crisp if baked too long.
Variations
If you are looking for a fresh spin, you can try swapping cranberries with dried apricots or cherries for something new.
If you’d like a hint of chocolate, add mini chips to the dough or drizzle white chocolate on top. Also, vanilla extract is a great option if you prefer a less intense flavor.
Serving suggestions
- They make a lovely addition to a dessert spread or alongside other festive cookies such as cream cheese mints and sugar cookie truffles.
- For a special touch, I like to package them with ribbon for a homemade gift, especially in our Rudolph gift boxes at Christmastime.
Storage
Store these completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Freeze cooled cookies in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container (affiliate link) for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw them at room temperature, and they’ll taste just as fresh as when you first baked them.
If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
These buttery, crumbly shortbread cookies get a festive twist with tart cranberries and crunchy pistachios. Ideal for year-round enjoyment or a delicious addition to your holiday baking list!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Pulse the cranberries a couple of times in a food processor and transfer them to a large bowl. Repeat the process with the pistachios and set them aside in the same bowl.
- In the same food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse 2-3 times until nicely mixed.
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a crumbly texture. Drizzle in the almond extract and orange juice and pulse a couple more times to mix.
- Add the dough to the bowl with the cranberries and pistachios and mix by hand until fully combined.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface, knead, and roll it into a log. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Cut the chilled dough into 1/4-inch discs. Arrange the discs on the cookie sheets and bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack. Store them in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 50
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 36.8 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
These were easy to make, although I had to add an extra tablespoon of orange juice to hold the dough together. Baked way over 14-16 minutes and never got brown edges. A bit disappointed in texture and flavor. Won’t be making again.
Hi there! keen to try this for christmas but i don’t have a food processor. i could use my blender for the cranberry and nuts but could i use a hand mixer with a dough attachment for the other steps?
thank you!
I have a food processor but it’s big and tucked away in the back of the pantry. I chopped up the craisins and nuts and used a pastry cutter and then my hands to process the dough. Worked out just fine!
i made these before and they were wonderful but can’t remember if it calls for salted or unsalted butter?
I use unsalted butter almost 99% of the time to control the salt in the recipe, I’ll make sure to update and notate that in the recipe card.
I absolutely love this recipe. The cookies were easy to make. They are beautiful to look at, and they taste absolutely delicious! I will make these over and over again! Thank you.
Dude here,
I make these biscuits each Christmas. I add clementine zest and shredded unsweetened coconut to the pistachio and cranberry mixture. I put the 1 tbsp clementine juice in at the same time as the almond extract (if that was confusing to you as it’s left out in part of the instructions). They are perfect holiday shortbreads. Loved by all.
they were easy and turned out really, really good!
Hii can i use almond flour instead of maida or half maida half almond flour??
DELICIOUS!!! I made this recipe for a work holiday party and everyone loved them! I love orange so I added a little zest. For a little extra sweetness I drizzled the top with orange royal icing. Absolutely perfect! I plan on making them again for family Christmas dinner 🙂
So good!
Can you use vanilla instead of almond extract? (I”m not a big fan of almond.) Thank you…they look wonderful.
What about the OJ? Does it go in with the almond extract?
yes, so sorry I have fixed the instructions now!
I finally got around to making these little cookies/biscuits ?Delicious and easy to make. It’s hard to just eat a couple though. Thank you for sharing Melissa ?
I’m so glad you liked them Marjorie!! ~Melissa
Love your emails. These biscuits are really delicious.
Thank you Marge! I hope you enjoy them! ~Melissa