Fresh Apple and Cranberry Cookies bring tart cranberries and crisp Granny Smith apple together in a soft cookie with cinnamon icing. Find more seasonal ideas in my Fall Cookies collection.
I get excited when fresh cranberries finally show up at the store. A few pulses in the food processor cut them into small pieces that spread throughout the dough. The diced apple adds another layer of fruit, and the cinnamon icing balances the tartness.
If you enjoy baking with cranberries, my Cranberry Orange with Crystallized Ginger Cookies use dried cranberries for a different flavor and texture. For another fall apple cookie, try my Apple Cider Cookies, with apple cider and a spiced glaze.
A Quick Look: Fresh Apple and Cranberry Cookies
Recipe Name: Fresh Apple and Cranberry Cookies
Ready In: About 2 hours 12 minutes, including 1 hour of chill time, plus cooling before icing
Yield: About 30 cookies
Texture: Soft cookies with small pieces of apple and cranberry
Flavor Profile: Tart cranberry, apple, lemon, and sweet cinnamon icing
Difficulty: Medium
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- 🍎 Fresh fruit in every bite: Diced apple and chopped cranberries are mixed throughout the dough.
- 🍋 Bright flavor: Lemon zest and juice bring out the flavor of both fruits.
- 🍥 Cinnamon icing: A sweet finish balances the tart cranberries.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
Cookie Dough Ingredient Notes
- Granny Smith apple: Its firm texture holds up in the dough. Dice it into small pieces, toss with a little lemon juice, and blot away any extra liquid.
- Fresh cranberries: Pulse them a few times in a food processor so you get small pieces, not a purée. Fresh fruit gives you better control over the moisture in the dough.
- Cream cheese: Bring it to room temperature with the butter so they mix smoothly.
- Lemon juice and zest: The juice helps keep the cut apple from browning, while the zest brightens the fruit flavors.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Icing
Icing Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Let it soften at room temperature before creaming so the icing mixes smoothly.
- Powdered sugar: Add it on low mixer speed at first so it does not puff out of the bowl.
- Ground cinnamon: This gives the icing its warm spice flavor and balances the tart fruit.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Fresh Apple and Cranberry Cookies
There is some prep work with the fruit before making these cookies, but nothing hard, just some chopping, zesting, and dicing.
Prep
Step 1: Weigh or measure both sugars into a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Zest and juice the lemon. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the juice for the dough and use a little more on the diced apple to help prevent browning.
Step 3: Add the fresh cranberries to a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times, until they are chopped into small pieces.
Step 4: Transfer the chopped cranberries to a bowl and set aside.
Step 5: Cut the Granny Smith apple into eight segments, remove the core, and peel the pieces. Dice them into small pieces.
Step 6: As you dice the apple, toss the pieces with about ½ teaspoon of lemon juice. Add a little more juice if needed after you finish dicing.
Step 7: If liquid collects in the bottom of the apple bowl, blot up the excess with a paper towel before adding the fruit to the dough.
Mix the Cookie Dough
Step 8: Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the mixer bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Step 9: Add both sugars and mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks light brown and forms soft peaks. Scrape down the bowl.
Step 10: Mix in the vanilla extract, reserved lemon juice, and lemon zest. Crack the egg into a small bowl to check for shells, then add it to the dough and mix for about 1 minute. The mixture may look lumpy now; it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.
Step 11: With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix briefly if any flour remains. Add the chopped cranberries and apple and mix for about 5 seconds, just enough to start distributing the fruit without breaking it up.
Finish folding in the fruit with a spatula if needed.
You can see there is so much fruit in this cookie you will get a burst of apple and cranberry in every bite.
Chill
Step 12: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover the dough loosely, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Scoop and Bake
Step 13: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop to place 12 mounds of dough on one sheet pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, one pan at a time.
Step 14: Check the bottom of one cookie when the pan comes out of the oven. If it is golden brown, move the cookies to a cooling rack. If it is still pale, leave them on the hot pan for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring. Cool completely before icing.
Icing for the Cookies
I love icing on certain cookies. It just seems to finish them. This icing is an easy icing to make so lets get started.
Step 15: Weigh or measure the powdered sugar and set aside. Cream the room-temperature butter in the mixer bowl for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft. Scrape down the sides, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and milk.
Step 16: Start the mixer on low and gradually increase to medium-high speed. Mix for 5 minutes, until the icing is smooth.
Step 17: Check that the icing stays on the beater without drooping. Taste it to make sure it is smooth, with no lumps of powdered sugar.
Step 18: Use a butter knife to spread the icing over the completely cooled cookies. The sweet icing balances the tart cranberries.
🫙🍪 Storage
Let the icing set before storing the cookies. I use a single layer in a couple of containers so the icing stays intact. If you need to stack them, place parchment paper between the layers.
Because the cookies contain fresh fruit, I rest the lids loosely on the containers instead of sealing them airtight. They keep on the counter for 3 to 5 days.
FAQs
Yes, I chose the Granny Smith because it is firm in texture, so it does not fall apart and is a little sour to compensate for the sweet icing. The Honeycrisp is a firm and sweeter apple that you might enjoy. The Almanac has a listing of different apples you might want to try.
For this cookie, I recommend fresh. Frozen cranberries contain more water and can change the texture of the baked cookies. They tend to become soggy in a short time.
Of course, I wanted a cinnamon-flavored icing to go with the tartness of the apples, but you can skip that part of the recipe. You may even have a favorite icing that you prefer. I say experiment, and be sure to let me know.
Still Have Questions?
Need help with ingredient swaps or wondering if these cookies freeze well? I've added a few extra baking helpers below for common home baker questions.
More Cranberry Cookies
If you tried this Fresh Apple and Cranberry Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Recipe
Fresh Apple and Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 3 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- ⅔ cup (133.33 g) Sugar white
- ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 2 ½ cup (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Granny Smith apple cut into small pieces
- 1 cup (100 g) Fresh cranberries
ICING
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) Powdered sugar
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 2 Tablespoon Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Instructions
COOKIE DOUGH
- Zest and juice the lemon and set aside. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice for the cookie dough and 1 teaspoon to sprinkle over the cut apple pieces to stop the browning. Cut the Granny Smith apple into small pieces and sprinkle some of the lemon juice over the cut pieces. Add the cranberries to a food processor and use the pulse button about 5 times or until they are in small pieces.
- Weigh or measure your sugars together and set aside. In another bowl weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, I run a whisk through to blend.
- Add the cream cheese and butter together and blend using the medium speed on your mixer for 2 minutes. Add the sugars and mix for about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and blend until incorporated, then add the egg and mix. Turn the mixer down, and slowly add the flour mixture. The dough will be stiff.
- Stop the mixer and add the chopped cranberries and apple. Mix for about 5 seconds, just enough to start distributing the fruit without breaking it up. Finish folding with a spatula if needed. Cover the dough loosely and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop to place 12 mounds of dough on one pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, one pan at a time. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.
ICING
- I start by creaming the butter for a minute, or two, then add the milk, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract into the mixer bowl. Start on a low mixer setting and gradually increase until you reach a medium-high speed. Mix for 5 minutes. It should be stiff enough to stay on the beater without drooping and be smooth to the touch and taste. Take a butter knife and spread icing onto all the cookies.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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