Winter Fruit Oatmeal Cookies

A combination of delicious dried fruits and a hint of orange make these Winter Fruit Oatmeal Cookies a winner!

It’s easy to go the obvious route with add-ins when baking cookies. Chocolate chips. Nuts. You know the usual suspects. These Winter Fruit Oatmeal Cookies offer something just a little different. These cookies are jam-packed with a variety of dried fruits, which are usually not the star of cookies but rather an addition to complement other flavors. But here we let them shine in a cookie all of their own!

These cookies feature a tasty combination of dried fruits that are perfect for the season. Cranberries, currants, and dates take center stage along with oats for chewiness plus some toasted nuts for a little crunch. And I must say it’s a pretty fantastic combination.

There’s one more thing that makes these cookies exceptionally good. There’s a little bit of orange extract mixed into the dough. It’s not an overwhelming amount but just enough to give them a little bright, citrus twist. It’s really a perfect complement to the other flavors.

Making these cookies should be fairly straightforward for you. I will offer a couple of tips concerning the dried fruits. You’ll want to chop the dates to about the size of the cranberries and currants (or use chopped dates if you can find them). Those fruits can be a little sticky, especially if you chop them before using. I find that tossing them with a little bit of the flour mixture will go a long way in keeping them from sticking together.

I like to make these cookies larger than normal, using about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. That way you get plenty of all of those fruits in every cookie. They won’t spread very much when baking, so be sure to flatten the tops before baking. The end result will be a thick, soft cookie with lots of flavor in every bite!

I must say that these cookies are one of my favorites I’ve ever made. They check a lot of boxes for me. The flavor, the texture, just the whole package! While I love the combination of dried fruits in the recipe, you can certainly go with your own mix of favorites to make them just the way you want!

More Dried Fruit Cookies

• Strawberry Cream Cheese Cookies
• Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
• Oatmeal Date Cookies

Yield: about 24 cookies

Winter Fruit Oatmeal Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 29 minutes

Sweet dried fruits, oats, nuts, and a hint of orange make these Winter Fruit Oatmeal Cookies a favorite!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups (297g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
• 1/2 cup (74g) chopped dates*
• 1/2 cup (57g) dried cranberries*
• 1/2 cup (80g) dried currants*
• 1/2 cup (60g) chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the oats. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and orange extracts.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
5. Stir in the dates, currants, cranberries, and nuts.
6. Drop the dough by 3-tablespoon portions onto the prepared pans. Flatten the top of each cookie.
7. Bake, one pan at a time, 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
8. Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*I love this combination for these cookies, but feel free to alter to suit your tastes. To keep the fruits from sticking together, toss them with a bit of the flour mixture.

Recommended Products

Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

• 
  OXO Half Sheet Pan 13 x 18 Inch
• 
  3 Tablespoon Stainless Steel Scoop
• 
  Silicone Cookie Spatula

Share this: