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These sparkling frosted cranberry cookies bring together buttery sugar cookies, tart dried cranberries and festive sparkle. The soft lemon-tinged dough is filled with cranberries and topped with a swirl of vanilla-almond buttercream and sugar-coated berries. The textures layer beautifully: tender cookie, creamy frosting and crunchy fruit for a celebratory but approachable treat. They are perfect for holiday baking, gift trays or sharing with family and friends.
These sparkling frosted cranberry cookies are sugar cookies with dried cranberries, buttercream frosting and real sugar‑coated cranberries on top for festive sparkle.
More Christmas or Thanksgiving ideas include cranberry cream cheese steak, holiday roasted chicken, cranberry tartlets, or mulled wine fireball shots.
Why You’ll Love It
Sweet and tart contrast: Dried cranberries inside soft cookies brighten the flavor.
Frosted fun: The vanilla‑almond buttercream swirl looks polished and festive.
Sparkling garnish: Sugar‑coated cranberries add crunchy sweetness and a pop of color.
Holiday ready: They bring classic flavors and visual appeal for seasonal baking.
Sparkling Frosted Cranberry Cookies Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Unsalted butter: Creams with sugar to form rich cookie dough and smooth frosting.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookie dough.
Egg: Binds the cookie ingredients and adds tenderness.
Vanilla and almond extracts: Provide fragrant flavor to both cookie and frosting.
Lemon juice: Lightens the cookie dough with a hint of brightness.
All‑purpose flour and baking powder: Give structure and rise to the cookie base.
Dried cranberries: Distribute chewy, fruity bites within the cookies.
Fresh cranberries and sugar: Become sparkling garnish that adds visual appeal and crunch.
Powdered sugar and vegetable shortening: Whip into the frosting for creamy sweetness.
Heavy cream: Gives frosting a light, airy texture.
How to Make Sparkling Frosted Cranberry Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make cookie dough: Beat butter, sugar, egg, extracts and lemon juice until fluffy, then mix in flour, baking powder and cranberries.
Chill and roll: Refrigerate dough, roll to even thickness, cut cookies, and bake until just golden.
Prepare sparkling cranberries: Cook berries in simple syrup, then roll in sugar and let dry.
Make frosting: Beat butter and shortening then add powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract and cream until fluffy.
Assemble cookies: Pipe frosting on cooled cookies and top with sparkling cranberries.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten free: Use a gluten free all‑purpose flour blend for the cookie dough.
Flavor variation: Add orange zest to the dough or frosting for citrus brightness.
Frosting swap: Use cream cheese frosting instead of butter‑shortening blend.
Non‑alcoholic garnish: Soak cranberries in fruit juice before sugaring for a non‑alcoholic twist.
Serving Suggestions
With a festive drink: Pair these cookies with an apple cider Fireball hot toddy, one of these Thanksgiving cocktails or a boozy hot chocolate.
For dessert: These are perfect after a meal of smoked turkey, parmesan baby potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts.
How to Store Cranberry Cookies
Store: You could make the cookies a day ahead or store them without toppings but don’t add the cranberries until just before serving, since once you’ve rolled them in sugar they don’t tend to keep for long.
Freeze: You can freeze them for up to a month but bear in mind the sugared cranberries might lose their crisp coating and also the red colour might run into the frosting so they won’t look as pretty.
Top Tips
Chill the dough: It helps cookies hold their shape during baking.
Use fresh citrus juice: Lemon brightness enhances the dough without making it soggy.
Dry cranberries well: After coating, let berries sit long enough to set properly.
Pipe frosting while cookies are cool: Warm cookies soften frosting too much otherwise.
Christmas Cranberry Cookies FAQs
The sugar cookies shouldn’t do this unless you didn’t add enough flour to the dough or you didn’t chill them for long enough. If they do spread out a little, it shouldn’t matter too much. They will just have a more rustic look!
Yes, the cookies are still tasty without them if you prefer simplicity.
Use less powdered sugar or add a pinch of salt to balance flavor.
Sparkling Frosted Cranberry Cookies Recipe
Sparkling Frosted Cranberry Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- Round Cookie Cutter 2 ½ to 3-Inch
- Saucepan Small
- Pastry Bag with Extra-Large Piping Tip
- Food Processor or Sharp Knife
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 Cup butter
- 1 ¼ Cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ Teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 Cups all purpose flour
- ½ Teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup dried cranberries
For the Cranberries
- ⅓ Cup water
- 2 ⅔ Cups granulated sugar
- 2 Cups cranberries, fresh
For the Buttercream Frosting
- ½ Cup butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ Cup vegetable shortening
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ¼ Teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ Cup heavy cream
- 5 Cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a couple cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Make the Cookies
- Using a food processor or by hand, chop the dried cranberries into small bits. It is OK to have a variety of sizes, it is just fine if some of the pieces are larger or even left hole.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until combined.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beat until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and beat until combined.
- Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt, and baking powder. Once combined with the butter mixture, continue to add the remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until the mixture comes together and becomes a nice doughy texture.
- You should be able to roll a ball of dough in your hand without it sticking much or at all, if you feel you have added too much flour you can add 1 Tablespoon of water or milk at a time until the right texture has been achieved.
- Add the chopped dried cranberries and give the dough a final mix to incorporate.
- Form the dough into a ball or disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes while you prepare the cranberries.
- Once the dough has chilled, remove from the fridge. Lightly flour a clean work surface that you can roll the cookie dough out on.
- Unwrap the cookie dough and place on your floured surface. Roll the dough to about ⅜” thickness. Use a 2.5” or 3” round cookie cutter to cut the disks of dough. Place the cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets leaving about 1” of space or more between each cookie.
- Bake in the preheated oven, start checking on the cookies around 12 minutes, and remove from the oven once cooked through and just a bit golden around the bottom edges. Let cool completely
Make the Sparkling Cranberries
- On a baking sheet pour 1 ½ cups of sugar, set aside.
- In a small saucepan make a simple syrup by bringing ⅓ cup of water and ⅔ cups of sugar to a boil. Let boil for a couple minutes then remove from heat.
- Pour the fresh cranberries into the syrup and stir until all of the berries are coated. Use the final ½ cup of sugar as needed to help coat the berries
- Drain excess syrup from the cranberries then roll the cranberries in the sugar on the baking sheet until covered.
- Make sure all of the berries are separated and let sit on the tray until dried.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add ½ cup softened butter and ⅓ cup vegetable shortening. Beat until smooth.
- Add the vanilla, almond extract, and salt, beat again until combined.
- Add in the powdered sugar, beat until smooth then add the heavy cream and beat until the frosting becomes light and airy, 3 to 5 minutes.
Assemble the Cookies
- To assemble the cookies, place the frosting into a piping bag and use an extra large round piping tip to frost the tops of the cookies with a swirl starting from the outside of the cookie moving towards the centre.
- Top each cookie with 3 sparkling cranberries.
Notes
Use fresh citrus juice: Lemon brightness enhances the dough without making it soggy.
Dry cranberries well: After coating, let berries sit long enough to set properly.
Pipe frosting while cookies are cool: Warm cookies soften frosting too much otherwise.
Nutrition
Sparkling frosted cranberry cookies offer a balance of buttery sweetness, tart fruit and creamy frosting in each festive bite. The dried cranberries in the cookie and sugar‑coated fresh cranberries on top make them feel celebratory. These treats are ideal for holiday cookie exchanges, family parties or simply brightening a chilly afternoon. With simple ingredients and approachable steps, they deliver a beautiful result without complicated baking. Your guests will love how they look and taste.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
The sugared cranberries added such a festive touch; everyone loved them!
This was a total hit with our guests! Excited to make this again. 🙂
These are super cute and they were easy to make. I love the tart flavor of cranberries and the sweetness of the sugar. And no, I didn’t stop at one!! (They’re too addictive!)
These look amazing! Perfect for my cookie exchange