So, it was 8:47 p.m. last Thursday. Leafs were tied going into OT, kettle was screeching like it wanted to fight me, and my brain decided: cookies. Not chocolate chip. Not oatmeal. Something with a little zing. I remembered this half-ripped bag of cranberries from Christmas (don’t ask) and a bag of coconut I kept “saving for a cake” that never happened. Boom.
By 9:12 p.m.? Dough ready. At 9:25 p.m.? House smelled like a bakery on the beach. By 9:27 p.m.? Burned my tongue. Zero regrets.
\These Coconut Cranberry Cookies are chewy in the middle, crispy on the edges, tart little bursts of cranberry with that sweet coconut chew. Basically comfort food you can hold in one hand while yelling at the TV during overtime. Wicked good.
Contents
What You Need
Not fancy. Just grab these:
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1 cup butter (226 g) — soft, not fridge rock-hard
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1 cup brown sugar (200 g) — I pack mine in with a spoon handle
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½ cup white sugar (100 g)
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2 eggs — room temp if you remember, straight from fridge if you don’t
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1½ tsp vanilla — splash heavy if you love vanilla like me
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2 cups all-purpose flour (260 g)
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1 tsp baking soda
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½ tsp baking powder
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½ tsp salt — literally a loonie-sized pinch
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1½ cups dried cranberries (150 g)
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1½ cups shredded coconut (135 g)
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Optional: ½ cup white chocolate chips (dangerously good)
How to Make It
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Heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two trays with parchment.
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Beat butter + both sugars till creamy, about a hockey period song length (2–3 mins).
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Toss in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
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Mix flour, soda, powder, salt in another bowl.
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Add dry to wet. Stir like you mean it, but don’t go wild.
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Fold in cranberries + coconut (and chips if you’re brave).
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Drop spoonfuls (golf ball-ish) on trays, space them or they’ll stick together like cousins at a wedding.
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Bake 10–12 mins. Edges golden, middles soft. Smells unreal.
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Cool 5 mins… or don’t, and accept burnt fingers like me.
My Secret Tips & Tricks
Toast the Coconut
One Saturday morning (11:06 a.m., I swear), I toasted the coconut for 5 mins. House smelled like sunscreen + sugar. Cookies? Next level.
Chill the Dough
Last January, I left dough in the fridge ‘cause hockey went into double OT. Baked them later—edges got chewy, middles stayed thick. Everyone asked if I’d changed the recipe.
Citrus Zing
Once I zested an orange into the dough after a Tim Hortons run. My cousin said it tasted like Christmas and Florida had a baby.
Keep It Fresh
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Counter: 4–5 days in a tin (if they last that long).
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Fridge: A week, but microwave 12 seconds or they’re hockey-puck hard.
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Freezer: Roll dough balls, freeze, bake straight from frozen (add 2 mins).
Hide them in a bag labelled “vegetable stock” so nobody steals ‘em.
Nutrition Stuff & What Goes Good With It
| Nutrient | Per Cookie (1 of 24) |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~190 |
| Protein | 2g |
| Carbs | 25g |
| Sugar | 15g |
| Fat | 9g |
| Saturated Fat | 6g |
Eat ‘em with:
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A cold glass of milk (classic dunk move).
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Tea — I’m a Red Rose gal, but do you.
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Coffee. Or Bailey’s coffee if you’re living dangerously.
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Honestly? Midnight, standing in your kitchen, no drink at all.
Your Questions
Q: Fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Yeah, but blot them dry or your cookies’ll look like pink puddles.
Q: Can I make them gluten-free?
Yep. Grab a 1-to-1 GF flour mix. Add a pinch of xanthan if it’s not already in there.
Q: Can I cut the sugar?
Sure. Drop ¼ cup. Toss in more cranberries to keep ‘em tangy.
👩🍳 Made in my ladysuniverse kitchen, where cookies vanish faster than Timbits on a road trip. And yes, I usually eat two before anyone else even knows I baked them.
Conclusion: Cookie Chaos = Happiness
These Coconut Cranberry Cookies? They’re not the neat Instagram kind. They’re lopsided sometimes, chewy always, and absolutely the cookie you grab at 10:02 p.m. when you promised yourself “no snacks after supper.”
I’ve eaten them straight from the pan, shoved one in my coat pocket during a Bruins game (crumbs everywhere), and yep, found a smooshed one at the bottom of my purse last week. Still ate it. Still good.
Bake them. Burn your tongue. Hide a stash. And if your family asks where they went? Just shrug. Life’s short. Cookies vanish. Eh?
