Chocolate-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (Sourdough Discard Optional)

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Chocolate and cranberries go so well together! So the other day I asked myself: “why not make a simple oatmeal cookie recipe that involves both these tasty ingredients?!” And after some experimenting, this delicious recipe was born -or baked- and quickly munched down by approving family members.

I have also included below an alternative recipe to turn this into a sourdough discard recipe, if that might peek the interest of any of my blog readers?

I am especially fond of experimenting and finding ways of turning my tried-and-true baking recipes that I have been using for years, into sourdough starter discard recipes. I always like the option to add some sourdough starter if I can, and I love how it adds all the fermented goodness and extra nutrition to baked goods!

New or interested in more info about Sourdough fun? Click HERE

Did You Know these Amazing Health Benefits of Eating Cranberries?!

Image courtesy of Vecteezy.com
  • Cranberries are most known for reducing the risk of urinary tract infections. This is due to the proanthocyanidins in the berries that help to prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract. A build up of bacteria in the urinary tract is what causes infections and other illnesses if left untreated.
  • The proanthocyanidins in Cranberries also help to support your teeth, and some research suggests gum disease as well.
  • Cranberries contain Vitamin E, which supports hair and skin health.
  • Cranberries have high levels of anioxidants, which support the immune system and help prevent illness and diseases.
  • Cranberries have high levels of phytonutrients, which are great for reducing inflammation in the body.
  • Cranberry juice contains phytochemicals that help to maintain healthy digestion in your body.
  • Cranberries are also very high in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), boosting your immune system and helping to maintain health.
  • Cranberry juice helps to lower cholesterol levels, which lowers the risk of heart disease.

Please Note: When buying cranberry juice at the store for medicinal purposes, it is always important to read the label carefully and to select a brand that is 100% pure cranberry juice, no added sugar, and not a juice cocktail mix.

If you are a cranberry fan, you might like to check out this other tasty recipe on the Northbird Blog:

Carol’s Cranberry Loaf!

A simple video of making these tasty chocolatey and cranberry oatmeal cookies!

How to Make Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies:

Supplies Needed:

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. Cream together the softened butter and both sugars.
  3. Add the eggs (or sourdough starter) and vanilla and mix until fully combined and smooth.

4. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Stir until all combined and smooth.

5. Add in dried cranberries and chocolate chips and stir until fully combined.

6. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets, and slightly flatten the cookie dough. Pop a few chocolate chips on the tops of the cookies if desired.

7. Bake 10-12 minutes on middle rack of oven. Bottoms should be lightly browned, tops may look soft, but will harden as they cool down. (This will make them to be soft and irresistibly chewy!)

8. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.

9. Makes about 3 dozen medium sized cookies.

10. Store in sealed container up to 5 days. (Lets be honest:they never last that long!)

Note: This cookie dough freezes very well, so if 3 dozen is too much to enjoy all at once, you can simply put the extra dough amount in a sealed plastic container in the freezer until you are ready to bake it off. To thaw, simply put the whole container in a larger bowl of hot water until the dough becomes soft and palpable again.

I like to double this recipe, and then split up the dough into several leftover plastic yogurt containers and put them in the freezer. This makes it simple for baking off smaller batches of cookies whenever I feel like it without all the time it takes to mix it up!

I’d love to hear how your cookies turned out! Feel free to tag Northbird using one of the links below if you are posting to social media:

Happy Baking!

More Desert & Snack Recipes:

Other Tasty Sourdough Recipes to Check Out!

Hi, I’m Jessie!

I’m a Wife and Homeschooling Mom living in a remote town in Northern Ontario, Canada. I love making wholesome meals for my family from scratch, homeschooling our girls and learning more about natural living.

Read more about my story HERE.

Subscribe to Northbird’s email list to get weekly posts on: tasty recipes, activity ideas for kids, natural living tips, and some genuine mom thoughts and encouragement!

Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Servings: 3 dozen Cookies
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Chocolate and cranberries are seriously so good together! Check out this tasty cookie recipe (optional directions to turn it into a sourdough discard recipe too!)



This cookie dough freezes very well, so if 3 dozen is too much to enjoy all at once, you can simply put the extra dough amount in a sealed plastic container in the freezer until you are ready to bake it off. To thaw, simply put the whole container in a larger bowl of hot water until the dough becomes soft and palpable again, about 30 minutes.

By Jessica Burman © 2024 The Northbird Blog. https://www.thenorthbirdblog.com



Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter (soft)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs (or replace with 1/3 cup sourdough starter discard)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (plus more for the tops)
  • 1- 1+1/2 cup dried cranberries

  • Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
    2. Cream together the softened butter and both sugars.
    3. Add the eggs (or sourdough starter) and vanilla and mix until fully combined and smooth.
    4. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Stir until all combined.
    5. Add in the oats, dried cranberries and chocolate chips and stir until fully combined.
    6. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets, and slightly flatten the cookie dough. Pop a few chocolate chips on the tops if desired.
    7. Bake 10-12 minutes on middle rack of oven. Bottoms should be lightly browned, tops may look soft, but will harden as they cool down. (This will make them to be soft and irresistibly chewy!)
    8. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to cooling rack.
    9. Makes about 3 dozen medium sized cookies.
    10. Store in sealed container up to 5 days. (Lets be honest: they never last that long!)

    Nutrition


    Per 1 cookie: 120 calories; 4.2 g fat; 17.9 g carbohydrates;
    2.5 g protein.

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    Carol’s Cranberry Loaf

    Find Northbird on social media:

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure HERE.

    Jump to Recipe Card

    Jump to Video

    Return to Deserts & Snacks

    Looking for a festive and oh so delicious desert this Christmas season? Then this is a must on the menu!

    Every Christmas, my mother-in-law makes this tasty Cranberry Loaf for the family to enjoy. In recent years, the little grandkids have become her helpers in the kitchen when making this loaf.

    When we decided that this would be a great recipe to feature on Northbird this Christmas season, my daughter “L” insisted that she could make it for the pictures. She did a fantastic job, making it just like when she makes it with Grammy, and even let her little sister help stir the bowl (well sometimes!).

    Did You Know these Amazing Health Benefits of Eating Cranberries?!

    • Cranberries are most known for reducing the risk of urinary tract infections. This is due to the proanthocyanidins in the berries that help to prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract. A build up of bacteria in the urinary tract is what causes infections and other illnesses if left untreated.
    • The proanthocyanidins in Cranberries also help to support your teeth, and some research suggests gum disease as well.
    • Cranberries contain Vitamin E, which supports hair and skin health.
    • Cranberries have high levels of anioxidants, which support the immune system and help prevent illness and diseases.
    • Cranberries have high levels of phytonutrients, which is great for reducing inflammation in the body.
    • Cranberry juice contains phytochemicals that help to maintain healthy digestion in your body.
    • Cranberries are also very high in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), boosting your immune system and helping to maintain health.
    • Cranberry juice helps to lower cholesterol levels, which lowers the risk of heart disease.
    • Please Note: When buying cranberry juice at the store for medicinal purposes, it is always important to read the label carefully and to select a brand that is 100% pure cranberry juice, no added sugar, and not a juice cocktail mix.

    Watch the girls make this easy and delicious cranberry loaf!

    How to Make Carol’s Cranberry Loaf

    Supplies Needed:

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup milk (room temperature)
    • 1/4 cup orange juice
    • 6 Tablespoons soft butter
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs (room temperature)

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Butter loaf pan and dust with flour. (Our pan was not in the best of shape so we lined it with parchment paper instead)
    2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together: flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
    3. In a small bowl, combine milk and orange juice. Set aside.
    4. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add whisked eggs and mix until smooth.
    5. Add the flour/baking powder/salt mixture and the milk/orange juice mixture to the large bowl (butter/sugar/eggs), and mix until fully blended together.

    6. In a small bowl, toss the frozen cranberries in flour. Gently fold into the batter.

    7. Put in prepared loaf pan, and bake on middle rack for 45-50 minutes until golden and firm on top.

    8. Let cool in pan for several minutes, then remove and cool more on wire rack.

    9. To prepare glaze: Mix together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle or spread with spoon to cover the top of the cranberry loaf. Enjoy!

    One note to mention from the original recipe: We didn’t have any frozen cranberries when making this for the pictures, so we substituted in dried cranberries instead frozen. The amount of berries also came to a little less than it called for, due to much snacking from the girls in the middle of mixing up the batter!

    Please also note: You will want to make sure you plan ahead a little for this recipe, and let the following ingredients come to room temperature prior to mixing: Milk, Butter, and Eggs.

    More Desert & Snack Recipes:

    Hi, I’m Jessie!

    I’m a Wife and Homeschooling Mom living in a remote town in Northern Ontario, Canada. I love making wholesome meals for my family from scratch, homeschooling our girls and learning more about natural living.

    Read more about my story HERE.

    Subscribe to Northbird’s email list to get weekly posts on: tasty recipes, activity ideas for kids, natural living tips, and some genuine mom thoughts and encouragement!

    Carol's Cranberry Loaf

    • Servings: 1 loaf
    • Difficulty: Easy
    • Print

    Looking for a festive holiday desert this season? Carol’s Cranberry Loaf is a great addition to your Christmas menu!


    One note to mention from the original recipe: We didn’t have any frozen cranberries when making this for the pictures, so we substituted in dried cranberries instead frozen. The amount of berries also came to a little less than it called for, due to much snacking from the girls in the middle of mixing up the batter!

    Please also note: You will want to make sure you plan ahead a little for this recipe, and let the following ingredients come to room temperature prior to mixing: Milk, Butter, and Eggs.



    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup milk (room temperature)
    • 1/4 cup orange juice
    • 6 Tablespoons soft butter
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs (room temperature)


    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Butter loaf pan and dust with flour. (Our pan was not in the best of shape so we lined it with parchment paper instead)
    2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together: flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
    3. In a small bowl, combine milk and orange juice. Set aside.
    4. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add whisked eggs and mix until smooth.
    5. Add the flour/baking powder/salt mixture and the milk/orange juice mixture to the large bowl (butter/sugar/eggs), and mix until fully blended together.
    6. In a small bowl, toss the frozen cranberries in flour. Gently fold into the batter.
    7. Put in prepared loaf pan, and bake on middle rack for 45-50 minutes until golden and firm on top.
    8. Let cool in pan for several minutes, then remove and cool more on wire rack.
    9. To prepare glaze: Mix together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle or spread with spoon to cover the top of the cranberry loaf. Enjoy!

    Nutrition


    For 1 loaf divided into 8 slices, 1 slice: 343 calories; 9.8 g fat; 62 g carbohydrates;
    4 g protein; 191 mg sodium.

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