Cranberry-Almond Cookies

Studded with fresh cranberries and toasted almond slices and flavored with almond extract, these tasty drop cranberry cookies are a snap to make. They go from the mixing bowl to your plate in just 20 minutes, perfect for satisfying sudden homemade dessert cravings or last-minute bake sale requests.

Because they are made with everyday pantry ingredients, Cranberry-Almond Cookies are a great year-round cookie jar staple, but we especially love them around the holidays because the cranberries add a festive splash of red to any Christmas cookie tin. Plus, the recipe makes three and a half dozen cookies, so you'll have plenty for cookie exchanges, parties, and gift-giving, and more than a few leftover for yourself!

While the recipe is delicious as-is, it's also very adaptable if you would like to change it up a bit. Add a little orange zest to the batter for a bright note that works well with the cranberries and almonds. Or lose the cranberries completely and replace them with raisins or chopped dried apricots.

The slivered almonds can be replaced with chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios (for red-and-green Christmas cookies). To tone down the almond flavor, you can swap out the almond extract for vanilla extract. However you choose to make these delightfully easy cookies, we know you'll love them.