By: Jill Mills Posted: Nov 12, 2025

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Buttery, tender, and delicately flavored with fresh orange zest, these Pistachio Cranberry Shortbread Cookies have a melt-in-your-mouth crumbly texture and incredible flavor. The ruby-red cranberries and green pistachios give them a festive twist, perfect for holiday cookie trays.

cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies stacked on top of eachother

This cranberry pistachio shortbread recipe takes my cranberry shortbread cookies and cranberry orange shortbread cookies to a new level. The addition of pistachios not only adds flavor but also crunch and texture. Plus, the pop of green is perfect for Christmas! They’re super simple to make, hold their clean shape when baked, and have a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Why I Love These Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Short & sweet ingredient list. Like all traditional shortbread cookies, the ingredient list is make up of basics like butter and flour. For this recipe, we’re adding a bit of orange zest, some dried cranberries, and pistachios. That’s 7 ingredients total!
Fun & festive. Cranberry pistachio shortbread was made for the holiday season. Each cookie is dotted with bright red cranberries and green pistachios. They’re as pretty as they are tasty!
Great for gifting. As far as cookies go, shortbread tends to stay fresh the longest. This recipe is no exception. They’re just as good a week later as they were the day they were baked! That makes them ideal for gifting or adding to a holiday cookie box. No need to worry if they’ll be stale before they’re devoured!

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make Cranberry Pistachio shortbread

Recipe Ingredients

These cookies require just a handful of basic ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurement.

Butter – This is a recipe where I definitely recommend unsalted butter. Be sure to use room temperature butter – the butter should be soft enough to cream but still cool as this is what creates that signature clean, crisp shortbread.
Sugar – I like to sprinkle some on top of the cookies as well for a little sparkle.
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour – Spoon and level the flour for accurate measuring and to avoid a dough that is too dry.
Orange zest – The orange zest enhances the cranberries and pistachios beautifully. I recommend zesting directly over the bowl to capture the oils.
Pistachios & dried cranberries – Both should be roughly chopped into pieces approximately the same size to evenly distribute throughout the dough.

How To Make Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread

These cookies are easy to make and bake quickly. Just remember that the dough needs to chill for at least an hour! The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the dough. Cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and orange zest. Add the flour and mix on the lowest speed until a soft dough that cleanly pulls away from the bowl forms. Fold in the pistachios and cranberries.
Chill. Divide the dough in half, shaping each one into a log 2 inches round. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bake. Slice the chilled dough into 1/4-inch rounds. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, until the edges are pale golden.
Cool & enjoy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with sugar just before serving.

Overhead view of cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies

Tips for Perfect Shortbread

This cranberry pistachio shortbread recipe is very simple to make but there are a few tricks to getting perfect shortbread each time.

Don’t overmix the dough. The dough should be mixed gently and only until it comes together. Over mixing once the flour is added can toughen the shortbread, while under mixing leaves it too crumbly. Watch for the moment the dough begins to cleanly pull away from the sides of the bowl as this is the point to stop mixing.
Chill the dough. An hour is the absolute minimum but make sure it’s firm before you remove it from the fridge. Under-chilled dough will spread too much in the oven and lose its defined shape.
Get clean, smooth cuts. Use a serrated knife to slice through the chilled logs for the cleanest cuts. If the dough is too firm to slice, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before cutting.
Avoid overbaking. Remove from the oven before the tops brown. Only the edges should begin to turn pale gold. That ensures a perfectly buttery texture.

A stack of cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies

Proper Storage

Room Temperature. Store pistachio cranberry shortbread in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Refrigerator. For slightly longer storage, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Freezer. Unbaked dough logs can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before slicing and baking. Baked cookies can be frozen in a single layer, then stored in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

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