A sweet and spiced persimmon cookies recipe with cranberries, white chocolate chips, and pecans. A perfectly soft and moist treat to make during the holidays!
As the holiday baking season comes to an end, it doesn’t mean that the flavors of the winter have to! My sweet friend Amy brought me some gorgeous Fuyu persimmons from her grandparent’s tree. They were completely ripe for baking, so I was excited to try this persimmon cookie recipe to highlight the honey-like flavor of these delicious fruits.
These cookies pack warm winter spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. The texture is like a soft and moist muffin with slightly crispy edges, a perfect complement to the ripe persimmons.
Persimmon selection
There are different types of persimmon to choose from. The main varieties are fuyu and hachiya. For this recipe, I use fuyu for its intense flavor and sweetness. The persimmons should be very soft to the touch. It should be easy to scoop out the pulp when the fruit is ripe.
Puree the persimmon pulp in the blender or food processor for a few seconds. This ensures that the mash is consistent in texture before making the dough. Ripe hachiya persimmons can be substituted, however, will be slightly more astringent in taste.
Use two types of sugar
When selecting the type of sugar to use in your recipes, like granulated sugar and brown sugar, the kind you choose will affect the cookie texture.
Granulated sugar typically yields a crispier cookie, whereas brown sugar is a humectant, retaining moisture and producing a chewier cookie. I used both kinds for this persimmon cookie recipe to give texture properties of both.
Make the cookie dough
Use softened butter to cream with the sugars. This creates air pockets for a thick and cakey cookie. Whisk in the eggs to emulsify the ingredients, followed by the pureed persimmon pulp. The flour is mixed with bold, sweet spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
Baking soda is added for the rise. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Mix in chewy oats, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and white chocolate chips for interesting flavors and textures. They also enhance the sweetness of the persimmon.
Portion and bake
Portion scoops are extremely helpful to consistently measure out drop cookies. I use a size 50 portion scoop, which is ⅝ ounce or approximately 1 ½ tablespoons in size. The scoop number determines the number of servings in each quart of a mixture. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart.
These cookies don’t spread too much. Lightly flatten the top, so they don’t bake up into tall mounds. Bake at 325°F (163ºC) until the edges and surface are set, about 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. The beautiful dark orange flesh of the fruit gives a pretty golden color to the cookie.
More persimmon recipes
Jessica’s Recipe Science
To ensure consistent cookies batch-to-batch
1) Use a portion scoop to achieve same-sized cookies, 2) Uniformly place and space the dough on the sheet pan, and 3) Uniform baking time will be achieved by maintaining the size and placement of the cookies.
Persimmon Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup persimmon pulp, puréed (3-4 very ripe and soft Fuyu persimmons)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ⅓ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the middle position. Heat to 325°F (163ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sift the Dry Ingredients – Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Make the Dough – Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix on medium speed until combined. Add 1 cup of persimmon pulp purée and mix until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the mixer on low speed. Mix until just combined. Add the oats, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and pecans. Mix on low speed until combined, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
- Shape the Cookies – Portion the dough (about 1 ¼ tablespoon) onto the sheet pan. Make sure they are at least 2" apart. Use your fingers or a spoon to flatten the dough to ¼" thick. The dough will be slightly sticky. If desired, top with extra cranberries, white chocolate, or pecans.
- Bake – Working one tray at a time, bake until the edges are set, and the surface feels firm, approximately 14 to 16 minutes.
- Let the Cool – Leave the cookies on the sheet pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack. Bake the remaining cookies, but make sure the oven increases back to the proper temperature.
Recipe Video
Equipment
Notes
- Nuts Options: Almonds or walnuts can be substituted for pecans.
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Deborah Bettencourt says
I’m had enough persimmons, white chips & pecans for 2 batches. We love them! ( my friend puts fresh/ frozen cranberries in hers- next project…) Your recipe seemed like a lot of add ons- wrong! They were perfect! Keeper!
Jessica Gavin says
I loved that you were able to make a double batch of the persimmon cookies, Deborah! Let me know how the fresh or frozen cranberries taste in your next batch.
Steve says
Not bad. Mine essentially did not spread at all and barely rose. I patted then flat with an oiled finger. They’re more like little cakes than cookies, but tasty and not overly sweet. If you can get dried persimmons, chopping those up would make a good addition or replacement for the dried cranberries. I used a #30 disher (about 2.4 Tbsp) and they were still lightly browned in 15 minutes. Made 28 cookies.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for sharing your experience making the persimmon cookies, Steve! I love the idea of adding dried persimmon to enhance the fruit flavor.
Stephanie says
Thank you for sharing your gifts of cooking. This is now my favorite persimmon cookie recipe. They came out so delicious and moist. I used walnuts instead and because I didn’t have allspice I used cloves. Making them for my husband’s 70th birthday party and Christmas too! Merry Christmas!
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so happy to hear that this is your favorite persimmon cookie recipe, Stephanie! Happy 70th birthday to your husband!
Staci says
These are so perfect! I’m not a baker by any means but I pulled off and they turned out great! Followed the recipe exactly and added extra toppings. Can’t wait to share with our family for the holiday season!
Jessica Gavin says
Yay! What toppings did you add to the persimmon cookies? I always love trying new flavors.