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
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.
Judy says
Hi Jessica. I have a ton of persimmons now and would like to make these for an event in mid December. I know you.say you can freeze the cookies, but can you also freeze the dough so I can pop them in the oven the day of?
Jessica Gavin says
I would portion of the cookies on a parchment lined sheet pan, and freeze them until they are hardened. That way it’s easy to store in the freezer in a reseable bag. When you’re ready to bake, place them on the sheet pan with parchment paper and let them defrost before baking.
Soitza Devlin says
Hi Jessica, I tried your recipe and cookies didn’t get strong flavor of persimmon, next time I will add some pure and some chopped ones, as well I must added dried cherries instead of chocolate chips. Have to bake the secondhand at 350 F.
Thank you for the recipe.
Soitza
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback! The diced persimmon sounds like a great idea!
Tammy says
Easy to make, my family loves the taste.
Philip Accardo says
Made bars out of this recipe instead of cookies. Just added 1/3 cup more persimmon puree, which made more of a thick batter than a stiff cookie dough. Then spread into greased 10″ x 7″ x 1 3/8″ shallow pan. Bake 25 minutes at about 350 degrees, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Barb says
Love the recipe! I kinda of flipped things by accident 3/4 c of brown sugar and 1/4 c of granulated I could scream!!! After hearing from you that brown sugar bs white sugar science and crispy cookies.
Definitely more cakey than I wanted (my fault), but still a yummy cookie! I’m hoping a night in the fridge may help?
I will try again as soon as some of my fruit ripens. I was able to make this recipe with just 4 persimmons!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback! I can’t wait to hear how the next batch turns out. Typically with the moisture from the persimmons, it’s on the softer side vs. crispy.
Brenda says
Hi! Jessica,
I was concerned that the temp for baking the cookies was only 325°, so I baked one sheet pan of cookies at 325° and tasted it. I wasn’t pleased. So, I baked the second at 350°. At 350° the cookies had a much better texture, not so doughy inside and rubbery outside. However, at both temps the cookies tasted good, but I felt the taste at the higher temp was best.
Also, on the printed form of the recipe, the weight in grams for the cranberries and the pecans was off. I did not use the white chocolate chips.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Brenda- Thank you for your feedback! Did you bake the cookies for a shorter time at 350? Fascinating results, I’ll definitely have to try it.
Roslyn says
How many cookies will this recipe batch yield?
Jessica Gavin says
30 cookies
Kathy says
I’m use to recipes listing tablespoons and cups for measurements. It’s really much too confusing to convert your ounces measurements to understanding. Do you have this recipe in regular measurements?? Appreciate it!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Kathy- I’ve updated the recipe, I hope that helps!
Judy says
How do you think these might taste with milk chocolate or semi sweet chips instead of white chocolate chips?
Jessica Gavin says
I think they would be delicious with milk or semi-sweet chocolate! I would go for semi-sweet to balance the sweetness of the persimmon.
Cheryl says
Hi Jessica,
Do you have your recipes converted from weight measure to volume measures?
Sim says
Hi Jessica, I am excited to try your recipe. I got a boxful of persimmons from my Aunt in CA and they’re perfectly ripe for baking. In your video you used a mixer with paddle attachment. Unfortunately I don’t own this type of mixer, I only have a handheld one. Can I still use it to make these cookies? Please advise. This will be my very first cookie baking with fruits.
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can use a hand mixer for the cookies.
Charlene says
Absolutely Fabulous! Great way to use those too ripe persimmons. These cookies are yummy, not too sweet. I used toasted walnuts vs pecans. Just a delight!!
Kimberlina Escalera says
These cookies are absolutely delicious! I made them with my little niece and they came out perfectly.
I didn’t have any nutmeg or all-spice but the cookies were still very flavorful.
Thank you for this recipe! Happy holidays
Jessica Gavin says
Happy to hear that you and your niece enjoyed making the persimmon cookies together!
Bev says
Sadly I did not get the good results that everybody else got with these cookies. I LOVE persimmons and would be blessed to have a persimmon tree in my yard! (that lucky lady that has one! Lol). BUT, my cookies came out flat and big and didn’t bake right. I am sure it is operator error, and will I try them again, but sad that I had to throw them out. With all of the negative said, I did taste one, and the taste is delicious. I will try them again, and see where my mistakes were. They are a nice change and if done right, I am sure that they will make a nice addition to any cookie tray. Thanks Jessica for the inspiration with them, and to all the positive bakers whose cookies did turn out right!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Bev- Thank you for your feedback! How soft was your butter, and how did you measure your flour? Also, how runny was the persimmon puree?
Beverly says
Thank you for responding. My butter was at room temperature, and the flour I dole out of the container (I keep my flour in the refrigerator in a container) and I spoon it out to the measuring cup. The persimmon puree was pretty runny. I processed the persimmons in a mini food processor. I think, personally, that I made the cookies way too big, and I shouldn’t have flattened them. I appreciate your writing back to me. Like I said though, the taste was really good!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for sharing your observations, Beverly! Yes, I think keeping them smaller in mounds would help with the spread.
Beverly says
I will try that the next time and let you know. I have eaten all the persimmons now, so I have to buy more, but when I try them again I will give you an update. Who knows, there are so many things with baking that could or could not ruin them. It is a science they say! Thanks again. Have a great holiday!
Linda Kelley says
Please let me know recipe for fuyu persimmon cookies WITHOUT YHE EXTRA STUFF, JUST THE BASIC COOKIE RECIPE.
Thanks
Vanessa Wood says
Hands down the best recipe for Persimmon Cookies! I for one cant stand the raw persimmons but put them into this recipe and you’ll surely love them! Just the right balance of spices, tartness from the cranberries and just the perfect touch of sweetness from the extremely ripe persimmons and delicate white chocolate! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Vicki says
Your recipe calls for pecans, but your video says almonds. I’m assuming either would be fine, although I would think toasted almonds would be better? I am making your cookies later today and I know they will be delicious!! I always pulp my persimmons when in season and freeze them for future use. I am a big fan of persimmons, it is traditional in my family to have persimmon pudding for Thanksgiving family dinner. Just isn’t the same without this if you grew up in the south!! There are too few recipes for this wonderful fruit.
Kate says
Hi! Happy Christmas! I made these today and they’re delicious. Some things to note: They needed more time, maybe 18 minutes. The first batch came out pretty mushy so I let them go for another 4 minutes. FOR SURE put extra white chocolate chips on the top, and a dried cranberry and some chopped pecans. It does take extra time, but oh my goodness, how delicious,,,, and how much prettier they are. Definitely worth the extra minute or two. I’m going to try to freeze some for when I return to work next week. Fingers crossed that works well! Thank you, LOVE the extraordinary cookies.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for the helpful feedback Kate! Definitely adjust the cook times as needed. Sometimes the persimmon is more or less pulpy, so you may need more time to drive off excess moisture. Let me know how the frozen ones turn out 🙂
Anneliese Cornale says
I made these cookies today and they were a hit.. I made mine smaller using a heaping teaspoon of dough and to get a flatter and crunchier cookie I flattened with the spoon! Love the mixture a lot!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank for the great tips Anneliese! Happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Audrina Diocson says
Can I make this keto friendly, switching AP flour to Almond flour, sugar to erythritol and the oatmeal to flaxseed meal?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Audrina- I haven’t tried those substitutions before but it’s worth a try! The batter might be a little wetter, but let me know how it goes.
Alicia Brewin says
your brown sugar says 1 1/2 cups then it says 1/4cup. which is correct?
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for the catch alicia! It is 1 3/4 ounces or 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Sorry for the confusion!
Maryjo Walker says
What changes are necessary for high altitude(5,280)
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Maryjo- For high altitude baking of cookies I would start with increasing the oven temperature to 350 degrees F to set the structure of the baked good. Check at 10 minutes for doness and keep baking as needed. Let me know how that goes!
Jen says
This was one of the best recipes I’ve turned out!I had to make a few tweaks due to supply issues, but each turned out just dandy! Instead of almonds, I did raw, unsweetened large coconut flakes. Also, I only had about a 1.2 cup of persimmon puree, so I combined it with banana puree to round out the full cup. And lastly, I did not have any white chocolate chips, but honestly, I think that they would have been too sweet with chips added. I also made a quick date/raisin/papaya jelly on the stove, and topped the cookies with that .I almost died when they came out of the oven. Simply heaven!!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Jen! I love how you improvised with the bananas, so smart!
Jennifer DeLoach says
Sounds great! How did you make the date/raisin/papaya jelly?
Amie Wills says
I love you so much for sharing this recipe. I’m blessed with a persimmon tree in my backyard and I decided this year I would actually bake with them. this was a fantastic recipe to add to the collection. I made the “mistake” of sharing them at church and they were gone before I knew it – everyone loved them!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, thanks Amie! What a wonderful comment to receive, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the cookie recipe. You are lucky to have a persimmon tree in your backyard!
YolanDa Gliko says
The persimmon recipe i just tried was a hit in my home! Its different than the one i have been making for many years. I founD that i can use Ripe fuyu and hachiya persimmons for cookies. Really good cookies.
Jen says
Hello, I was wondering if I could use almond flower in this recipe?