White chocolate cranberry cookies are thick, soft and buttery cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers. They’re filled with sweet and creamy morsels of white chocolate chips and tangy cranberries. These cranberry white chocolate cookies are easy to make and are a great festive cookie.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
There are few things I love more than a soft, chewy and festive cookie. My Gingerbread Latte Cookies, Rosemary Shortbread Cookies, Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies and Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies are just a few festive, holiday cookie recipes I love from the blog. I am so excited to add another classic holiday cookie recipe, this time with white chocolate chips and cranberries.
- Quick and easy to make. These buttery cookies with white chocolate chips and cranberries are just as easy to make as classic chocolate chip cookies. Simply, mix, chill, scoop and bake.
- Perfect for a holiday cookie swap. Not only are these cozy cranberry white chocolate cookies easy to make, they are also beautiful and hold up really well in both taste and appearance. They make the perfect festive cookie for your holiday cookie swaps.
Ingredients
This white chocolate chip cookie with cranberry recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, an egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, white chocolate chips and cranberries.
Substitutions
These white chocolate chip cookies with cranberries are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these chewy cookies with white chocolate chips and cranberries if you need them.
- All purpose flour: Make these cookies, gluten free by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure the flour based off weight (270 g) rather than cup for cup.
- Baking Soda and Cornstarch: This recipe has not been tested using baking powder. Cornstarch helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and also gives the cookies a chewier texture.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar would also work well to make these cookies with white chocolate and cranberries refined sugar free.
- Unsalted Butter: Salted butter can be used, just make sure to omit the added salt. Vegan or plant based butter can be used to make these cookies diary free.
- Egg: This recipe has not been tested without an egg or egg yolk. For an eggless white chocolate cranberry recipe, use my recipe for Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies and replace the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and add 1 cup dried cranberries.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- White Chocolate Chips: I recommend using good quality white chocolate chips or white chocolate disks or bars chopped into small pieces.
- Dried Cranberries: I personally love using craisins for this white chocolate chip and cranberry cookie recipe. Feel free to use your preferred dried cranberries. Fresh or frozen cranberries can also work in this recipe. If you choose to use frozen cranberries, do not add them until right before scooping and baking the cookie dough.
Variation
Brown Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies: In a sauce pan or pot, melt 1 cup (226 g) butter on low heat until the butter to begins to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe measuring cup to measure ¾ cup (170 g) to cool for about 15 - 20 minutes to room temperature. Transfer the warm butter to the fridge to chill for an additional 30 - 45 minutes. The final texture of the brown butter should be that of cold butter. Continue to the rest of the recipe as written.
How To Make
Learn how to make white chocolate cranberry cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
- Add the cubes of butter into a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined. On low, cream in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients into the wet a little at a time. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the dried cranberriesand white chocolate chips until well combined.
- Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 1 - 2 hours. About 30 minutes before you would like to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line 1 - 2 large baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the white chocolate cranberry cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Bake for 10 -12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and tops of the cookies are set. If you would like, add a few more white chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies while they are still hot. Cool the white chocolate and cranberry cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: Prepare the white chocolate and cranberry cookie dough to the chilling step. Store the cookie dough covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer cookie dough storage, transfer to the freezer.
- Store: Place the baked cranberry white chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Make sure the cranberry and white chocolate cookies are completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each cookie in parchment paper or wax paper and place them in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Freeze Cookie Dough: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet or large plate. Flash freeze in the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove the cookie dough balls and transfer to an air tight, freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookie dough in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen. The cookies will take a few minutes longer if baking from frozen.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw the baked white chocolate cranberry cookies is to let them sit out at room temperature until thawed. Warm the thawed cookies in the microwave for 15 - 20 seconds for a “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Slightly under-bake the cookies. For white chocolate cranberry cookies that are soft for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set and top are set.
- Wait to top the cookies with more white chocolate chips. White chocolate has a tendency to brown easily while baking in the oven. To keep the white chocolate morsels from browning as much, wait until the cookies are done baking and then top with a few more chips. The white chocolate chips inside the cookie dough will bake normally.
- Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
FAQs
Yes, this recipe for cranberry white chip cookies needs to be chilled. Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate, prevent the cookies from spreading too much and creates a chewier texture.
I find that a medium cookie scoop, with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough makes the perfect cookie. However, you can make a small (1 tablespoon) cookie if you like. Bake this size cookie for about 8 -9 minutes. For a larger cookie, use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, 45 ml) and bake for 12 - 13 minutes.
They taste just like a classic white chocolate cookie, but sweeter and with pockets of tart cranberries.
White chocolate is notorious for browning and even burning a bit while baking. There are two ways to fix this. One is to top the cookies with more white chocolate chips as soon as the cookies are out of the oven. The second way is to pull the cookies out of the oven about 3 - 4 minutes before the cookies are done baking to top the cookies with more white chocolate chips. For this recipe, allow the cookies to bake for 7 minutes. Pull the cookies from the oven, top with more white chocolate chips and return the cookies to the oven for another 3 - 4 minutes.
Other White Chocolate Recipes to Try
- White Chocolate Mousse
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
- White Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
If you try this White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 2 large baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
- 1 medium (2 tablespoon, 30 ml) cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) white chocolate chips
- 1 cup (160 g) dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the cubes of butter into a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined.¾ cup (170 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed , 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar , ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- On low, cream in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients into the wet a little at a time. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the dried cranberriesand white chocolate chips until well combined.1 large egg, room temperature, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract , 1 cup (170 g) white chocolate chips, 1 cup (160 g) dried cranberries
- Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 1 - 2 hours. About 30 minutes before you would like to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line 1 - 2 large baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the white chocolate cranberry cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Bake for 10 -12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and tops of the cookies are set. If you would like, add a few more white chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies while they are still hot.
- Cool the white chocolate and cranberry cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy.
Notes
- White chocolate has a tendency to brown easily while baking in the oven. To keep the white chocolate morsels from browning as much, wait until the cookies are done baking and then top with a few more chips. The white chocolate chips inside the cookie dough will bake normally.
- Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
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