Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are incredibly soft, chewy, thick, and full of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Perfect for your holiday cookie tray!
Christmas is just around the corner and it’s one of my favorite times of year because of all the candy, fudge, and cookies. So today I’m kicking off the holiday baking with these easy white chocolate cranberry cookies.
The base of this cookie dough is the same one that I’ve used for other cookie recipes and it never fails. These cookies bake up perfectly everytime and stay soft and chewy for days. You could even mix some chopped pecans or pistachios into this cookie dough too.
Plus, how festive are these cookies studded with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips? They would be the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
How To Make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
These cookies are as simple as mixing up your wet and dry ingredients separately, combining the two, and then add your mix-ins. Let’s break down the ingredients for these easy cookies:
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my cookie recipes because the amount of salt in salted butter can vary quite a bit between brands. If you only have salted butter on hand, just reduce the salt in the recipe from 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Sugar: I use a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar in all of my cookie recipes. Brown sugar provides moisture to the cookie dough and makes the cookies chewier too!
- Eggs & Vanilla extract: You’ll need 2 large room temperature eggs for this recipe and some pure vanilla extract (vanilla bean paste would be fantastic too!).
- Dry Ingredients: The dry ingredients are just a simple mixture of all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. One important thing when it comes to the flour is to make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife. You can find my post explaining how to spoon and level flour here.
- Cranberries & White Chocolate Chips: I used sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chips in these cookies. I love to reserve some of the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips and press them into the top of the cookies after they come out of the oven. Feel free to chop up your favorite nut and mix some in too!
Another important thing, it’s best to chill your cookie dough. Why? If your butter is too warm when the cookies go into the oven the cookies will spread like crazy. By chilling the cookie dough, the butter will be cold and the cookies will bake up much thicker.
I find that two hours is the perfect amount of time to get the dough thoroughly chilled so the cookies don’t spread too much. You can even prep the cookie dough the day before and then just bake the cookies the next day.
Want perfectly round cookies? Once the cookies come out of the oven, I like to use a spoon to shape my cookies and make them nice and round. You want to do this step as soon as they come out of the oven since the cookies are warm and they will be much easier to shape!
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it from the container. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Make sure to chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours. This will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- This recipe will make about 4 dozen cookies, so I suggest baking the cookies in separate batches. Make sure to refrigerate the balls of cookie dough until you’re ready to bake them.
Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 and 3/4 cups (345 gram) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (270 grams) white chocolate chips
- 1 cup (145 grams) sweetened dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 1-2 minutes or until well combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients and continue mixing until just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then mix in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries until thoroughly combined.
- Cover the cookie dough tightly and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Once the dough is almost chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave a little room between each ball of cookie dough as they will spread a little while they bake.
- Bake in separate batches at 350°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and the top is set. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
would results be the same with 1:1 gluten free flour?
I honestly haven’t tried using gluten-free flour, so I’m not quite sure. If it’s one that substitutes 1:1 for all-purpose and you’ve had success using it in other recipes, then it may be okay in this one too.
I used this recipe, but my cookies did not spread in the oven! Do you have any suggestions to why this happened for me?
Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour? And did you use 2 sticks (1 cup of butter). If you happened to use too much flour or not enough butter, that could be why they didn’t spread.
Oh! I baked this heavenly recipe over the weekend. The cookies were so delightful to look at and they just melt in the mouth.
Our new favorite!
We added some extra cranberries because we like them! And extra vanilla. Super delicious!
Amazing recipe!
My family and friends LOVE these cookies!! I have swapped out cranberries for dried blueberries a couple of times and they’re perfect.
First let me say I am NOT A BAKER.. I can cook just about anything, but when it comes to baking I fall short every time. Since this started I haven’t been able to visit my Aunt who lives in Las Vegas, normally I get down there at least 3 times a year from my home here in Montana. We have been sending things via UPS, or USPS, she’s a great baker and recently sent me a loaf of her DELICIOUS banana bread. Here in Montana our huckleberry season is in full bloom, so We went picking and I have hucks coming out my ears!!! Yummy!! I thought .. I should try to make her some Huckleberry cookies?? Well I found this recipe and because I’m such a terrible baker I followed the directions to the T!!! I must have done something wrong because they are not chewy… They are delicious!! Any ideas on why they are more crunchy than chewy… Signed the faker Baker
Hi, Tami! If the cookies are crunchier it may be because they were a little over baked. You can try reducing the baking time by 2 to 3 minutes and that should help.
These are the best soft cookies. Most delicious and very easy to prepare too, my family loves them. This cookie base is also good to mix with chocolate chips and other nuts. Thanks for sharing such great recipe.
Hii! So I followed your recipe exactly but added 1/2 cup toffee bits because my dried cranberries were reeeally tart. After baking each batch about 13 mins, they came out PERFECT! Chewy centers & crisp edges. Thanks for this recipe!
would I be able to use fresh cranberry in this recipe?
It would probably be okay, but keep in mind that fresh cranberries will be more tart and have moisture in them too.
I am on my third batch in two weeks….they are gone so quickly! I split the butter amount with 1/2 butter and 1/2 organic shortening. I do that with all my cookies and I find they stay moist longer.
I have frozen dozens so that I can limit how many I eat!
Thank you for the recipe! Although they didn’t come out as chewy as I would like, they are still wonderful. Next time I would cut the white chocolate chips and add nuts. 🙂
Among the many recipes for cookies like these, this is the best and my whole family just loves them. Thank you!!! However, a few tweaks to make them perfect:
Instead of vanilla, use rum – use same amount, so 2 teaspoons! Makes it less sweet and gives it a delicious flavor. Also – and this truly transforms these cookies – add orange zest from 1 orange (somewhere between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon). This adds some awesome flavor, fresh tanginess and the cookies are no longer too sweet.
Some people suggested (commenting on similar recipes) to roll the dough into balls instead of scooping, but I found that the cookies melt down too slowly and by the time the top sinks down, the bottom is too brown and it leaves the top undercooked. I had the best results by rolling them into a ball and then pressing them down a little – so scooping them may just be fine too.
Regarding temperature, for my oven 350 was too hot. 325 for 11-12 minutes was just right.
I’ve made white chocolate cranberry cookies before, but was looking for a different recipe. These were great! I bake all the time and think these are perfect for the holidays! The cookies are especially delicious about 20 minutes out of the oven (when they’re perfectly warm and the chocolate is slightly melted). I love how chewy they are! The amount of butter even makes them melt-in-your-mouth which is so yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for this recipe! These cookies are perfect. I am.NOT a baker, but I followed all your tips and the recipe exactly and they are amazing!
Very stiff and cookies did not spread when baked. Ended up with mounds not flat cookies. Measured everything exactly as instructed .. could bearly mix in chips and cranberries. Anyone else have this problem?
Sorry you had trouble with the cookie dough, Judy. Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour too?
I found the cookie dough extremely thick/stiff as well. My dough is now in the fridge. Perhaps I should try baking a few right now, I don’t want to end up with “mounds” lol. Will let you know how mine turn out.
A question for anyone, for making soft chewy cookies I never bake at 350° , I usually bake at 325°.
I didn’t refrigerate my dough, the dough was quite thick. Baked the cookies at 325° for exactly 10 minutes. They came out perfectly! Very yummy
The batter was so crumbly and dry that I had to add a couple of tablespoons of water. I had to mix it with my hands. I think 2.5 cups is too much flour. Next time i attempt to use an Internet recipe, I will check the comments first. If I’d been an inexperienced cook, I would have thrown out the crumbly batter, wasted $7 or $8 of ingredients.
Hi, Diane. This cookie dough should not be crumbly or dry once you mix it up. Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour? If you scoop it into the measuring cup, it can become packed and you can end up with too much, which can lead to a crumbly cookie dough.
Hi, I also had this issue with crumbly dough during my first run with these cookies. I figured out pretty quick tonight (my second attempt at this recipe) that I had mistaken my half-cup butter sticks for a full cup by accident. Turns out, I had only used half the necessary amount of butter during my first batch and the dough turned out crumbly and hard. This time, I used two sticks and the dough was perfect. Could you have possibly measured your butter wrong or made a similar mistake?
Happy Thanksgiving! Made these today and they’re yummy but for my taste, I’ll need to reduce the chips/sugar. Could you please tell me how many carbs per cookie (or per recipe)? My grandson is diabetic. Thanks.
So glad you liked the cookies, Barbara! I’m not sure about the nutritional information, but you can plug it into an online calculator to get an estimate.
Hi there! I don’t have a cookie scoop- would you suggest a tea spoon or table spoon? I would just round the top of the dough. =)
I would probably use a tablespoon to scoop them.
During the holiday season, I make goodies, including cookies, for charity. to bless those who may not otherwise have any, especially the children. I have used my own recipes over the years; however, this time I was looking for a cookie recipe using white chocolate and ran across your white chocolate cranberry cookie recipe. Today, I made just a single trial batch and was quite satisfied with the result. It is a no-fuss recipe, baked just as you said and produced a festive cookie. I always scoop my cookie dough for uniformity and freeze the dough balls so the cookies don’t spread much, so your instruction for this was actually not an inconvenience but just a matter of course for me. I never thought of rounding the cookies (great idea), but it does make a more uniform, professional look. Instead of a spoon, I used a slightly larger round cookie cutter than the actual cookies, placed it over the cookie and made circular motions. This very nicely smoothed and built up the sides and leveled the tops, For my own taste, I am going to reverse the measures for the white chocolate and the cranberries, and use 1 cup white chocolate and 1-1/2 cups cranberries. For this trial batch, the white chocolate seemed to overtake the flavor of the cranberries. I did not think the cookies were overly sweet, as did another reviewer, so I made no changes in the sugar measures, or any other changes, for that matter. This recipe is just fine. I will be baking many, many, many batches of your recipe and am confident they will be well received. I am happy these cookies are festive-looking without any extra decorating efforts. Easy, quick and pretty is the theme when so much is needed for my holiday mission, and I thank you for offering just such a recipe!
Hi, could I use fresh cranberries instead?
Yes, but keep in mind fresh cranberries will have moisture and likely soften the cookies. They’re also less sweet, so they’ll be more tart too.
I love these cookies. The only thing that keeps me from baking more often is the time the dough has to be in the fridge. Can I place the dough in the freezer for a shorter wait time ?
That would be fine. Just make sure not to leave it too long or it may be too hard to scoop.
Hi, I recently found your website and can’t wait to make these white choc and cranberry cookies. Am I being very silly in thinking you mean 4 x 12 cookies = 48?
Or do they serve 4 people?
The recipe does make 48 cookies 🙂
I sometimes like to add oats to my cookie recipes. I have not made these yet, but I wanted to ask what the adjustments to the recipe would be if I do add oats.
Thanks!
If you want to add oats, you can use this recipe. That one will make about 2 dozen cookies, but you can double it.
Hello, are you sure about the amount of butter in the recipe? The cookies came out a bit greasy, even after adding additional flour.
Yes, it’s correct. Were the cookies slightly underbaked by chance?
I really enjoyed it. I made some for my class presentation and they enjoyed it very much
I found this recipe over the holidays and had been hoping to make it, but time and traditional family cookies got the best of me. I received a stand mixer for Christmas and decided this would be the perfect recipe for its first run. They were delicious! So simple to make and my boyfriend couldn’t stop eating them! Thanks for posting! 🙂
How exciting about the stand mixer! So glad you liked the cookies!
Do you know how many calories are in them? They came out perfect so delicious !!!
So glad you liked them! I’m not sure on the calorie count, you can enter it in an app or website like My Fitness Pal to get an estimate though.
I baked these cookies last night for part of our Christmas cookie selection. The cookies are delicious & we love the chewy part! Every Christmas I bake a lot of cookies, then plate them up & give to friends & neighbors (of course we save some for ourselves too)
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas to you & your family.
So glad the cookies turned out great for you, Darlene! Merry Christmas to you and your family as well!
I made these cranberry, white choc cookies & we found them EXTREMELY sweet. Could we maybe cut down on sugar?
Since these have white chocolate in them, they are a little sweeter. You can just use 3/4 cup- 1 cup of white chocolate chips or reduce the sugar by 3-4 tablespoons.
Hi! When mixing butter and sugar, do we need to mix till fluffy white?
No, just for 1-2 minutes or until the butter and sugars are combined.
You suggest adding pecans or pistachios. Do you have any suggestions for measurement for the nuts? Would you need to adjust the measurement for something else in the recipe if you add the nuts?
I would start with about 1/2-3/4 cup, then add more if needed.
Could you add oatmeal to this recipe?
I actually have an oatmeal version here, I would recommend using that recipe instead 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if you can use baking powder instead of baking soda? ?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. You would need to use 3-4 times the amount of baking powder, since baking soda is stronger, and it would likely change the texture of the cookies.