Easy soft and chewy oatmeal cookies packed with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. These White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are a perfect treat for the holidays!

Overhead view of seven oatmeal cranberry cookies on a white plate. Additional cookies rest on the counter.

I couldn’t let the holidays pass without sharing another oatmeal cookie recipe that I absolutely love!

I originally posted the recipe for these white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies back in 2015, but I wanted to update the pictures for these cookies and add a video to show you just how easy they are to make.

Not only are these cookies easy to make, but they’re also jam-packed with so many goodies. You can even mix in some chopped pecan for a little something extra in these cookies. Trust me when I say that this is one cookie recipe you’ll want to keep on hand for the holidays!

Recipe Ingredients 

These oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chip cookies call for ingredients you likely have in your pantry already. Here’s what you’ll need to make this oatmeal cookie recipe: 

  • All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring it, otherwise your cookies may turn out dry. 
  • Baking soda: Gives the cookies some lift. 
  • Cinnamon: Just 1/2 teaspoon complements the white chocolate and tart cranberries. 
  • Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the dough. 
  • Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter since the amount of salt in salted butters can vary between different brands.
  • Sugar: I used a blend of granulated and brown sugar to sweeten and flavor the dough. 
  • Egg: Should be room temperature before making the dough. 
  • Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. 
  • Oats: I recommend using old-fashioned (rolled) oats for this recipe. 
  • Dried cranberries: I used sweetened dried cranberries. 
  • White chocolate chips: If you don’t have white chocolate chips on hand, you can also chop up a white chocolate bar. 

Close up view of oatmeal cranberry cookies lined up on a baking sheet.

How to Make White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies 

The base of these white chocolate cranberry cookies is very similar to my oatmeal raisin cookies with a couple of small changes.  You’ll start by whisking together a few dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and a little salt.

For the wet ingredients, you’ll cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Once the butter and sugars are well combined, you’ll mix in an egg and some vanilla extract. After you combine the wet and dry ingredients, slowly mix in the old-fashioned rolled oats, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips until they’re just combined.

Once you’re finished mixing up the cookie dough, you’ll want to cover it and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes. I prefer to chill my cookie dough because it prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and creates a thicker cookie.

Then, bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes until the tops of the cookies are set.  They may feel slightly underdone when they come out of the oven, but that is exactly what you want if you’re looking for incredibly soft cranberry white chocolate chip cookies.

Once they’ve cooled for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet, you can transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Or you can go ahead and enjoy them, because does anyone really wait for a cookie to completely cool first?

A stack of three white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies. Additional cookies surround the stack.

Can I Make These Into Cookie Bars? 

A few readers have asked whether they can make these white chocolate oatmeal cranberry cookies into cookie bars. I believe you could make cookies bars with this recipe, but I would probably use an 8- or 9-inch square pan. You would need to increase the baking time, but it will depend on the size of the pan that you use.

Can I Use Fresh Cranberries? 

I’ve only tested this recipe with dried cranberries, but it would probably be fine to use fresh cranberries. If experimenting with fresh cranberries, remember that they’ll release a lot of moisture once baked so you may need to adjust the dry ingredients to compensate. 

Baking Tips

  • When measuring your flour, don’t scoop it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
  • Be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats in these cookies and not quick-cooking oats. Quick-cooking oats are pressed much thinner and don’t provide the same chewy texture in oatmeal cookies.
  • Make sure to chill your cookie dough for at least 30 minutes so the cookies don’t spread too much in the oven.

Video Tutorial

More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes to Try! 

White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

4.93 from 104 ratings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Easy soft and chewy oatmeal cookies packed with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. These White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are a perfect treat for the holidays!
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Ingredients

Servings: 24 cookies
  • 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg , room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (150 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup (105 grams) sweetened dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup (140 grams) white chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer), beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and then the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the oats, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips and mix until fully combined.
  • Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Using a 1.5-2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets. Roll the cookie dough into balls and very gently press down with your hand to flatten each ball of cookie dough slightly (make sure not to flatten them completely, just slightly).
  • Bake in separate batches at 350°F for 10-13 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Storage instructions: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Freezing instructions: Cookie dough will freeze well for up to 3 months, bake from frozen for an additional 1-2 minutes. Baked cookies will also freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw at room temperature before serving.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle Rye
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.