Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies are soft, chewy, and incredibly delicious! Decadent enough for special occasions and cookie exchanges, yet simple enough to make just because!
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If you’re not a fan of White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (add link), or just want to shake things up a bit, then these Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies are the way to go!
I credit my oldest son with getting me hooked on dark chocolate a couple years ago. He kept asking me to use it in recipes because he prefers dark chocolate candy better than milk chocolate. After making quite a few really decadent recipes, like Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes and Dark Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies, with great success, I now reach for it first when making dessert recipes.
Loaded with rich, dark chocolate chips and sweet dried cranberries, this is definitely a cookie recipe that will satisfy both chocolate lovers and those who like their cookies soft baked. Each bite is soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor. They are pretty much everything a cookie should be.
If you’re not as much of a fan of dark chocolate as we are, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips will work great in this recipe as well!
The best part of this whole recipe though is that these cookies stay soft! Yep, even a few days later, they are still perfectly soft and chewy!
Please keep in mind that for the best results, this cookie dough does require a period of chilling. Just be sure to factor that in when you decide to make these.
How to Make Soft Baked Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
Prep!
Set your butter and egg out to come to room temperature about an hour before you begin baking.
Because this recipe does require chilling the dough, you won’t preheat your oven until a bit later.
Create!
Add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly blended.
Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer.
Add the egg, then the vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture gradually until thoroughly incorporated. The batter will be very firm.
Mix in the dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips by hand with a spoon. I actually found it easier to use my hands!
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill for at least an hour, or you can leave it in the refrigerator unbaked for up to 3 days.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes so that it’s a bit easier to work with.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a Silpat-lined baking sheet 2-inches apart, then flatten each ball of dough slightly. Press extra chips and cranberries into the tops, is desired.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are just golden brown.
Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks. Cookies will be very soft when hot, so allowing them to cool before removing them is essential to prevent breaking. But, don’t worry! They will firm up as they cool.
Enjoy!
Tips and Techniques
- Set the butter and egg out to come to room temperature an hour or so before you are ready to prepare the dough.
- Push extra cranberries and dark chocolate chips into the dough balls right before baking to better show off what’s inside the cookies.
- For the best results, do not skip chilling the dough.
- Use Silpat-lined baking sheets to prevent the cookies from sticking. You can also use aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Store baked cookies in an air-tight container for up to 5-7 days.
How to Freeze Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
- Prepared Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
- You can freeze the dough whole, or pre-roll it into 1-inch balls before freezing.
- To bake pre-rolled balls from frozen, add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
- Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling into 1-inch balls to bake.
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Soft Baked Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter * at room temperature
- 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg * at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 Cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Thoroughly combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well blended and fluffy.
- Add the egg, then the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture gradually until thoroughly incorporated. The batter will be thick.
- Mix in the dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips by hand with a spoon.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill for at least an hour, or up to 3 days
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a Silpat-lined baking sheet 2-inches apart.
- Flatten each ball of dough slightly. You can add more cranberries and chips to the tops, if desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are just golden brown.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Set the butter and egg out to come to room temperature an hour or so before you are ready to prepare the dough.
- Push extra cranberries and dark chocolate chips into the dough balls right before baking to better show off what’s inside the cookies.
- For the best results, do not skip chilling the dough.
- Use Silpat-lined baking sheets to prevent the cookies from sticking. You can also use aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Store baked cookies in an air-tight container for up to 5-7 days.
How to Freeze Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
- Prepared Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
- You can freeze the dough whole, or pre-roll it into 1-inch balls before freezing.
- To bake pre-rolled balls from frozen, add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
- Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling into 1-inch balls to bake.
Bilyana says
When do you put the egg? The recepée really looks nice
Lauren Vavala says
Thanks so much for letting me know that I left that part out, I really appreciate it. I just updated the recipe and the post. You add the egg and vanilla after the butter and sugars.
– Lauren
Bilyana says
Thank you Lauren!
We made them- they are sooo delicious!
Lauren Vavala says
Awesome! I’m glad you liked them! Please feel free to leave a star rating next time – it would help me a lot to get my recipes shown to more people 🙂
– Lauren
Jenna says
The combo of dark chocolate with cranberry is so underrated! Making these for a cookie swap!
Ellen says
I love the sweet – tart of the dark chocolate and cranberries in these cookies.
Jill says
Well these look absolutely amazing. I’d much prefer dark chocolate with cranberry than white. Gonna try this recipe!
Tisha says
Delicious soft cookies! I need some right away!
Andrea Metlika says
These are so delectable! I want to make them right now. chocolate and cranberry go so well together.