This recipe for White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies will give you delicious soft, chewy, sweet cookies. This easy recipe is perfect for the holiday season and cookie exchanges.
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‘Tis the season for all things cranberry! As we get closer to the holiday season, the resurgence of cranberries really kicks in and I absolutely love it.
Cranberries are especially popular in appetizers, main dishes, and desserts this time of the year. White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies start popping up everywhere at this time.
So, why should you make this particular White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies recipe? Well, if you prefer the classic combination of white chocolate and cranberries in a buttery soft cookie that actually stays soft even days later, this is your recipe.
If you prefer regular chocolate, try this recipe for Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies instead. They can also be made with milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Why This Recipe Works
- Sweet white chocolate and bursts of tart cranberries taste delicious together. Add that combination to a soft, chewy, sweet cookie base and it’s pure perfection in every bite!
- The recipe is easy and straight-forward to make. For the best results, it does require chilling the dough, so plan accordingly.
- These cookies are perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Serve them at holiday gatherings or make a batch for your next cookie exchange.
How to Make White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- Butter and eggs should be at room temperature before mixing the dough.
- Spoon flour into a measuring cup without packing it down. Too much flour will result in dry dough and cookies.
- We highly recommend using high-quality baking products like King Arthur brand for the best results.
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
Set the butter out an hour or so before you begin preparing the dough to allow it time to come to room temperature.
Because this dough needs time to chill, you won’t preheat your oven until later.
Create!
Add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a small bowl and mix well.
Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until well blended.
Add the egg, then the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the flour mixture until thoroughly incorporated. The batter will be pretty stiff.
Mix in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips with a spoon or spatula. I actually found it easier to just use my hands.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or you can keep it in there for up to 3 days.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes so that it’s a easier to work with.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a Silpat-lined baking sheet 2-inches apart and 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 lightly golden.
Present!
Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks. The cookies will be very soft when hot, so allowing them to cool before removing them from the baking sheet will prevent breaking. They will firm up some as they cool.
Tips and Techniques
- Set the butter and egg out to come to room temperature at least an hour before you are ready to prepare the dough.
- Spoon flour into a measuring cup without packing it down. Too much flour will result in dry dough and cookies.
- Push extra cranberries and white chocolate chips into the dough balls right before baking to better show off what’s inside the cookies.
- Do not skip chilling the dough. If you don’t chill the dough, it is very likely that the cookies will spread too much while baking.
- Use Silpat-lined baking sheets to best prevent cookies from sticking. You can also use aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Store baked cookies in an air-tight container. Use within 5-7 days for the best results.
How to Freeze White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
- Prepared 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.
FAQ’s
Can You Use Fresh Cranberries In Cookies?
I have tested this recipe with fresh cranberries once and it worked out just fine. Frozen cranberries should work, as well. It does make the dough a little messier to work with, but they taste equally as delicious.
More Cranberry Recipes
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White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 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 white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and mix well.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until well blended and somewhat fluffy.
- Add the egg, then the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour mixture until thoroughly incorporated. The batter will be thick.
- Mix in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips with a spoon or spatula.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 3 days.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 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 and add more cranberries and chips to the tops, if desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden.
- 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 at least an hour before you are ready to prepare the dough.
- Spoon flour into a measuring cup without packing it down. Too much flour will result in dry dough and cookies.
- Push extra cranberries and white chocolate chips into the dough balls right before baking to better show off what's inside the cookies.
- Do not skip chilling the dough. If you don't chill the dough, it is very likely that the cookies will spread too much while baking.
- Use Silpat-lined baking sheets to best prevent cookies from sticking. You can also use aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Store baked cookies in an air-tight container. Use within 5-7 days for the best results.
How to Freeze
- Prepared White 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.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on October 20, 2018. It was updated with new images, more thorough instructions, tips, techniques, FAQ’s, and video in December 2020.
