White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are chewy, tasty, and the perfect addition to Christmas cookie tins. This white chocolate chip cookie recipe is easy to make, too!
If you love the sweet and tart combination of white chocolate and dried cranberries, then this cookie recipe is for you!
With slightly crisp edges, soft centers, and a chewy bite, these sweet treats are perfect at any time, but especially during the holidays!
If this flavor combo is a favorite of yours, I also have recipes for Instant Pot White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake and Cranberry Pie with Pecan Streusel. They're both so delicious and easy to make.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The recipe is easy to double or triple, for making more batches. As written, this recipe makes 16 white chocolate cranberry cookies. If you want to make a larger batch, adjust the servings by using the slider in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
- Not overly sweet. Some Christmas cookies have so much sugar in them, they can make your teeth hurt! This treat has a balance of sweet and tart flavors.
- An easy and affordable homemade gift to share. Make several batches and wrap each batch in a nice cookie tin or cellophane bag. Then, give them to your neighbors, friends, family, and/or coworkers.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
For this cranberry and white chocolate chip cookie recipe, you'll need:
- salted butter - Use the best quality butter you can afford. European-made butter is more expensive, but I splurge for my holiday baking. The upside is, it has less water and more milkfat than American-made butter. So, the butter tastes richer and creamier than butter made here the U.S.
- brown sugar
- granulated white sugar
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour - This is another ingredient that I recommend spending extra money if you are able to. If you can afford it, use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- baking soda
- dried cranberries
- white chocolate chips
📖 Time-Saving Tip - Testing Baking Soda or Baking Powder for Freshness
This simple little test can save you time and money, because if your leavener is expired, whatever you're baking wont rise in the oven! This test works for baking soda and baking powder:
- Add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda or powder to a small bowl. Stir in an equal amount of an acidic ingredient, like vinegar or citrus juice.
- If the solution doesn't start to bubble immediately, it's time to replace your leavener.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- Unsalted butter - I use salted butter, but unsalted butter can be used. If you will be using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to the cookie dough.
- Eggs - I didn't test this recipe using egg substitutes, but you can try it! For tips and suggestions, read my article on Egg Substitutions for Baking.
- White sugar: To reduce the calories of your Christmas cookies, feel free to use a cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option.
- Light brown sugar: There is more brown sugar than white sugar in this recipe, which helps give the cookies that perfect soft and chewy texture. Dark brown sugar will work, but it will give the cookies a more pronounced molasses flavor.
- All-purpose flour: If you'd like to make gluten-free cookies, substitute the AP flour with a cup-for-cup gluten free all-purpose flour. Popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- Sweetened dried cranberries - Use dried cranberries in these cookies, fresh cranberries hold too much moisture and will affect the texture of the cookies. You can use raisins but it will impact the flavor!
- White chocolate chips: White chocolate chips work so well with cranberries, however, feel free to substitute them with your favorite flavor of chocolate chips. You could also try white chocolate chunks!
- Vanilla extract is best for this recipe, as it adds a deeper vanilla flavor to the cookies. However, you can substitute with almond extract or vanilla essence.
How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
This is just a summary. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Cream the butter and sugars together. Be sure to use an electric mixer on high speed. You want whip air into the butter, so let your mixer run for 3-4 minutes.
When the butter mixture is light and fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients, using LOW speed. If the mixer speed is too high, you'll end up with flour all over yourself and your kitchen counter.
- Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. Waiting for the dough to chill is worth the effort. If you try to bake the cookies while the dough is warm, they'll end up thin and crispy.
- Portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a cookie scoop so your cookies are the same size. (The balls of dough don't have to be perfectly round). Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes in an oven preheated to 325°F/160°C.
Liz's Tips for the Best Christmas Cookies
- Use the best quality butter and flour that you can afford Especially if you plan to gift some of the cranberry white chocolate cookies to your friends and family.
- Don't skip the step of chilling the dough. If you do, your cookies will be thin and crispy instead of chewy and soft.
- Be sure that your portions of cookie dough are the same size. This will ensure that they all cook evenly, and for the same amount of time.
Storage
Storing: Store baked and cooled cranberry cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Both the uncooked dough and the baked cookies are suitable for freezing.
Can I freeze these cookies?: You can freeze cooked cranberry cookies or raw cookie dough for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw completely before enjoying or bake from frozen
Freezing Cookie Dough: You can freeze this cookie dough. Scoop into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for one hour. Once frozen transfer to a freezer safe ziploc bag and store for up to 3 months. Check out this post for How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips on saving cookie dough for later.
Serving Suggestion
Serve these cookies to your party guests on a themed dessert table. Or, include them in a holiday cookie box, or take them to your kiddo's school bake sale. There isn't a right or wrong way to enjoy this sweet treat!
They taste the best when they are slightly warm. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or hot cup of tea, and the company of a friend.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Recipe FAQ
If your cookies are flat, it's possible that you didn't cream the butter and sugars properly. While creaming the butter and sugars together, air is incorporated into the mixture. Trapped air pockets within the cookie dough will result in the fluffy cookies you love.
Chilling cookie dough is important for 2 reasons. It helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much as they bake.
Second, it allows the flavors to develop further, resulting in much tastier cookies.
Other Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Best Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Delicious Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Easy Jam Thumbprint Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla essence
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Add the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using electric hand beaters or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 1-2 minutes, until pale and creamy. If using a stand mixer, you may need to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat once again until well combined with the butter mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary.
- Add the flour and baking soda and beat on a low speed until the ingredients are just combined. Mix through the dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 325°F/160°c. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop and roll into a ball (it doesn’t have to be perfectly round). Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until light golden. The cookies will still be soft at this stage, but will firm up as they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Use the best quality butter and flour that you can afford Especially if you plan to gift some of the cranberry white chocolate cookies to your friends and family.
- Don't skip the step of chilling the dough. If you do, your cookies will be thin and crispy instead of chewy and soft.
- Be sure that your portions of cookie dough are the same size. This will ensure that they all cook evenly, and for the same amount of time.
M Nash
could not find the slider to adjust the recipe
Liz Marino
If you hover over the serving size you can easily slide it!
Danette
Can you make the dough the day before?
Liz Marino
You can, I would recommend forming the dough balls and chilling them overnight on a a baking sheet tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Let the sit at room temp for 10 minutes before baking.
Emily
Super moist, delicious, and our new favorite cookie! The cranberries and white chocolate chips together are so good! We shared with friends for the holidays, but I’ll be making these year round!
Carissa
I’m looking to level up my Christmas baking this year and this recipe did not disappoint! Such an easy cookie with lots of flavor-I love the tartness of the cranberry with the sweetness of the white chocolate. The texture came out really nice as well. I actually kept one of the cookie sheets in the oven for a few extra minutes to see if I would like them softer or more crispy and they’re both great. A nice addition to the holiday cookie list!