These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy with plenty of texture from old-fashioned oats. Brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a touch of molasses give them warm, cozy flavor, while white chocolate chips and dried cranberries add sweet-tart contrast—an easy, delicious cookie for the holidays.
Updated December 8, 2022 with new photos, slight recipe adjustments and fresh tips.
Why you’ll love these White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal cookies are a timeless favorite, and this version is especially suited to the holidays. The cookies are reliably soft and chewy instead of dry or overly crunchy. Brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla deliver classic cookie flavor, and a small amount of molasses adds depth and chewiness. Dried cranberries bring a bright tartness, while white chocolate chips add creamy sweetness—together they create a simple but very satisfying cookie.
If you want a rustic, homey Christmas cookie that needs no icing or decorating, this recipe fits the bill. The dough comes together easily and, after chilling, yields cookies that are perfect for snacking by the fire or sharing at gatherings.
This recipe is a slight adaptation of an oatmeal-raisin cookie: it uses a bit more cinnamon and swaps honey for molasses to give a deeper, cozier flavor for winter. Raisins are replaced by dried cranberries and white chocolate chips for a festive twist.
Important: The dough must chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Without chilling, the cookies will spread too thin and lose their chewy texture.
Size notes: For medium cookies I use about 1.5–2 tablespoons of dough each. If you prefer larger, bakery-style cookies, use roughly 3 tablespoons per cookie and bake for 12–14 minutes.
Make-ahead and storage tips
You can prepare the dough 1–2 days ahead: cover and refrigerate the formed dough or the whole bowl. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and portion the dough onto lined baking sheets.
Cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 2 months—store in a freezer bag and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time; do not thaw before baking. Fully baked and cooled cookies can also be frozen; separate layers with parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies stay fresh for up to 5 days.
These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are chewy, flavorful and comfortingly rustic. They aren’t heavily decorated, but the combination of oats, cinnamon, white chocolate and cranberries makes them a holiday favorite for casual snacking, gift plates, or cookie exchanges.
If you enjoy cranberries in baked goods, try other cranberry recipes for the season.
White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
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Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (105 g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 g)
- 1 tablespoon molasses or honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (120 g)
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (90 g)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (50 g)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
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Add the egg, molasses and vanilla and beat until combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
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Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, starting on low speed and increasing to medium until incorporated.
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Reduce the mixer to low and beat in the oats.
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Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
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Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 48 hours—this prevents excessive spreading and ensures a chewy texture.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 325°F (170°C) for convection. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
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Portion the dough into balls of about 1.5–2 tablespoons each. Place 1.5–2 inches apart on the prepared sheets and flatten slightly.
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Bake one tray at a time in the center of the oven for 9–11 minutes, until the tops are just set. Let cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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Optionally press a few extra white chocolate chips onto the tops of the warm cookies for presentation.
Notes
- Oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats for the best texture. Quick oats will work but give a softer texture; avoid instant or steel-cut oats.
- Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cookie dough balls freeze up to 2 months. Bake from frozen and add 1–2 minutes to the bake time; do not thaw first.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate based on 1 cookie assuming 20 cookies per batch.
Nutrition
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