featured 6756

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie Recipe for Festive Baking

These cranberry white chocolate cookies are soft and chewy with slightly golden edges. The combination of white chocolate and dried cranberries makes them perfect for ChristmasStack of white chocolate cranberry cookies with the top cookie broken in half.

This recipe was originally published November 2017 and updated December 2020 with a slightly revised method, new photos, and extra baking tips.

These cranberry white chocolate cookies are an easy holiday cookie: soft and chewy in the middle with lightly golden, slightly crisp edges. The sweet white chocolate and tart dried cranberries make a classic pairing for Christmas baking.

Baking Tips

  • Use real unsalted butter, softened to room temperature but not melted. Butter choice and temperature affect flavor and texture.
  • An extra egg yolk (you’ll use one whole egg plus one yolk) helps make the cookies chewier.
  • Measure flour accurately. Too much flour gives dry, thick cookies. For best results weigh the flour (2 cups ≈ 250 g) or whisk it, spoon into the measuring cup, and level with a knife.
  • Chill the dough for at least 3 hours so the cookies don’t spread too much while baking. Results may vary if you skip chilling.
  • Use a cookie scoop to form even dough balls for consistent baking.
  • To create an attractive finish, remove the cookies from the oven when the tops look just set, then press a few extra white chocolate chips onto each warm cookie.

Cookie tray with cookie dough balls.

Make-Ahead Tips

You have a couple of convenient options for preparing in advance.

  1. Make the dough up to 48 hours before baking. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough and let it sit at room temperature 10–15 minutes if it’s too firm to scoop.
  2. Form the dough into balls, chill about 30 minutes to firm, then transfer to a freezer bag with excess air removed. Freeze up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen and add 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

These cookies are easy, chewy, and festive—ideal for holiday cookie trays. If you have leftover cranberries, try them in other festive bakes as well.

Plate of cranberry white chocolate cookies with a glass of milk.

Stack of white chocolate cranberry cookies with the top cookie broken in half.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

By: Fiona Dowling
Soft, chewy cookies with slightly golden edges—white chocolate and dried cranberries are a festive match.
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 9 mins
Chilling: 3 hrs
Total: 4 hrs
Servings: 30 cookies
Pin Recipe
Rate Recipe
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed (or 1/2 cup dark brown + 1/2 cup white sugar)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk, discard the white
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour*, measured correctly
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the egg, the extra yolk, and the vanilla extract.
  • With the mixer on low, add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until just combined.
  • Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 48 hours.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  • Remove dough from the fridge and portion into balls of about 1.5 tablespoons each (slightly smaller than a golf ball). Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. If too firm to scoop, let rest 10–15 minutes at room temperature.
  • Bake 9–11 minutes, or until the tops look just set. Remove from oven and, if desired, press a few extra white chocolate chips onto the warm cookies.

Notes

  1. To measure flour correctly, whisk it first, then spoon into the cup and level off. Or weigh: 2 cups all-purpose flour ≈ 250 grams (8½ oz). Do not scoop directly from the bag.
  2. After forming dough balls, freeze in a sealed bag up to 2 months. Bake from frozen and add 1–2 minutes to bake time; do not thaw first.
  3. Store baked cookies in an airtight container up to 4 days. Cooled cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.
  4. Nutrition values are estimates per cookie, assuming 30 equal-sized cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 137 kcal, Carbohydrates: 19 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 25 mg, Sodium: 60 mg, Potassium: 36 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 12 g




Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!