These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are so delicious and festive. Soft and chewy cranberry cookies studded with white chocolate chips and orange zest, create the perfect balance of sweetness from the white chocolate and the tartness of cranberry.
These soft-baked cookies will be a favorite on your Christmas cookie platter this year. Arrange them with your Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies, and your holiday treats will steal the spotlight at any cookie swap or party you have planned.
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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
I love serving festive cookies, whether at home, at a friendly cookie swap, or as a gift for a neighbor or friend. While I certainly appreciate the artistry of decorated cookies, I am also thankful when the ingredients themselves naturally elevate the flavor and presentation. If you love easy cookies like the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies, this recipe is for you. These easy-to-make cookies are delicious and effortlessly beautiful with bright red cranberries and snow-white chocolate chips poking through.
You can use fresh or dried cranberries in this recipe, though fresh cranberries are preferred for a softer and brighter cookie (see the comparison below). Fresh cranberries will also need to bake for a couple of minutes longer since they hold a bit more moisture.
Here’s why you will love these Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies:
- Easy to make – This recipe makes 3 dozen cookies, which might sound like a lot, but they’re so sweet, comforting, and giftable so they’ll be gone in no time.
- Festive – The red and white contrast of cranberries and white chocolate morsels will enhance your holiday cookie trays but are fantastic year-round.
- Make ahead – The dough can be made ahead of time and the baked cookies are freezer-friendly.
- Customizable – Want chocolate? Add chocolate chips. Like a crunch? Add nuts. See other variations below. You can also use fresh or dried cranberries.
Ingredients
This cookie recipe requires very little prep. Good-looking cookies do not have to be hard to make. Grab your measuring cups and mixer, because this recipe is nothing more than scoop, measure, pour, and mix.
- Butter – unsalted and softened and room temperature
- Sugar – for sweetness and to help get those perfectly crisp edges
- Brown Sugar – helps to give a chewy texture and richer color
- Flour – all-purpose, or replace with your favorite GF flour. Be sure to measure flour correctly.
- Orange Zest – adds a fresh citrus zing. It’s an easy to way to add great flavor.
- Vanilla – I use my homemade pure Vanilla Extract (These make great holiday gifts too!)
- Egg – should be large and room temperature
- Baking Powder – helps your cookies rise, we don’t want flat cookies on our cookie tray
- Salt – to balance the sweetness
- White Chocolate Chips – I love when these melt giving you little pockets of delicious white chocolate in every bite.
- Cranberries – fresh, coarsely chopped, or substitute with dried cranberries if necessary. If you soak your cranberries in hot water for 15-20 minutes, you’ll get softer cookies.
Substitutions
These cranberry cookies can be made to your flavor preferences- add chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, lemon zest, or even a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Pro Tip:
Dried cranberries bake 1-3 minutes faster than fresh cranberries (which have more moisture), so be sure to watch your cookies in the oven to prevent them from overcooking. Watch for the edges to turn golden brown and you’ll know they’re done to perfection.
How to Make Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
- Prepare – Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Wet Ingredients – Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat well to incorporate. Beat in the zest and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is mixed in.
- Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined and the cookie dough comes together.
- Fold – Using a stiff spatula, fold in the chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips. Don’t overmix, you don’t want to smoosh the cranberries.
- Shape and Bake – Shape into 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown at the edges (Cookies with dried cranberries will bake faster, about 11-13 minutes).
- Cool – Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip:
Use a small trigger-release cookie scoop to get evenly-sized cookie dough balls every time.
Make-Ahead
To store cookies: transfer to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen or refrigerated for longer storage.
Make-ahead: If you are not baking right away, wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 72 hours. To bake, remove from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature until the dough softens enough to scoop.
To freeze cookie dough: Place cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet, cover, and freeze for an hour or until solid. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a large Ziploc bag and freeze up to 3 months.
To bake frozen cookie dough: Place the frozen cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and thaw in the refrigerator for 3 hours before baking per the recipe instructions.
Sending you the merriest wishes on your Christmas baking journey. May your oven be precise, your ingredients be plenty, and each cookie be a sweet reflection of the joy and warmth of the season.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
If you love these Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies, then you’ll want to try these other tried and true Christmas cookies. Try one, or try them all and have the most beautiful holiday spread.
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Chocolate Truffles
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Almond Snowball Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (12 Tbsp or 1.5 sticks)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp grated orange zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, or use your favorite GF flour, measured correctly
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 cups white chocolate chips
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (8 oz. bag), coarsely chopped, or substitute 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and both sugars for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well to incorporate. Beat in the zest and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined and dough comes together.
- Using a stiff spatula, stir in the cranberries and chocolate chips just until incorporated. Shape into 1-inch balls (a small cookie scoop makes it easy) and place 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown at the edges (Cookies with dried cranberries will bake faster, about 11-13 minutes).
- Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
The white chocolate cranberry cookies are now my families favorite!
That’s wonderful, Troy!
I know these are going to be delicious, TY for the recipe. Please let me know if fresh frozen cranberries will work as i have 3 bags in my freezer, but I’m concerned they may add too much moisture – what do you recommend? TY
Hi Angela. I haven’t tested it with frozen cranberries, but we’ve tested it with dry cranberries and they work well.
Hi Natasha! I can’t wait to make these! Is there anyway that I can use frozen cranberries for this recipe?
I haven’t tested it with frozen cranberries, but we’ve tested it with dry cranberries and they work well.
I just made these cookies. Wow, so delicious. I did not have oranges, so I used lemon zest instead, They were still perfect, crunchy on the surface, soft in the center, perfect level of sweetness. I have an oven heated by propane gas do they took a bit longer to bake. Now I have to figure out how not to eat all 36 all at once! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sounds delish! Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you loved the recipe!
I am looking forward to making these for my daughter in law. I will need to mail them from Meridian to San Diego. Do you have any tips on shipping food items?
Hi Debra! I do not, I’m sorry.
Delightful, all the flavors of a cranberry bliss bar with none of the hassle! Will be a go to Christmas cookie for years to come. NUMMMMMMM
Thank you, Tracey for your wonderful feedback!
I am allergic to cranberries. Has anyone tried this recipe with cherries?
Hi Debra! I think it would work. One of my readers on Facebook shared that she has made these with raspberries and blueberries.
Hi Natasha!! Love all of your recipes, so delicious!! I do have a question. Can these be made without the white chocolate (not a fan)? Would there be something else that can be substituted!! Thank you and Merry Christmas!!
Hi Annette, yes you can substitute them, These cranberry cookies can be made to your flavor preferences- add chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, lemon zest, or even a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Hi Natasha – when you say “soak cranberries” do you mean soak either dried or fresh cranberries. I have heard of soaking dried cranberries but never heard of soaking fresh cranberries. This recipe look yummy!!!!
Hi Jacqueline, this is for fresh cranberrries.
Hi Natasha, I haven’t actually made these yet, but they look yummy and I have high hopes. I wanted to ask if there are any changes in the recipe for high altitude?
Hi Teona! To be honest, I have no experience with high altitude baking so I am not sure. You may find this article from King Arthur baking on high altitude baking helpful!
Hi Natasha! Love all your awesome recipes! They are all delicious! I just bought 3 of your cookbooks to give to my family and friends as Christmas gifts and I cannot wait to give them over the holidays. Thank you!
Can I use leftover homemade cranberry sauce in this recipe instead of whole cranberries? Looking for a way to use up the leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving.
Hi Carrie! Thank you so much for purchasing the cookbook. I’m not sure how the cranberry sauce would work. My concern would be that it could change the consistency of the batter and effect the texture because of how wet sauce is. If you experiment, let us know it turns out.
I’m glad I got the recipe perfectly the first time. I always undercook or overcook my cookies. These are so good and perfect for the holidays. I love that they are freezer friendly too.
That’s wonderful, Mel! Thank you for sharing.
My grandson loves craisins. Im just wondering would craisins work?
Hi Marilyn. See my note above for instructions on this. I hope you love the recipe!
I was weary of these b/c the dough seem stiff and dry, but they turned out amazing! Great recipe!!
Hi CMG! I’m glad they turned out well for you. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. That is likely the cause. I have a tutorial on How to measure ingredients here.
Do you need to decrease the sugar if using the dried cranberries since they are sweeter?
Hi Anna. We did not make any changes when we tested it with dry cranberries.
These sound perfect for church coffee hour. Should I soak the cranberries before or after I chop them?
Hi Peggy! Either way will work. I hope you love the recipe!
Love watching your tutorials and have made some of your recipes. I just wish you included metric measures in your recipes. Keep up the good work.
Hi Pauline! Thank you for the feedback. In the recipe card, you can click on the “metric” button for conversions. Most of my recipes have this option but we are working on getting this added to all the recipes.
Yess I love it when metric is included! Really hope it’s added soon for this recipe, but in the mean time I’ll do it myself. ☺️
Hi Natasha! I can’t wait to make these! If I soak the cranberries in hot water as you mentioned, how dry do they need to be before I add them to the dough?
Hi Angela, I would drain them and get as much water off as you can. I hope you love this recipe.
Hi Angela! The don’t need to dry but try not to add excess liquid to the batter, drain the well. I hope you love the recipe!
These cookies were delicious and my entire family scarfed them down! The perfect holiday cookie! I’ll for sure be making them again!
Hi Pam! That’s wonderful. I’m glad they were a hit!
I love these so much! The cranberries work so well with the white chocolate, they are absolutely delicious.
Thank you for sharing, April! So glad you loved the recipe.