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
I had the same issue as others with the cookies not spreading much… I always use a kitchen scale to measure flour and an oven thermometer. Wondering if it’s the baking powder? Other white chocolate cranberry cookie recipes use baking soda (powder puffs, soda spreads). The cookies still tasted yummy though, but I had to flatten the dough a bit before baking.
Regarding soaking the dried cranberries. I use the Ocean Spray brand of Craisins. How much hot water should I use? And do you have any suggestions of what to do with the hot water when I’m finished soaking them?
I have never made these cookies and in reading through many recipes, yours sounds the best and the reviews are almost all positive. I’m looking forward to making them. Thank you.
Hi Brenda! I did not measure the water, you just need enough to soak them for a hit. I threw out the water afterward, not sure what I would need or use it for. If you think of any ideas, feel free to share them here. I hope you love this recipe!
I made these along with the chocolate chip cookies. Everyone raved at the CC cookies but when I made these, every single person who tried them absolutely loved them. I was worried about the zest but that’s what makes them so great. And, they are Beautiful!!
I’m so glad that it was a hit! Thanks so much for your great comments and feedback, Pam.
Just like all the other recipes of yours that I have tried, I am looking forward to making these cookies for my daughter. The only thing, I have no oranges at the moment. How important is it to add the orange zest? Are there any substitutes for orange zest that you can recommend? Love your cookbook… Loved your appearances on GMA.
Great to hear that! It’s important but others who didn’t have oranges used lemon zest instead and liked it.
I made 2 double batches of these cookies, along with 3 other types of cookies for Christmas. These were my family and friends favorite cookie. The orange zest just takes the flavor up to the next level. Simply delicious and they stay soft for days.
That’s great! I’m glad it was a success
So good! My new favorite Christmas cookie! The sour cranberries and sweet chocolate chips are the perfect combo!
So glad you loved this, Valentina!
I just made these and followed the recipe exactly and the dough was so crumbly and the cookies never flattened out that they came out awful. I’m highly disappointed.
Hi Scott, I just made these yesterday as well and the dough should not be dry or crumbly. That is probably either due to not using enough butter (make sure you’re adding 12 Tbsp) or too much flour. Make sure to measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and scraping off the top. If you push your measuring cup into the flour bin, you can get up to 25% too much from compacting it. See our post on how to measure flour for baking.
Disappointed. Followed recipe exactly. All ingredients were fresh. Cookies were flat and spreading . Any advice?
Hi Mary Ann, I just baked these cookies and they way they are written, they should spread nicely but shouldn’t go flat. You might check that your baking powder is still active and not expired. Also, check out our post on how we measure ingredients for baking which may help.
Wow, Natasha, these are my new favorite cookie. It’s really hard to share these b/c they’re so delicious. I made a batch for a gathering and they were such a hit. I also included some candied orange peel that I ground up fine. Delicious. Thank you!
Yum! That sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Doris!
I made these last night to have for a family gathering this weekend. I wish I had made a double batch because I ate 4 of them! They are so good! Heading back to the store today to buy another orange so I can make more.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Christine!
I made these for a work function and they were a hit! I was going to make some for my family, but my mother is not a fan of cranberries, but she does like raspberries, do you think i could substitute fresh raspberries with no issues?
Hello Jenn, glad that this recipe was a huge hit! I haven’t tested this with raspberies to advise but feel free to experiment.
Came out fantastic. If the recipe is dry, I used a jumbo egg which I feel helps.
Thanks a lot for this review, Mary!
We LOVE these cookies! My hubby came across your recipe and requested I make them, and boy am I happy that I did! They came out perfect using fresh cranberries! Sharing with family today! Thank you for this recipe!
So glad to hear that, Trina! Thank you so much!
I just made these cranberry cookies and they did not turn out right. Two cups of flour and only one egg doesn’t seem like a lot of liquid. They came out very dry. I used chopped fresh cranberries so disappointed
Hi Patti! These shouldn’t be dry. I’ve gotten so much good feedback from my viewers using this recipe. If the cookies are dry, it’s likely because of using too much flour or baking for too long. Be sure to check out my tutorial on how to measure ingredients.
Absolutely delicious! Son and I just pulled the first batch out and are in heaven. My cookies retained the ball shape too. I measured the flour correctly so not sure besides maybe my egg was smaller? No idea but it doesn’t detract from the cookies at all
Hi Amanda! So glad you loved the recipe. Yes, if your egg is smaller it can make a difference as well. I’m glad they were still delish!
I use so many of your recipes and love them all…on your site as well as your new cookbook which I received a few weeks ago♥️
So anxious to bake these cookies to include in gift baskets along with 3 more of your Holiday Baked Goody Recipes to share with clients and friends, so I’m baking large quantities of each. FYI, when I change the quantities, not all of the ingredient information changes to the increased quantities. Just a heads up for those of you depending on doubling and tripling the recipes. Example:
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies…
1.5 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (12 Tbsp or 1.5 sticks)
It seems to be the info in parenthesis that doesn’t change with the new ingredient amount. You may be aware, but thought it was worth pointing out! KEEP THOSE FABULOUS RECIPES COMING, THANK YOU🎄
Thank you for sharing that with us, Paula. Happy to know that you are enjoying the recipes! As for your feedback on the quantities, we apologize but we have not found an app yet that would adjust everything but we’ll make sure to update them if our tech team finds a solution.
I made these to include in Christmas treat boxes I do every year and they were a perfect addition! They turned out great, and so delicious!
Hi Marie! That’s so great to hear. Thank you for the feedback.
Everyone loved these cookies! I did have a slight problem. The cookies were still pretty much ball shaped the two times I baked this recipe. I used a spoon to flatten them. How can I bake them to become more cookie shaped?
Hi Debbie! That’s often the result of using too much flour. I have a tutorial on How to measure ingredients here.
I want to try this recipe so much, but I only have a bag of whole frozen cranberries. Can I use them after a little chopping?
Hi Linda! I have not tried this with frozen cranberries. I assume it could work, but I would thaw and strain them well.
These turned out amazing! They didn’t flatten out like a lot of other cookie recipes. They were soft, chewy, and the contrasting flavors of the sweet chips and the tart cranberries were a perfect pairing. I used frozen cranberries and they worked wonderfully. I took them in to our church’s “Carol Sing and Cookies” and the plate of these delicious cookies were the first to be cleared. These will be on my holiday plates for years to come.
I’m really glad that you enjoyed these cookies! Thank you for your good comments and feedback.
Hi Denise! I am wondering if you thawed and strained them or used frozen? Please let me know since I too only have frozen cranberries available.
Hi Andrea, I let the cranberries thaw enough just to chop. They do render more liquid so just be careful when folding them in otherwise you’ll have pink cookies.
These were absolutely amazing! For a part of my dough I added some “speculaaskruiden”, which are kind of gingerbread-y in taste, which gave it an extra festive flavor to me. I recommend it! Thanks again for another amazing recipe. 🙂
Hi Katharina! Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m glad you loved the cookies.
My BF said these were best cookies ever. I forgot to write a review the first time, but I’m making again for neighbors and holiday party at work. Making grocery list now. Yum!!!
Hi Holly! Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I’m glad they were enjoyed!