White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies have crisp edges, soft centers, and a secret ingredient that makes them taste like they came from a bakery.

Say hello to White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. These beauties are soft, rich, chewy, and sweet. Basically everything we need to  make it through the busiest month of the year. Who’s ready to make cookies?!

Jump to:

• What makes these cookies the best?
• Secret ingredient
• Recipe tips
• Recipe

What makes these cookies the best?

• Ease – The dough comes together in minutes with a basic list of ingredients. Simply scoop and drop the dough onto baking sheets.
• No chill time – These cookies can be baked immediately, no need to chill the dough.
• Perfect texture – Crisp edges, soft centers, creamy white chocolate, and chewy dried cranberries. 
• Delicious – An incredible flavor combo: dried cranberries, white chocolate, vanilla extract, and a touch of almond extract. I use the dough from my White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies as the base for this recipe. 

Secret ingredient

If you’ve been around for a while you might have already guessed my secret ingredient: almond extract. This is one of my favorite ingredients for making homemade baked goods taste like they came from a bakery. We’re adding just a touch of almond extract, and it complements the flavor of vanilla extract, white chocolate, and dried cranberries perfectly.

Recipe tips

• Use good quality white chocolate chips. Ghirardelli and Guittard are my favorites.
• Don’t over soften your butter. It should be softened, but still cool to the touch (definitely not melting in some spots). If you accidentally over-soften the butter by microwaving it or leaving it in a warm kitchen for too long, you can still assemble the cookie dough, just chill it for 1-2 hours before baking. 
• Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies. A 1-½ tablespoon scoop is my favorite. For this recipe, I use a heaping 1-½ tablespoon scoop
• Once you place your cookie dough balls on the baking sheet you can top them with a few extra white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. This makes for a prettier cookie.
• Do not overbake. These cookies should be removed from the oven when they still appear underdone. The edges should be set but the center should still look under baked. They should be delicate enough that you can NOT pick them up off the baking sheet straight out of the oven. As they cool on the baking sheet they will continue baking and they will firm up as they cool. 
• Leftover white chocolate chips? Make this two ingredient White Chocolate Mousse.

Can you freeze these cookies?

Yes! You can freeze the cookie dough balls (unbaked) or you can freeze baked cookies.

Freezing cookie dough: Place the portioned cookie dough balls in a single layer on a baking sheet or platter. Freeze until they are firm, then transfer the dough balls into zip top freezer storage bags (I often double bag them). Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Flatten the dough balls slightly before baking and add a minute or two to bake time if they’re coming straight from the fridge.

Freezing baked cookies: Place the baked and cooled cookies in zip top freezer storage bag (I often double bag them). Freeze for up to 3 months. Serve at room temperature, or warm slightly in the microwave to get the white chocolate a little melty.

More desserts

• Cranberry Bliss Bars
• Peppermint Cookies
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
• Cheesecake Cookies
• White Chocolate Raspberry Trifle
• Kitchen Sink Cookies

Recipe