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?!
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
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temp
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar, make sure it is fresh and soft
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips, plus more for topping, if desired
- ¾ cup dried sweetened cranberries, plus more for topping, if desired
- sea salt, for garnish, I like flaky Maldon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine flour (see note), baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add egg and extracts and beat until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add ¾ cup each white chocolate chips and dried cranberries and stir until well combined.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon portions of dough and place the dough balls a couple inches apart on the cookie sheets. If desired, top each ball of dough with a few additional white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts (this makes for a prettier cookie). For thinner cookies you can flatten the dough balls slightly (with the palm of your hand).
- Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes, until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown and the center is still slightly underdone. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through cooking time, if necessary. If your dough balls are smaller or larger than 2 tablespoons, adjust bake time accordingly. Make sure not to overbake. The cookies should still be soft in the center when you remove them from the oven.**
- Place the baking sheets on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Suzy
My favorite cookies! Love how soft and chewy they are and the flavor is perfect!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Samantha
Hi, how many cookies does the recipe make if using 1.5 tablespoon scoop?
Allison
It should be around 20. Enjoy!
Lisalia
I’ve had this flavor combo before as an oatmeal cookie. THIS version is heavenly! Ahhh I can’t wait to make another batch!
Allison
Thank you! Enjoy!
Aubrey Nicole Masson
I doubled the recipe, and sifted my flour but my cookie dough is like dry and crumbly… should I add another egg?
Allison
Oh no! A little splash of milk might pull it together. Or if you used an egg that was small you could add another egg.
Shelly
I added 3/4 c walnuts and 1/2 water to the cranberries and brought to a boil to hydrate the fruit
Lauren
Lovely cookie recipe, was exactly what I was looking for. I did make a few adjustments as I didn’t have all the ingredients but they turned out great anyway. I used only vanilla essence and white sugar, plus 1/4 cup of sliced almonds as I only had 1/2 cup of cranberries. Soft, chewy and delicious cookies! Thanks 🙂
Allison
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Nicholas Patten
If I would want to add macadamia nuts to this, would the recipe need to be altered in any way to accommodate them? I’m excited to make these!
Allison
Hi! You should be able to add about 1/3 cup chopped nuts without making any other changes. Enjoy!
Dawna
I have been making a similar recipe for 20 years. But mine are pillowy cookies almost cake like. Plus I have two twists to the recipe that our game changers. I have to bake 20 dozen a season. Everyone I know asked for them. All our holiday plans were cancelled due to Covid . My husband and son demolished them all within the Holiday week
Erin
These were so delicious and easy to make!
Allison
I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by!
Susan Winborne
Can you use fresh cranberries?
Allison
I have only made the recipe as written. You’re welcome to play around with it. Just know that they will be quite tart with fresh cranberries.
Audrianna
This recipe is just so amazing!!! It’s so light and the cranberry adds such a freshness to it! These are one of my husband’s favorite cookies. He is not one to ask me to make something but he will ask for these! I made them again this morning for a cookie exchange that I have tonight and as a little twist, I added about 1tsp fresh orange zest that had sat in a little fresh squeezed juice (I zested 1orange and then squeezed approx 1/2 tsp of the juice over the zest and let it sit until I was ready for it. Then I just scooped out the zest to add to the wet ingredients and left the juice) and it really made these cookies pop! I look forward to these every year! I’d make them year round but I love the feeling of Christmas that they bring. I ate one fresh out of the oven and have been singing Christmas songs since 😆
Allison
Thanks for the kind review! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Tracy F
These cookies are the best! Soft and tasty! Everyone I gift them too loves them and asks for the recipe.
Allison
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂