Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies — Bursting with texture and each bite is loaded with tart, chewy cranberries and sweet white chocolate! The perfect fall or holiday cookie recipe! 

white chocolate cranberry cookies on a wood surface

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies 

It’s National Cookie Day and ’tis the season to bake cookies. Especially soft and chewy ones that are loaded with cranberries and white chocolate chips.

These cookies were inspired by a two recent recipes. First, from my love of the Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies I made a couple weeks ago. That dough is made using good old-fashioned simple ingredients. There’s nothing fancy, or specialty about it but the resulting cookies taste exceedingly special. Never under-estimate the power of butter and sugar.

Compared to the more recent Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies, which is my new favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies, the Sugar-Doodle dough is a bit sweeter and more delicate. I knew it would be the perfect dough base to support copious amounts of tart dried cranberries and sweet white chocolate morsels.

white chocolate and cranberry cookie that's been cut in half

Additionally, I couldn’t get the Cranberry Bliss Bars out of my mind. They’re loaded with cranberries and oodles of white chocolate, baked in a soft and tender bar that’s a dead ringer for the Starbucks version. I have to resist the urge to go back for seconds, or thirds. It’s a good thing the batch size is only eight.

This recipe is an ode to Cranberry Bliss Bars, in cookie form.

There is nothing worse than an under-stuffed, under-loaded, under-sauced or just under-whelming dessert. If it’s a chocolate chip cookie, I use enough chocolate chips and also add chocolate chunks to ensure I know it’s a chocolate. Or I use chocolate five ways.

If it’s a piece of cake, I liberally glaze it, ganache it, or stud it with a wall-like layer of streusel topping. Live in abundance. And I abundantly used dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, and dough really couldn’t hold much more.

overhead view of cranberry white chocolate chip cookies on a wood surface

Living in abundance can be a double-edge sword and this is the season for it. Everywhere I turn there’s a holiday cookie tray, dessert platter with fudge on it, or another specialty holiday product for sale in the grocery store with a ‘limited time only’, heightening my urgency to have it now.

The nice thing about this dried cranberry cookies recipe is that it’s a smaller-batch recipe, yielding about 16 cookies, not dozens and dozens. Double the recipe if you need more abundance than I do.

The cookies have chewy edges and tender, soft, pillowy centers. They’re moist and are bursting with texture. Each bite is full of something chewy. Either a tart and wrinkly cranberry or sweet and smooth white chocolate. As the cookies bake, the white chocolate melts and meshes with the buttery dough in a scrumptious way.

A cross between a chewy sugar cookie, a fluffy snickerdoodle, and a Cranberry Bliss Bar, they’re the best of all worlds and a new holiday favorite.

white chocolate cranberry cookies resting on each other

What’s in White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies? 

To make these white chocolate dried cranberry cookies, you’ll need: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Egg
  • Cream or milk
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Bread flour 
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Dried cranberries 
  • White chocolate chips 

close up of two white chocolate cranberry cookies

How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies 

The dough comes together in minutes. Cream together butter, sugars, an egg, vanilla, a splash of cream or milk, then add the flour and mix-ins. I used a combination of both bread and all-purpose flours because bread flour produces chewier cookies and I love a good chew-fest.

In order to get maximum height and to ensure the cookies spread as little as possible while baking, the dough must be chilled prior to baking. You can make this dough up to 5 days in advance and allow it to remain in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake the cookies.

Bake one or two cranberry white chocolate chip cookies at a time, or make the whole batch at once.

Do I Have to Use Bread Flour? 

Exclusively using all-purpose is fine but the resulting cookies likely won’t be quite as chewy or have as much height. Bread flour also adds increased structure, height, and rise to baked goods, thanks to it’s higher gluten content. These sweet and golden cookies baked up tall and proud.

How to Store Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired. 

half of a white chocolate dried cranberry cookie

Tips for Making White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

You can make this recipe using plain dried cranberries, or I also love using the orange-scented ones from Trader Joe’s. 

If you don’t have white chocolate chips on hand, feel free to chop up a chocolate bar. 

And if you have more patience than I do, you could even drizzle white chocolate over these cookies or dunk half into a bowl of white chocolate. The cookies don’t need it, but I bet that would be delicious! 

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4.60 from 5 votes

Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Averie Sunshine
Bursting with texture and each bite is loaded with tart, chewy cranberries and sweet white chocolate! The perfect holiday cookie recipe! 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 16
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Ingredients  

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons cream or milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup bread flour, see notes below
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup 8 ounces white chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add the sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, cream, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flours, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
  • Add the cranberries, white chocolate chips, and beat momentarily with the mixer until combined or fold in by hand. Transfer dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray.
  • Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, form heaping mounds weighing 2 1/4-ounces each (weighed on a scale, which is approximately a scant 1/4-cup measure) and place them on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until pale golden and edges have just set, even if slightly undercooked in the center, as cookies will firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked for 9 minutes and have chewy edges with soft pillowy centers. For crunchier cookies, extend baking time by 1 to 2 minutes).
  • Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing.

Notes

Notes regarding the flour: Solely using all-purpose flour will work as well, but the cookies will not be as chewy or rise as well because bread flour creates chewier results and gives greater rise. Also, I live in a dry climate and only need 1 3/4 cups flour total but if you are in more humidity or your dough is very moist or loose, adding up to 1/4 cup of additional flour, for 2 cups total, is possible. The more flour, the more the cookies will stay domed and puffed while baking.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Inspired by Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies and Cranberry Bliss Bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 212kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 128mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Cranberry Desserts: 

Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat Recipe} — The flavor in the Bliss Bars is very similar to the cookies, but they are more loaded and decadent!

Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat Recipe}

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Bliss Cake — This fast, easy, no-mixer cake is light, soft, fluffy, and moist. It’s springy and bouncey, with just enough density to give it some heft and dimension.

Cranberry Bliss Seven Layer Bars — A buttery graham cracker crust, topped with white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk! 

Crustless Cranberry Pie —A FAST, super EASY, no-mixer dessert that’s perfect for holiday entertaining!! Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FESTIVE recipe! Take advantage of those fresh cranberries!!

Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars — The bars are soft, slightly chewy, and the hearty oats with big crumbles are a perfect contrast to the juicy cranberry filling.

Cranberry Orange Bread— The fresh cranberries in this cranberry orange bread contrast nicely with the sweet orange glaze, making it the perfect blend of sweet and tart!

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies — The soft, buttery, caramely, brown sugary, blondie base is the perfect complement to the chewy, tart cranberries.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. One of my sister-in-laws brought a cranberry white chocolate snack mix to a family Christmas gathering many years ago and I have been in love with that combination ever since. I have also become a big fan of using bread flour in cookies and chilling the dough before baking. Both have made a difference in how my cookies turn out and I would love to try these!

    1. I am glad you’re into the bread flour, chilling the dough, and that they’ve really helped your results – and that mix of your SILs sounds perfect!

  2. I’m on such a cranberry kick lately – these look amazing! As do your cranberry bliss bars … they’re on my ever-growing list of goodies to try this holiday season : )

  3. These are my favorite cookies. Ok, maybe behind a perfect PB or chewy oatmeal, but these rank right up there. I use a Paula Deen recipe I think it’s called White Chocolate Cherry Chunk but I just subbed the cranberries for the cherries. I haven’t made them in a few years but used to make them for Christmas. The dough freezes perfectly too so you can make the dough ahead then bake off the cookies later.

    1. Ok I am going to google that recipe because anything by Paula D is going to be good! And I love that this is your fave type of cookie! Who knew! I know you’re not normally a chocolate/big sweets girl though so I can see you loving these!

  4. Cranberry white chocolate cookies are one of my favorites for sure! Thanks for the recipe Averie, and the early morning stomach growling!

    1. I love the combo and I wish I could have all your little no-bake truffle balls & bites right now!

  5. Oh man, you’re so right… cranberries and cookies were made for December! I still have to try my hand at making those bliss bars. I’ve been thinking about them constantly since you shared that recipe with us!

  6. My MIL made similar cookies this past weekend using fresh cranberry! They were amazingggggg. There is something about white chocolate that goes so well with cranberry. Beautiful!

    1. Wow, fresh cranberries in cookies is impressive! I tried using fresh mango, well frozen, but it wasn’t dried mango; and the juices did water down the dough and it was a bit tricky to work with (I linked them in this post). Still great but they turn out on the thinner side. I’d be so curious to try a cookie with fresh cranberries!

  7. My boyfriend loves anything involving white chocolate and cranberry so I’m pretty sure he’d be salivating over these cookies!

  8. A new holiday favorite indeed – your sugar doodle recipe sounded incredible and is no doubt the perfect sweet buttery base for white chocolate and cranberries. the soft, crinkly tops, thick qne chewy centers, small batch size, abundence of vanilla and bread flour – these cookies are just begging to be made. they are gorgeous and anything coming close to your cranberry bliss bars is a winner in my book – they have been catching my eye since you posted them and now i am seeing them everywhere! i love this cookie recipe – easy, sraightforward, and quick. perfect for this time of year!! awesome job with these cookies averie!

    1. It’s funny how that works, there’s a delay of sorts sometimes with posts. I posted the Bliss Bars on Nov 1 (I know b/c it was the 1st day of the month, last month) and just now they seem to have gotten more popular. I think you’d love this dough base, Sally. I know you love the cornstarch dough base and I do too, but it’s more rugged and overall just a smidge less sweet; and this dough base is perfect for more ‘delicate’ cookies or flavors; like salted caramel and stuff like that I will use the CS base and for like mango, white choc, blueberries or something like that, I like this one. So many options :)

  9. I should make these cookies with my niece, I’m sure she’s going to love them not only because they’re delicious but mostly because of the pink and white palette (you know, princess/ballerina madness!)
    BTW yesterday I started a batch of vanilla extract according to your recipe: can’t wait!

    1. Oh that’s awesome about the vanilla! LMK how it goes for you – make sure to give it plenty of time, probably 8 weeks + but you’re going to love it when it’s ready! And I totally know about the pink and white, princess/ballerina type madness with my own little almost 6 year old princess :)