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Soft and Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies — Super soft, buttery, and a holiday baking must-make!! Very popular at cookie exchanges and everyone will want the recipe! So good!!



Easy Cookies with White Chocolate and Cranberries

Anything with cranberries and white chocolate is automatically awesome for me, so it’s no wonder I love these super soft, buttery cookies with tender, pillowy centers.

They have slightly chewy edges and are bursting with texture in every bite between the chewy and tart-yet-sweet dried cranberries and the sweet white chocolate chips.

White chocolate chip cranberry cookies are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges because everyone seems to love them. They’re what I’m making for an upcoming cookie exchange I’m a part of.

I’m going to wrap the baked white chocolate cranberry chip cookies up in Glad Cling Wrap Plastic Wrap that I bought at Walmart, pass them out, but also stash a few just for myself.

Ingredients You’ll Need

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

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

How to Make Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

This white chocolate cranberry chip cookie recipe is so simple to make! Here’s an overview of the recipe:

  1. Cream together the butter and sugars before adding in the egg and vanilla. 
  2. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined, then gently fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. 
  3. Form the dough balls, cover with Glad Cling Wrap Plastic Wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours. 
  4. Once the dough has been chilled, you’ll want to bake the cookies just until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center.

Make-Ahead Tip

You can chill the dough for up to 5 days and just bake off as many as you need when you’re ready.

Recipe FAQs

Does the cookie dough have to be chilled?

Yes, the dough is very soft and must be chilled before baking. There are 2 tablespoons of cream in the dough, which makes the cookies so creamy but also makes for a very soft dough.

Can I Use Fresh Cranberries in these cookies?

No, I don’t think so. Fresh cranberries would release lots of moisture into the cookie dough, and since this is a very soft dough to begin with I don’t think using fresh berries is a good idea. 

Can the cookie dough be made in advance and frozen?

Yes! The unbaked cookie dough can be frozen and baked off later, so consider making a big batch of cookie dough and freezing it for the future. 

Recipe Variations to Try

This cranberry white chocolate chip cookie recipe is easy to customize with additional mix-ins or by swapping around some of the ingredients. Here are some of my favorite variations of this easy cookie recipe:

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4.80 from 20 votes

Soft and Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Averie Sunshine
Super soft, buttery, and a holiday baking must-make!! Very popular at cookie exchanges and everyone will want the recipe! So good!!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 17
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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 half-and-half
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 cup dried cranberries, I use orange-scented dried cranberries and recommend them for extra flavor
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric mixer), add the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the cream, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute. The batter may look a little ‘grainy’ and almost as if it’s separated, this is okay.
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the cranberries, white chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
  • Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, form approximately 17 equal-sized mounds of dough. The dough is very soft and I find it easiest to use a cookie scoop. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading. Tip – Strategically place a few cranberries and white chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking cranberries and chips from the underside and adding them on top. 
  • After chilling, flatten each mound about half the original height.
  • Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
  • Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
  • Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.

Notes

Storage: Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Adapted from Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 122mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 24g

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

More Dried Cranberry Desserts: 

Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat Recipe} – They taste just like the real thing and you can make them at home, year-round! Think of all the $ you’ll save. Spot-on, easy recipe!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cake – The flavors of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars in a soft, easy, no-mixer cake!

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies – Super soft, buttery bars packed with chewy cranberries! And there’s a chocolate overload in every bite!

Cranberry Bliss Seven Layer Bars — A marriage of the famous Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars with Seven Layer Bars!! White chocolate, cranberries, coconut, and so good! Fast and super easy!!

The Easiest Foolproof Fudge Recipe — Look no further than this recipe for the EASIEST and most FOOLPROOF fudge that takes less than 3 minutes to make!! Customize it with your favorite add-ins like cranberries and walnuts! Great for gifts and cookie exchanges!!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Glad & Hidden Valley Ranch. The opinions and text are all mine.