šā¤ļøš Cranberry White Chocolate Chip CookiesĀ are super soft, buttery, and a holiday baking must-make! They’re always very popular at cookie exchanges, and everyone will want the recipe!
Easy Cookies with White Chocolate and Cranberries
Anything with cranberries and white chocolate is automatically awesome for me, so itās no wonder I love these super soft, buttery cookies with tender, pillowy centers. Here’s why I know you’ll love them, too:
- They haveĀ slightly chewy edges and are bursting with texture in every biteĀ 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. Theyāre what Iām making for an upcoming cookie exchange Iām a part of.
- Iām 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.
Looking for more holiday cookies?
Try my Christmas cut out sugar cookies, soft frosted holiday sprinkles cookies, snowflake linzer cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and chocolate crinkle cookies, too. They’re the perfect addition to holiday cookie trays!
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make the dried cranberry white chocolate chip cookies, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar – Granulated sugar creates slightly crisp edges, and light brown sugarĀ helps keep the centers soft and chewy
- Egg
- Cream
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour – I haven’t tested it, but I think this recipe would work with a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Tart dried cranberries – Don’t use fresh cranberries. They 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
- White chocolate chipsĀ – Sub milk chocolate or dark chocolate if preferred
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:
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars before adding in the egg and vanilla.Ā
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined, then gently fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.Ā
- Form the dough balls, cover with Glad Cling Wrap Plastic Wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours.
- 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. Cool baked cookies on the baking sheet, no need for a wire rack!
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
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.
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.Ā
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:
- Add orange zest: To add a slight orange flavor to these cookies, add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the cookie dough.
- Use flavored dried cranberries: I used Trader Joeās orange-scented cranberries to add orange flavor to the dough, but if you donāt have one near you I know Ocean Spray and many other brands make some as well.
- Use a different dried fruit: These cookies can be made with pretty much any dried fruit! Any larger pieces of dried fruit will need to be chopped finely before adding to the dough.
- Swap out the white chocolate chips: For a different flavor profile, you can replace the white chocolate chips with semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips.
- Add nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans would pair nicely with the white chocolate and dried cranberries. Feel free to add in some nuts, noting that you can only use 2 cups of mix-ins total with this recipe!
Soft and Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment or a Large Bowl and Electric Mixer
- 1 Two Tablespoon Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- Ā½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- Ā½ cup granulated sugar
- Ā½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
- 1 Ā½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Ā¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Ā¼ 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,Ā 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 āgrainyā and almost as if itās 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 scoopĀ or your hands, form approximately 17 equal-sized mounds of dough. The dough is very softĀ and I find it easiest to use a cookie scoop.Ā 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 ā 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.Ā
- After chilling, flatten each mound about half the original height.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with aĀ SilpatĀ 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; donāt 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 donāt use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Dried Cranberry Desserts:
Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat Recipe} ā 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 ā The flavors of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars in a soft, easy, no-mixer cake!
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies ā Super soft, buttery bars packed with chewy cranberries! And there’s a chocolate overload in every bite!
Cranberry Bliss Seven Layer BarsĀ ā 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 ā 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.