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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

Come to the party with a platter filled with these perfectly soft and chewy delicious White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. Perfect for any occasion, these cookies shine at holiday events and are a great crowd-pleaser.

Top down view of White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies on a platter and plate.

Decadent oatmeal and brown sugar cookies are over the top with white chocolate and dried cranberries throughout. A perfect combination.

Why You’ll Love These Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

  • Chewy Texture. You will love how the oatmeal and brown sugar works together to create the perfect chewy cookie bite.
  • Festive for the holidays. Cranberries are a holiday favorite, and dried cranberries don’t have the extra sourness of a whole cranberry. So baking with these is perfect for your celebrations.
  • Easy and flexible recipe. Change it up so easily with our suggested variations!

What You’ll Need To Make White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

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Ingredients For Your White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients: oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, butter, cranberries, white chocolate chips, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon.
  • Rolled Oats. I love oatmeal cookies. They have so much texture! Make sure you get the right kind.
  • All-Purpose Flour. You can also use your favorite GF substitute here.
  • Baking Powder. I love cookies with a combination of both baking powder and baking soda. It makes a soft and fluffy cookie that browns properly and evenly.
  • Baking Soda. For even browning and rise.
  • Salt. Needed to get the right balance of chemistry and flavor in this cookie.
  • Cinnamon. The perfect addition to this holiday cookie.
  • Vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract for baking.
  • Butter. Softened to room temperature.
  • Brown Sugar. This cookie recipe only has brown sugar, and the intensity of sweetness and chewiness it adds is delightful.
  • Eggs. I recommend large eggs for baking.
  • White Chocolate Chips. One of my favorite holiday flavors!
  • Dried Cranberries. These are also called Craisins depending on the brand.

Please note, that the recipe card has more complete instructions. This is intended as an overview.

How To Make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Step 1: Mix the Dry ingredients for the Cranberry Cookies

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Step 2: Cream the Wet Ingredients for Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Blend the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and then the vanilla.

Step 3: Combine the Two Mixtures.

Top down view of mixing bowl filled with cookie dough, white chocolate chips and dried cranberries - very colorful!

Mix until just combined and add the chocolate chips and cranberries in this step.

Step 4: Chill the Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie Dough

Refrigerate for one to two hours or even overnight, covered, so the dough is the perfect consistency for shaping. Chilling the dough also keeps them from flattening out during baking.

Step 5: Prep work

Cookie dough balls on a baking sheet flattened with a measuring cup.
White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies shaped and flattened

Get the oven preheating while you scoop the cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Flatten them gently with the back of a measuring cup or spoon.

Step 6: Bake the White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking. Cookies are done when lightly browned on the edges.

Cranberry cookies on a cooling rack.
  • Use raisins or any other dried fruit in place of the cranberries.
  • Use any chocolate chip or chocolate chunks in this cookie in place of the white chocolate chips.
  • Drizzle with melted dark or white chocolate for a festive look.
  • Press a few slivered almonds on each cookie before baking.
  • I used a smaller scoop for these white chocolate cranberry cookies so they would be the perfect size for holiday platters. You could easily make larger cookies without changing the cooking time.
  • Add nuts such as macadamia or walnuts.
  • Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of orange zest or a touch of orange extract.

How To Store Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Best Way To Store Leftover Cranberry Cookies

Keep your leftover cookies in an airtight container for five or six days at room temperature. No need to refrigerate!

Can I Freeze White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies?

Yes. You can freeze leftover baked cookies, or portioned cookie dough for up to three months in an airtight container.

How To Reheat Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

If you want warm cookies, or you find that your cookies are just slightly stale, ten seconds in the microwave should be just about perfect. You may have to add a few seconds depending on your microwave.

If you are reheating cookies from frozen give it twenty to thirty seconds and then add small amounts of time as needed.

White chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies on a piece of brown parchment paper.
Should you flatten cookies before baking?

I baked up a batch of these cookies without flattening and with flattening. As you can see, the non-flattened cookies look more like cookie balls. I preferred the flattened cookies but you can choose either way.

Is White Chocolate Really Chocolate?

No, white chocolate isn’t really chocolate because it doesn’t contain any chocolate solids.

Is it better to chill cookie dough before baking?

Yes for this white chocolate cranberry cookie recipe. Chill the dough for 1 or 2 hours so the cookies keep their shape while baking. Chilling the cookie dough keeps the cold so they don’t spread out while baking. Chilling also helps keep your cookies fluffy and not flat.

Can I put 2 trays of cookies in the oven?

Yes, you can. However, the trays need to be rotated for even baking. These cookies have such a short baking time that I bake one sheet at a time. For this reason, I make sure that I have 3 to 4 baking sheets.

Tips to Make the Perfect White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

  • Chill the dough for 1 or 2 hours so the cookies keep their shape while baking. Chilling the cookie dough keeps the cold so they don’t spread out while baking. Chilling also helps keep your cookies fluffy and not flat.
  • Make the cookie dough one day and bake the next. Cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  • Use a scoop – no more fighting over who gets the biggest cookie.
  • Fluff up the flour in your container before scooping it with the measuring cup. Compact flour will add more flour than this [focus word] calls for. I show you how in my baking techniques post.
  • Don’t overmix the cookie dough. That can cause cookies to puff up and then go flat as they back or will result in a dense cookie.
  • This recipe makes 3 dozen cookies. I recommend that you keep the dough chilled between batches. Or refrigerate the baking sheet with the scooped cookies until they’re ready to bake.
  • Remove the cookies just as soon as they start to brown on the edges so they come out soft and chewy.
  • Don’t use a warm cookie sheet. And, if you’re using parchment paper, do not reuse it once it’s been in the oven. It can catch fire!
  • Remove the cookies from the baking sheet as soon as possible (2 to 5 minutes). Allowing the cookies to cook on the baking sheet will dry them out.
Stacked Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

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Don’t Forget To Come Back And Let Me Know How the Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies Turned Out!

3/4 view of three oatmeal cookies with white chocolate chips and craisins.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

Author: Julie Menghini
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are delicious soft oatmeal cookies. These cookies are perfect for making ahead and the holidays.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill time 1 hour
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword: Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Christmas Cookies, Cookies, Cranberries
Servings: 36 Cookies

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 11 tbsp butter – softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs – lightly beaten
  • cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and then the vanilla.
  • With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Once mixed, add the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Mix just until combined.
  • Cover the bowl and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 °F and grease or line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Using a 1-1/2 tablespoon scoop, roll dough into balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet, 12 to a pan. Lightly press each cookie to slightly flatten. I use the back of a measuring cup.
  • Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking. Cookies are done when lightly browned on the edges. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
  • Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze.

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
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A stack of three oatmeal white chocolate cranberry cookies.

Recipe Rating




Sally

Friday 23rd of December 2022

We loved the contrast of the sweet chocolate and the tartness of the cranberries in this recipe.

Radha

Friday 25th of November 2022

Cranberries, cinnamon, white chocolate, oats, and brown sugar - all of my favorite ingredients in this cookie and this is the best cookie ever!

Julie Menghini

Saturday 26th of November 2022

Thank you, Radha!

Inger

Saturday 12th of November 2022

I love these cookies--such a holiday favorite! I've even done them in a jar for gifts!

Julie Menghini

Sunday 13th of November 2022

That's a great idea for holiday gifting!

Jolene

Friday 11th of November 2022

I love thick, chewy cookies! I'm going to have to do two batches, one with white chocolate and one with dark chocolate and I know both will be awesome!

Julie Menghini

Saturday 12th of November 2022

Thanks, Jolene!

Kathryn

Thursday 10th of November 2022

These are one of my favorite cookies as I love the white chocolate and chewy cranberry combination! I can't wait to make these over the holidays!

Julie Menghini

Saturday 12th of November 2022

Me too, Kathryn! Thank you.

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