White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are thick, chewy, and bake up with sweet-tart pockets throughout. They’re no-chill, ready in under 30 minutes, and stay soft with crisp edges!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to make a soft, chewy, and thick cookie.
• Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture, keeping the cookies softer while adding a light molasses flavor. You can use dark brown sugar, but the flavor will be slightly more robust.
• Unsalted Butter: The butter should be cold but pliable to keep the cookie from spreading too much in the oven.
• White Chocolate Chips: Just like I have said in this white chocolate raspberry mousse, the quality of the white chocolate plays a significant role in the overall flavor. I prefer Ghirardelli Classic White Chocolate Chips or Guittard if you want to splurge. Honestly, Tollhouse also makes good white chocolate morsels.
• Frozen Cranberries: Using fresh-frozen cranberries is the key to these cookies. They caramelize and create this amazing texture. I would save those tart dried cranberries for these cranberry orange shortbread cookies. 

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Professional Tips

• Use cold but pliable butter. The butter should be soft enough that you can press your finger in it, but still feel cold to the touch. I usually cut it up, scale it, and then let it soften while I measure the rest of the ingredients. I like to finish softening it in the mixer with the paddle. You can hold your hands outside the bowl to gently warm the butter faster. Too soft, and you’ll need to chill the dough for thick cookies.
• Stick to fresh frozen cranberries, not dried. You know I am the Queen of Whatever-you-have-on-Hand, but using fresh or frozen cranberries is what makes these cookies the best! The tart contrast to the sweet white chocolate chips and brown sugar dough is just perfection. If you do use dried cranberries, I recommend selecting a reduced sugar variety. 
• Ensure your cranberries are frozen before mixing. Unlike with my white chocolate raspberry cookies, you don’t need to worry about mixing the dough delicately, and you can shape these into a ball with your hands. Frozen cranberries are much more resilient than raspberries, and the dough will not discolor. I do recommend freezing the cranberries before mixing, though, for the best bake and ease of mixing and rolling.  

Variations for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

• Add some zest. Zest some lemon, orange, or blood orange into the sugar and let it sit while you scale the remaining ingredients. 
• Change the chocolate. You can swap out the white chocolate for dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips. These cookies would also be delightful with these cinnamon chips that I use in my cinnamon scones.
• Mix in some crunch. Toast some walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts, and once they are cooled, fold them into the dough with the cranberries for added crunch! We know white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are amazing, and adding cranberries takes them to a whole new level!

How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Use these instructions to make these thick and chewy cranberry cookies! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Prep pans and preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (conventional, without a fan). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside (photo 1). 

Step 3: Soften butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, continue to soften the butter, if necessary. 

I find just the heat of my hands outside the bowl is enough to gently warm it, along with the friction of the paddle. 

Step 4: Cream sugars. Add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar to the butter in the stand mixer and mix on medium-low until a smooth paste forms. Scrape down the sides and the paddle, then mix again (photos 2 & 3). 

Step 5: Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix on medium speed until lightened (photo 4). 

Due to the cold butter and (typically) a cold egg, I recommend scraping down the bowl several times during this step to encourage an even incorporation. 

Step 6: Add dry mix slowly. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, one large scoop at a time. I typically use my spatula to do this. I add the next scoop as the last one has almost been incorporated. It is best not to overwhelm the dough, as cold butter doughs do not incorporate flour as readily as those made with softened or room-temperature butter. 

Step 7: Fold in mix-ins. Once the dough comes together, add the chocolate chips and frozen cranberries straight from the freezer and mix to incorporate (photo 5). 

Step 8: Scoop using a ¼ cup cookie scoop (each of my cookies weighed between 61-65g) directly onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart (photo 6). 

Roll into balls using your hands and refrigerate, if desired, for 30 minutes prior to baking. You can also freeze the scooped cookie dough for up to 2 months. They will bake beautifully from frozen. 

Step 9: Bake immediately in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or bake from the refrigerator for 18-20 minutes. I baked mine for 19 minutes and they were perfection. The tops will not brown, and they will only have small cracks on the surface (photo 7).  

To Bake from Frozen: Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350°F (conventional oven, without fan). 

Step 10: Cool. Place the cookies on wire racks and allow them to cool completely (photo 8).

Recipe FAQs 

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this festive cookie recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-tested cookie recipes, such as these thick chocolate chip cookies or these almond crescent cookies!