Soft and chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, loaded with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. A favorite for the holidays or any time of year!

stacked with top cookie broken in half

We’re heading into cookie baking season, but for me, cookie baking season lasts all year.

If you were to open my freezer on any day of the year, you would most likely find a batch of cookies, frozen and ready to grab whenever a cookie craving strikes. Most often my freezer contains my all-time favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, but lately I’ve been loading up my freezer stash with these white chocolate cranberry cookies.

These easy cranberry cookies are so soft and chewy, and bursting with dried cranberries and white chocolate in every bite. The cookies have an irresistibly rich flavor thanks to an extra egg yolk in the cookie dough. They’re also made with a secret ingredient that enhances their soft and chewy texture.

Dried cranberries add a delicious contrast of sweet and tart flavors to these white chocolate cookies. The white chips and red cranberries give the cookies a festive look to brighten up your holiday cookie plates. They’re so scrumptious, I dare you to try to stop after eating just one of these delectable little cookies!

overhead of white chocolate cranberry cookies

If you love baking with dried cranberries, try my Cranberry Almond Biscotti recipe next.

The secret for soft and chewy cookies

What is my secret ingredient that makes cookies extra soft and chewy?

It’s cornstarch! Adding just a small amount of this common pantry ingredient will give your cookies the BEST texture.

It’s also important to not over-bake your cookies if you want them to be soft, not crispy. Take the cookies out of the oven when they have barely golden edges and almost-set centers. The cookies might not look quite done when you take them out of the oven, but that’s ok because they will continue to bake while they cool on the hot pan.

How to make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

The full recipe, including ingredient amounts and instructions, can be found at the end of this post. Here is an overview of the steps, with some tips for the best cookie baking success.

  1. Let the butter and eggs come to room temperature before beginning. I usually take the butter out of the refrigerator about an hour before I want to make the cookie dough, and the eggs about 30 minutes before I’m ready to make the dough.
  2. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
  3. Cream the butter and sugars together for 2 to 3 minutes using an electric mixer. Then, mix in the remaining wet ingredients until everything is well combined.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed.
  5. Stir in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, either with the mixer on low speed or by hand using a rubber spatula. cookie dough with dried cranberries and white chips
  6. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 24 hours. Chilling the dough makes it less sticky. It also makes the cookies more thick, soft and chewy.
  7. Scoop the dough onto your baking sheet and bake the cookies. Bake them in your preheated oven until they are almost set in the center. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

white chocolate cranberry cookies stacked

Recipe Variations

  • Add macadamia nuts to this recipe to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. You can use the macadamia nuts in place of or in addition to the cranberries.
  • Dried cherries are a good substitute for the dried cranberries. Chop the dried cherries into smaller pieces if they are large.
  • If you prefer dark chocolate, replace the white chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips.
  • This recipe is an improved version of a recipe that I shared years ago. The original recipe called for brown butter, but I’ve simplified the recipe and removed the step of browning the butter. If you would like to brown the butter for this recipe, you can read about how to brown butter. You will need to let the brown butter cool before using it in the recipe, and chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours before baking since the butter was melted.

How to freeze cookies

These cookies freeze wonderfully after baking. Once the cookies have cooled completely, seal them in an airtight container. Cookies will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy a cookie, let it thaw at room temperature for a few minutes or gently defrost it in the microwave.

You can also freeze cookie dough before baking. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Once the balls of cookie dough are frozen you can transfer them to a zip-top bag or other airtight container for storage in the freezer. You can bake cookies straight from the freezer. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.

Recipe Tips for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

  • For best results, let your butter and eggs come to room temperature before you mix up the cookie dough. Room temperature ingredients will incorporate more evenly.
  • This recipe calls for one whole egg plus one egg yolk. To separate the egg yolk from the egg white, crack the egg in half. Then, over the sink or a bowl, carefully transfer the yolk back and forth between the two egg shell halves, allowing the whites to fall out of the shell, until only the yolk remains.
  • For an accurate measurement, be sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Scooping the flour with your measuring cup can pack in too much flour.
  • To get cookies with that “bursting with cranberries and white chocolate” look, press extra white chips and dried cranberries into the tops of the cookies before baking.

cookies on parchment

More Holiday Cookie Recipes

overhead shot of cookies with cranberries and white chips
5 from 1 rating

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Servings: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
These soft and chewy cookies are packed with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
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Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries, plus more for tops of cookies, if desired
  • ¾ cup white chocolate chips, plus more for tops of cookies, if desired

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer), beat together the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.
  • Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture. Add the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips and mix on low speed until just combined.
  • Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 ½ hours and up to 24 hours.
  • When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Scoop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. If desired, press a few more cranberries and white chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies.
  • Bake for 8-11 minutes, until cookie edges are barely golden brown and centers are almost set. Be careful to not over-bake the cookies, as they will continue to set up as they cool on the baking sheet. Let cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • This recipe calls for one whole egg plus one egg yolk. To separate the egg yolk from the egg white, crack the egg in half. Then, over the sink or a bowl, carefully transfer the yolk back and forth between the two egg shell halves, allowing the whites to fall out of the shell, until only the yolk remains.
  • To freeze cookies after baking, let them cool completely and then seal them in an airtight container. Cookies will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy a cookie, let it thaw at room temperature for a few minutes or gently defrost it in the microwave.
  • You can also freeze cookie dough before baking. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Once the balls of cookie dough are frozen you can transfer them to a zip-top bag or other airtight container for storage in the freezer. You can bake cookies straight from the freezer. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time for frozen cookies.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 141kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 84mg, Potassium: 35mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 158IU, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
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