With crisp, caramelized edges and rich, chewy centers, these White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are irresistible!
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The BEST White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Recipe
These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are made with my favorite cookie base and filled with white chocolate chips, tangy dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and fragrant with a touch of orange zest. They’ve got it all: chewy, gooey, crispy, crunchy. And the flavor combination is so festive and so good!
Easy Cranberry Cookies
The base for this cookie is from Alice Medrich, who has won more best cookbook-of-the-year awards and best in the dessert and baking category than any other author. It bakes up into beautiful and delicious cookies with chewy centers and crispy caramelized edges – the best combination you can find in a cookie. The dough is super easy to work with – foolproof, one bowl, and no mixer required.
Ingredients
- Dried cranberries – gives a bright and festive flavor while keeping the proper texture of the cookie. Fresh cranberries would add too much moisture that could make the cookie soggy.
- White chocolate chips or chunks – the perfect sweet contrast to the tangy cranberries.
- Orange zest – just a hint of orange for a bright, citrusy tone.
- Melted butter – makes the cookies chewy and easy to mix by hand. Heat the butter until it’s almost all melted, then stir it a bit and the warmth will melt the rest of the butter. This saves on cooling time.
- Brown and white sugar
- Eggs – for binding and moisture.
- Vanilla – for depth of flavor
- Salt – a necessity in sweet recipes. Without it, they would taste flat.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Walnuts – optional. Adds crunch, texture, and flavor. You can substitute pecans or pistachios.
Do I have to let the dough rest?
You don't have to let the dough rest. You can run into the kitchen right now and have these cookies fresh and hot out of the oven in less than 30 minutes. That being said, even an hour of resting time just makes a better cookie. You will still have a delicious cookie if you don't have time to rest the dough. But you will have a better cookie if you let it rest. Even for an hour.
Alice Medrich recommends, if possible, letting the cookie dough rest for and hour or two, or better still, overnight. I haven't usually planned far enough in advance to let the cookie dough rest overnight, so I usually go with the one hour rest. Two if I'm busy at home and have the time.
I've done several side by side tests of cookie dough that has rested one hour, one day, and two days so I've seen the improvement resting can make. Even the creator of the famous Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe, Mrs. Wakefield, recommended letting the dough rest for a day or two in the fridge. Biochemist and cookbook author Shirley Corriher, confirmed that the extra time allows "dough and other ingredients to fully soak up the liquid—in this case, the eggs—in order to get a drier and firmer dough, which bakes to a better consistency."
How to make
In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and zest. Whisk in the eggs until thoroughly combined.
Add the flour and baking soda, stirring just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Stir in the white chocolate chips, cranberries, and walnuts.
If possible, let the dough rest in the refrigerator for one or two hours, or even better, overnight.
Roll dough into 1.5oz (43g) balls and place 3 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown on the edges and no longer wet on top, about 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
How to make in advance
The dough or dough balls can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring the dough/dough balls to room temperature (70° F) before baking.
Unbaked dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months. Bring the dough balls to room temperature (70° F) before baking.
Baked cookies can be frozen. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a plastic freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Recipe
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter melted (8oz, 227g)
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (5.25oz, 149g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (5.25oz, 149g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest from 2 large oranges
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (10.125oz, 287g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups white chocolate chunks or chips (12oz, 340g)
- 1 cup dried cranberries roughly chopped (4.2oz, 120g)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (2oz, 57g ) (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and zest.
- Whisk in the eggs until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour and baking soda, stirring just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Stir in the white chocolate chunks, cranberries, and walnuts.
- If possible, let the dough rest in the refrigerator for one or two hours, or even better, overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Position the racks to the lower and upper thirds of the oven.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator if rested. If cold and firm, allow it to soften a few minutes.
- Roll into 1.5oz (43g) balls and place 3 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown on the edges and no longer wet on top, about 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
- Rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
- Remove from oven. Let cookies rest on pan one minute before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool thoroughly before storing.
- May be kept in an airtight container for several days.
- Makes about 33 cookies.
Notes
- While chilling the dough makes a better cookie, it is not absolutely necessary. Do let the dough reach about 70 degrees F before baking for the proper amount of spreading. This may require some refrigeration if your kitchen is warm.
- The cookies shown here have been chilled overnight.
- For a pretty cookie, I like to stick a couple of white chocolate chunks and cranberries onto the top of the rolled balls of dough. You can also stick a few on top as soon as they come out of the oven, while they are still soft.
- 2 cups of white chocolate chunks makes for a very loaded and sweet cookie. If you prefer a less sweet cookie, use 6-8 ounces white chocolate.
- I've used hand chopped Ghirardelli white chocolate bars in this recipe.
- I've sprinkled the tops of the cookies with orange zest for a burst of color.
- For perfectly round cookies, press the edges of the cookies with the back of a spoon into a neat shape while they are still soft from the oven. I sometimes take them out 2-3 minutes before they're done, shape them, and put them back in the oven to finish.
Nutrition
Enjoy, friends!
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Anh says
Love the weight measurements, this cookie got rave reviews at the office party. Thank you so much, it’s going in the top favorites list!
Kelly says
So happy you liked it, Anh!
Daisy says
Can’t wait to try them. Question how big do these cookies get after baking?
Kelly says
Hi Daisy, They're about 3 inches wide.
Dominika says
I've made this recipe multiple times and everyone always loves these cookies! great flavour combination (I did add more nuts though)
Kelly says
So happy you liked them, Dominika! Thanks so much!
Juliette Gillespie says
Easy to make -- it's nice to not have to break out the electric mixer. And my friends and family loved them! I used half the amount of white chocolate chips (as suggested in the notes), and I included the walnuts. Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for this recipe.
Kelly says
So happy you loved them, Juliette! Thanks so much!
Easyfoodsmith says
These looks amazing and so festive!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Taruna!
Susan says
They are such a beautiful cookie! I def try to chill my cookie dough and really think it does make a difference. Except when the grands are over helping me bake, then there is no patience for that 🙂 Happy New Year, Kelly!
Kelly says
Technically chilled dough makes a better cookie, but sometimes instant gratification tastes even better! Warm wishes for a wonderful New Year!
David Scott Allen says
PS — I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, David! Warm wishes for a wonderful New Year!
David Scott Allen says
With chocolate and cranberry is such a great combination! How lucky is your family that they get these wonderful treats from your kitchen all the time?
Lisa says
These look amazing and cannot wait to make them today! Which is best to store them for a few days... counter or fridge? Thank you!
Kelly says
They would do fine either way. I usually keep them in the fridge because I love the fudgy texture they get when cold.
For extra freshness on the counter, a half slice of white bread along with the cookies in a sealed ziplock bag with all the air pressed out helps to keep them soft. I try not to let the bread directly touch the cookies or the cookie it touches may get too soft or even a little soggy.
Cook's Illustrated has a nifty way of keeping cookies fresh. They layer parchment, tortilla, parchment then a layer of cookies.
Thanks so much, Lisa!
Geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen says
Yum, I love white chocolate in cookies - these look like real winners. Love your pictures, Kelly - the cookies look scrumptious!
Kelly says
They're delicious! Thanks so much, Geraldine!
nicole (thespicetrain.com) says
Love the combination of flavors, so delicious! I could go for the whole stack right now. Thank you for sharing, Kelly!
Kelly says
The combination is so good! Thank you very much, Nicole!