Thick and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Name: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter (melted (8oz, 227g)); 3/4 cup packed brown sugar ((5.25oz, 149g)); 3/4 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 1/4 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)); 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ((2oz, 57g ) (optional))

Published: Dec 20, 2020 · Modified: May 10, 2024 by Kelly · This post may contain affiliate links · 51 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

With crisp, caramelized edges and rich, chewy centers, these White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are irresistible!

Jump to Section

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

Kelly

With crisp, caramelized edges and rich, chewy centers, these White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are irresistible!

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1 25

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings cookies

Calories 203 kcal

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

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 193IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cranberry cookies, white chocolate cookies

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Enjoy, friends!

Don’t forget to PIN for later!

Subscribe to FOODTASIA’S NEWSLETTER to receive fresh recipes straight to your inbox.

Follow me on INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for all the latest content and recipes!