Festive White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

Festive White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe for Holiday Joy

Sweet, buttery cookies with white chocolate cranberry magic blend perfectly in this irresistible treat.

Soft edges and chewy centers define these delectable white chocolate cranberry cookies that promise pure indulgence.

Bursts of tart cranberries dance alongside creamy white chocolate chunks, creating a symphony of flavors.

Bakers of all skill levels can master this simple yet stunning recipe with ease.

Each cookie offers a delightful balance between sweet and tangy notes that tantalize taste buds.

Holiday gatherings or cozy afternoons call for these mouthwatering morsels that disappear faster than you can bake them.

Dive into this recipe and transform your kitchen into a delicious paradise.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Calories: 159 kcal

Servings: 23

What Goes Into White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

For Base Ingredients:
  • All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and texture to the cookies, choose unbleached flour for better flavor.
  • Baking Soda: Helps cookies rise and spread evenly, ensuring a perfect soft and chewy texture.
  • Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances the sweetness of the cookies.
  • Ground Cinnamon: Adds warm, aromatic depth to the cookie's flavor profile.
For Sweet and Creamy Components:
  • Unsalted Butter: Creates rich, tender cookies with a smooth mouthfeel, use room temperature for easy mixing.
  • Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and deep caramel notes, opt for fresh, clump-free sugar.
  • Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps with cookie crisp edges.
  • Vanilla Extract: Rounds out flavors and adds complex sweetness, choose pure extract for best results.
For Festive Mix-Ins:
  • White Chocolate Chips: Brings creamy sweetness and luxurious melty texture, select high-quality chips for best flavor.
  • Dried Cranberries: Adds tart burst and festive color, look for plump, soft berries without excessive sugar coating.
  • Chopped Nuts: Optional ingredient that provides crunch and nutty depth, toast briefly for enhanced flavor.
  • Egg: Binds ingredients and adds richness, use fresh large eggs at room temperature.
  • Egg Yolk: Contributes extra moisture and creates a more decadent cookie texture.

Tools Required For White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

  • Electric mixer: Essential for creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Large mixing bowl: Perfect for combining wet ingredients and mixing dough.
  • Separate mixing bowl: Needed for whisking dry ingredients before combining.
  • Baking sheets: Two sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats for even baking.
  • Whisk: Great for blending dry ingredients smoothly.
  • Tablespoon or cookie scoop: Helps create uniform cookie sizes.
  • Wire cooling rack: Allows cookies to cool evenly and prevents soggy bottoms.
  • Measuring cups and spoons: Crucial for accurate ingredient measurements.

How To Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

  • Kitchen Preparation

Warm up the oven to a toasty 350F. Grab your baking sheets and line them with smooth parchment paper, creating a perfect landing spot for your delicious cookies.

  • Butter Bliss

Grab your mixing bowl and transform softened butter with brown and white sugars into a fluffy cloud of sweetness. Whip those ingredients until they become light and dreamy.

  • Liquid Magic

Introduce an egg, extra yolk, and vanilla essence to your butter mixture. Blend until everything looks smooth and inviting, creating a rich base for your cookies.

  • Flour Power

In a separate bowl, gently combine flour, baking soda, and a whisper of salt. Slowly marry these dry ingredients with your wet mixture, stirring just enough to create a perfect cookie dough.

  • Flavor Explosion

Sprinkle in white chocolate chips and tart cranberries. Fold these delightful morsels through the dough, creating pockets of exciting flavor in every bite.

  • Cookie Formation

Roll the dough into adorable little balls, placing them carefully on your prepared baking sheets. Give each cookie some breathing room to spread and grow.

  • Baking Transformation

Slide the cookies into the oven and let them bake until the edges turn a gentle golden brown. The centers should look soft and promising, hinting at the deliciousness inside.

  • Cooling and Sharing

Let the cookies rest briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack. These beauties are perfect for sharing with friends or enjoying with a warm cup of tea.

Tips To Tweak White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

  • Soft Cookie Secrets: Ensure your butter is truly softened at room temperature for the dreamiest, most tender cookies that practically melt in your mouth.
  • Chilling Trick: Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent spreading and create beautifully thick, bakery-style cookies with perfect edges.
  • Dietary Swaps: Transform these cookies into gluten-free delights by substituting all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free blend, keeping the delicious flavor intact while accommodating wheat-sensitive friends and family.
  • Nutty Alternatives: Replace traditional nuts with toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a nut-free version that's perfect for school lunches or those with nut allergies, without compromising on crunch and texture.
  • Storage Magic: Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months – giving you a quick dessert solution whenever sweet cravings strike.

Ways To Serve White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

  • Festive Holiday Platter: Arrange cookies on a decorative ceramic plate with sprigs of fresh rosemary and a dusting of powdered sugar for a stunning winter presentation.
  • Cozy Beverage Pairing: Serve warm alongside spiced chai latte, hot cocoa, or creamy vanilla steamed milk to complement the white chocolate and cranberry flavors.
  • Gift-Worthy Packaging: Stack cookies in clear cellophane bags tied with rustic twine or red ribbon, adding a small handwritten recipe card for a personal touch during holiday gifting.
  • Dessert Garnish Option: Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies and sprinkle with finely chopped dried cranberries for an extra elegant finishing detail.

Storage Help For White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

  • Snack Storage Symphony: Keeping Cookies Fresh and Fabulous
  • Counter Charm: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, ensuring they remain soft and delightful.
  • Freezer Friend: Layer cookies between parchment paper in a sealed freezer container; they'll stay delicious for 2-3 months, ready for quick treats.
  • Dough Delay Trick: Refrigerate unbaked cookie dough for up to 3 days or freeze raw dough balls for spontaneous baking adventures.
  • Temperature Tango: Keep cookies away from direct sunlight and heat sources to maintain their perfect texture and prevent crumbling.
Print
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Festive White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

Festive White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies


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4.6 from 14 reviews

  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 23 1x

Description

Irresistible white chocolate cranberry cookies blend sweet and tart flavors in a delightful holiday treat. Sweet morsels of chocolate and tangy cranberries create a perfect seasonal cookie you’ll want to share with friends and family.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup (170 g or 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g or 7 oz) light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 g or 3.5 oz) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (250 g or 8.8 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170 g or 6 oz) white chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup (100 g or 3.5 oz) dried cranberries
  • ½ cup (50 g or 1.8 oz) chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Configure oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats for optimal cookie performance.
  2. Cream Butter Mixture: Employ electric mixer to blend softened butter with brown and granulated sugars until light, fluffy, and voluminous, creating a luxurious base.
  3. Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Integrate egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract into butter-sugar mixture, whisking until achieving a smooth, cohesive consistency.
  4. Combine Dry Components: Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together, ensuring uniform distribution of dry ingredients.
  5. Merge Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, minimizing dough manipulation to maintain delicate texture.
  6. Add Flavor Enhancers: Tenderly incorporate white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and optional nuts throughout the cookie batter, creating a balanced flavor profile.
  7. Form and Arrange Cookies: Construct uniform dough balls using tablespoon measurements, strategically placing them on prepared baking sheets with adequate spacing for expansion.
  8. Bake to Perfection: Position sheets in preheated oven, monitoring for 9-11 minutes until edges develop a golden tinge while centers remain soft and yielding.
  9. Cool and Serve: Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling, ready to be enjoyed or gifted.

Notes

  • Optimize Butter Temperature: Ensure butter is softened but not melted, at room temperature for perfect creaming with sugars, creating a light and fluffy cookie base.
  • Prevent Overmixing Dough: Mix dry and wet ingredients minimally to avoid tough, dense cookies, stopping when ingredients are just combined to maintain a tender texture.
  • Control Chocolate and Cranberry Distribution: Gently fold chocolate chips and cranberries to prevent sinking, ensuring even spread throughout the cookie for balanced flavor in every bite.
  • Baking Time Precision: Watch cookies closely during the 9-11 minute window, removing when edges are golden but centers appear slightly underbaked for a soft, chewy final result.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Desserts, Snacks
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 23
  • Calories: 159
  • Sugar: 12 g
  • Sodium: 88 mg
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 18 mg
Liam O’Sullivan

Liam O’Sullivan

Founder & Culinary Content Creator

Expertise

Recipe Development​, Traditional Irish and European Cuisines, Food Styling and Photography, Culinary Education​

Education

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) – School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology

  • Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts
  • Focus: Comprehensive training in classical and modern cooking techniques, kitchen management, and menu development.​

Ballymaloe Cookery School

  • Program: 12-Week Certificate Course
  • Focus: Intensive, hands-on experience emphasizing farm-to-table cooking and sustainable practices.​

Isabella brings a global spark to the Craft Meats table. Born in Florence and trained at the Apicius International School of Hospitality, she blends classic Italian flavor with modern writing that’s easy to follow and hard to forget. 

Her additional training at the Italian Chef Academy fueled her love for well-crafted dishes, especially ones that spotlight beautiful cuts of meat.

She’s a food writer with heart, and a deep love for storytelling through single recipes. Her goal? To help you cook with more confidence and a little more joy, no matter where you start.

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