As one of the first cookies published on my website, this popular recipe stands the test of time. You’ll love these white chocolate chip cranberry cookies because they’re soft-baked, wonderfully chewy, have extra vanilla, plus they combine sweet white chocolate morsels with tart dried cranberries. It’s a flavorful and classic pairing for holiday cookie trays or anytime throughout the year!
I originally published this recipe in 2012 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips, including a reduced chill time that is reflected in the printable recipe below.
These white chocolate cranberry cookies are an absolute fan-favorite. There are a few tricks to this cookie magic, so let me share some tips I’ve added over the years (including reducing the dough chill time from 2 hours to 1 hour). It’s a great cookie recipe to have in your back pocket… right next to your recipes for chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies!
One reader, Eileen, commented: “These white chocolate chip and cranberry cookies are the best! They are delicious and they made my house smell like a bakery while cooking. I feel like this is the best cookie I have ever tasted and I felt like a pro using this recipe! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Heather, commented: “Just wanted to pop in and rave on these cookies. I found the recipe a couple years ago and they are a staple on my Christmas cookie list. I do add chopped pecans and they were a fantastic addition! ★★★★★“
In Short, These White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies Are:
- Adapted from these soft chocolate chip cookies
- Soft-baked with slightly crisp edges
- Brown sugared with extra vanilla
- Thick & chewy
- Easy to make
- Brimming with creamy white chocolate chips & tart dried cranberries
Plus, the cookie dough freezes easily and the baked cookies freeze and thaw without issue. If you ever want to learn more about my process for freezing cookies and cookie dough, here is my How to Freeze Cookie Dough page.
Start With a Tested Cookie Dough
As I mentioned above, this recipe uses this soft chocolate chip cookies recipe as the base. It’s unfussy and welcomes a variety of add-ins and flavors. Honestly, I make this version more often because the add-ins are a little more special. You could also replace the white chocolate chips with regular chocolate chips for a chocolate/cranberry combo (or even use dark chocolate like we do for dark chocolate cranberry blondies and dark chocolate cranberry almond cookies—yum!). Add pistachios like I do for white chocolate cranberry pistachio cookies. Or go a little wild and make my other variations using this dough: butterscotch pretzel chocolate chip cookies & salted caramel pecan chocolate chip cookies.
Key Ingredients in White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Room Temperature Butter: If you’re looking for an extra buttery, almost dense chocolate chip cookie, try my chocolate chip cookies. That recipe starts with melted butter. For today’s version and the original soft chocolate chip cookies, I start with room temperature butter. Creaming the butter with sugars provides a fluffy and aerated base. (I have a full tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar, if you need extra guidance on this step.) The creaming process is only possible if the butter is softened to room temperature. Keep in mind that softened butter is cool to the touch, not greasy. (See Room Temperature Butter if you’re interested in learning more.)
- More Brown Sugar Than White Sugar: Did you know that sugar does more than just sweeten cookies? Brown sugar can give cookies a chewier, softer, and more moist texture, while regular white granulated sugar helps the cookies spread. For chewier and more flavorful cookies, use more brown sugar than white sugar. And, if you have it, use dark brown sugar for deeper brown sugar flavor.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
- Cornstarch: It seems like an odd ingredient for cookie dough, doesn’t it? Just as it makes shortbread cookies extra tender, a small amount can actually provide added softness to other cookie doughs, too. We don’t want to replace any flour with it because the cookies could lose shape, so just add 2 teaspoons. Cornstarch also helps keep the cookies thick.
- Dried Cranberries & White Chocolate Chips: Add 1 cup of dried cranberries and 3/4 cup white chocolate morsels. I used to make these cookies with 3/4 cup of each but lately I add extra cranberries for more chunks in each bite. Just like when making cranberry nut no-knead bread, use dried cranberries here instead of fresh because when baked, fresh throws off the dry/wet ratio. I usually use the brand Craisins.
Success Tip: Chill The Dough
The ingredients come together quickly and easily, but allow 1 hour for the dough to chill in the refrigerator before baking. The refrigerator is a cookie dough’s best friend because it helps firm up soft cookie doughs (like today’s) which prevents the cookies from over-spreading. Chilling also gives the flavors in the dough a chance to settle and mingle together. I used to chill this dough for at least 2 hours, but 1 hour is plenty and still allows for a decent spread.
Success Tip: Use a Cookie Scoop & Your Hands
I always use this medium cookie scoop for the cookie dough. Each cookie should be around 1.5 Tablespoons of dough, so that size is perfect. After scooping, I briefly roll the dough in my hands. You don’t need to make a perfectly smooth and round ball—in fact, I like keeping the dough balls taller rather than wide as pictured next. Shaping this way helps achieve a thicker, textured-looking cookie.
And, if desired, press a few more white chips & dried cranberries into the baked cookies while they’re still warm.
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Soft-Baked White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 dozen
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You’ll love these white chocolate chip cranberry cookies because they’re soft-baked, wonderfully chewy, have extra vanilla, plus they combine sweet white chocolate morsels with tart dried cranberries. Set aside 1 hour to chill the dough in the refrigerator before baking.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I use dark)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (135g) white chocolate chips, plus a few extra for garnish
- 1 cup (140g) dried cranberries, plus a few extra for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be soft and thick. Add the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries and beat on low speed until combined. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 days. Chilling is imperative to prevent the cookies from over-spreading.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3-4 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This makes the firm cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- As the oven preheats, scoop and roll dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons (35g) of dough each, into balls. The dough may be slightly crumbly, but will come together as you work it with your hands. Arrange dough balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. The centers will still look soft. If cookies didn’t spread much, lightly bang the the baking sheets on the counter a couple times while the cookies are still warm. They’ll stretch and deflate.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. During this time, press extra white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the warm tops. This is optional and only for looks. After 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Cornstarch: A small amount of cornstarch provides added softness to the dough and cookies. Cornstarch also helps keep the cookies thick. If you don’t have any, you can leave it out—no need to replace with anything.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hello, Sally ~ We love this recipe!
Have you ever added a TBSP of nonfat milk powder (without additional fluid) to your baked goods when testing your recipes?
I have read more than one article praising the quality of baked goods when a TBSP of powdered milk is added to the dry ingredients before mixing with the other ingredients. I have not tried it yet ~ I thought I would begin my decision-making about adding it by starting with you! I so appreciate your “scientific” explanations included with some of your recipes! The “why” of the recipe ingredients is always so interesting.
Hi Patricia! That isn’t something that we’ve tried, but other bakers report it adds flavor. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi Patricia. I read this same information in the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook by Christina Tosi, and American gal who has won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef as well as other awards. She suggests the addition of non-fat milk powder in baking recipes as well; I have tried this and discovered that the baked goods are more tender and hold up better (than without using the milk powder). It doesn’t add any flavour, of course, so I continue to use this method.
I made this recipe today and they turned out perfect! the recipe and instructions were incredibly easy to follow. I’m blind and use a screen reader, as well as a talking food scale. I measured everything in grams. I followed every single step described and they turned out delicious and perfect. I showed my sister a picture of the baked cookies and this blog post and she said they look the same as yours, except I did not do the extra decorative white choc chips and dried cranberries. I also really liked your directions for freezing the rest of the dough and I plan to do that with the remaining half of the dough. Thank you for writing such a descriptive recipe.
Can I use your recipe for making cookies bars instead of cookies? What modifications would be used? What size pan for this recipe?
Hi June! You can use this recipe for cookie bars in a 9-inch square pan. The bake time should be around 32-35 minutes.
I swapped half the vanilla for orange extract because I love cranberry/orange, and they turned out FANTASTIC. Definitely going to make these and eat them way too quickly again!
I also used fresh (whole) cranberries, and it didn’t throw off the wet/dry balance too badly, ie. they were still recognizable as cookies. Adding a couple tablespoons of flour and leaving the dough in the fridge overnight helped the second batch spread less.
Love, love, love this cookie. I only change the chill method. I scooped and placed ball on cookie sheet and then chilled for 1+ hr. No crumbles. Beautiful ball and spread nicely. Gonna try this with dried cherries too.
Made for the first time for Christmas. They are very good. I will be keeping this recipe.
Amazing!!! I just thought there were slightly too many mix-ins and not enough dried cranberries, so in the future, I’d change it to 2/3 cup white chocolate chips instead of 3/4. Just my preference though.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda?
Hi Ariel, no I don’t recommend it.
I dont have a mixer. Will they come out the same if I mix by hand?
Hi Laura, It will take some arm muscle to cream the butter and sugars together, but it’s certainly possible. Let us know if you try them!
Is there a nutrition label? Or do you know the estimate of calories per cookie by chance??
Hi Helen, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hi. I have salted butter on hand. Should I omit the salt if using salted butter?
Hi Ruby, you can reduce the salt to 1/4 tsp. See our post about salted vs unsalted butter for more details. Enjoy!
I’ve been making these for 6 Christmas’s and get compliments and requests every year! My husband’s Grandma said it was a recipe worth keeping, which was a compliment of the highest honour.
My cookies didn’t spread even after I banged the cookie sheet on the counter. Not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Tracey, thank you for giving these cookies a try! How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
These cookies are DELICIOUS! I’ve had to make the recipe twice already – and they’re gone within an hour of setting them out. Everyone’s new favorite. I added right at a cup of chopped pecans to the recipe for a little extra texture and they turned out fantastic.
Excellent recipe. I was super exited to try these, but unfortunately mine didn’t flatten… even thought I did follow the instructions and did bang the pan while hot. I’m almost thinking baking right away they maybe would have spread more?
I definitely want to redeem myself with this one, as the cookies still tasted delicious when they came out the oven. I just know they will taste better if they were a bit more chewy. Any extra suggestion greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Hi Tamara, When cookies aren’t spreading, it usually means that there’s too much dry ingredient (flour) soaking up all the liquid. Make sure you are properly measuring your flour. When measuring flour, use the spoon & level method. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag. Doing so leaves you with excess flour in the cookie dough.
Made these last year for my husbands coworkers and they were a huge hit among his construction buddies they asked for them again this year!! So yummy! Thank you!
I brought these to a Christmas party and they were a HUGE hit. Huge. Like “this is what you’ll bring to all future potluck events” huge hit. They turned out perfect and the tip about putting the extra chips in AFTER baking made them picture-perfect. Also, the hint about smacking the pan on the counter to get them to spread a little? Yes. The baking time was also perfect. I just realized that I’ve used the word “perfect” several times here and they turned out, yes, perfect. 🙂
Yum looks delicious! Could I substitute cherries instead of cranberries? Thank you!
Hi Brooke! Yes, dried cherries would be wonderful in these cookies 🙂
Can you substitute chocolate chips in place of white chocolate in this recipe?
Absolutely! Use the same amount.
I was so excited to make these, because I love white chocolate, and they look so festive, BUT they spread out so they are almost flat, except for the bumps of chips and cranberries. I still have half the dough left, what can I do?
Hi Margaret! Here’s our tips to keep cookies from spreading for next time. Keeping the dough as cold as possible will help keep the dough from spreading.
Can egg substitute be used instead of a real egg? I have a family member who cannot eat eggs.
We haven’t tested that but please let us know how it goes if you do!
I make a similar cookie, but add a touch of cinnamon and the zest and juice 9f an orange. Always a hit.
Yo lo hago así como tu.. Pero con un extra de jengibre también..
Are you able to use fresh cranberries instead of dried ones?
Hi Samantha, we don’t recommend it. You can try chopping and adding them, but it will throw off the wet/dry ingredient ratio.
I make these with whole Vodka soaked cranberries and they turn out fantastic!!! I don’t adjust any other ingredients (besides more chocolate!)
Soo good when they are warm! Will def add these to my holiday cookie rotation.. soft and vanilla-y .. the white chocolate chips are a great complement to the cranberries..banging the pan really does help them spread .. who knew?
Have made this same cookie in the past, but none as good as this recipe. Takes a lot for my husband to rave about a cookie since I bake so often, but he said, “This is a good cookie. Can you save this recipe?” I agree, this is excellent!
I’m going to make these cookies for a cookie exchange. I did a test run last night & they were excellent! Thank you for the recipe
Hello Sally from Mumbai , India
Can I use dried blueberries instead of cranberries for making these cookies ?
Thanks
Ravneet
Absolutely!
Fresh out of the oven…delicious! Excited to take them to a cookie exchange today!
Could oatmeal be added to these? If so how would it be done?
Hi Savannah! We suggest using our recipe for Holiday Magic 5 Cookies instead – you can subs some of the other add-ins for more white chocolate and cranberries if desired.
Can they be made larger? How long should I bake them?
Hi TerrySue! You can make them larger if desired. Depending on how big you make them, they may just need a few more minutes in the oven, or, for extra large cookies, they can be baked at a lower temperature to ensure they bake through like we do with these giant chocolate chip cookies. Let us know what you try!
This is one of my hubby’s fave cookies. I make them every Christmas and have for four years now! They’re delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you love them! Thanks Elizabeth!