White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
These white chocolate cranberry cookies are soft and chewy in the middle with lightly crisp golden edges, loaded with creamy white chocolate chips and bright, tangy dried cranberries. A classic brown sugar and butter dough needs only basic pantry staples, and a short chill in the fridge is the secret to thick, bakery-style cookies. They are make-ahead friendly, freeze beautifully, and look festive enough for holiday cookie tins and swaps.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer
- Rimmed baking sheets 2 sheets
- Medium cookie scoop about 2 tablespoons
- Wire cooling rack
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap or lid for chilling the dough
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 170 g, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 150 g
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 g
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips 170 g
- 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries 90 g
- 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips for pressing on top of the warm cookies, optional
Instructions
- Set the butter and egg on the counter 30 to 45 minutes before baking so they reach room temperature, and measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and fine salt for about 20 seconds, then set aside.
- Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth, then scrape down the bowl again.
- With the mixer on its lowest speed, add the flour mixture in two or three additions and mix just until the last streaks of flour disappear.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries by hand with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
- Cover the bowl tightly and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
- Place an oven rack in the center position, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion 2-tablespoon mounds about 2 inches apart on the lined sheets, keeping the rest of the dough chilled.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look soft and puffy, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Press a few extra white chocolate chips onto the warm cookies, let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not skip the chill time: even 30 minutes in the fridge helps the cookies stay thick and chewy.
- Spoon and level your flour, because too much flour is the number one cause of dry, cakey cookies.
- Use room temperature butter and egg so they blend into a smooth dough and trap more air during creaming.
- Underbake slightly: pull the cookies when the centers still look soft, since they finish setting on the hot pan.
- Press extra chips on top after baking, because white chocolate browns quickly in the oven and this keeps the tops bright and creamy.
- Always use cool baking sheets, or the dough will start to melt and spread before it hits the oven.
- Choose real white chocolate made with cocoa butter for a richer taste and smoother melt.
- Variations: add 1 tablespoon orange zest, fold in 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts, swap 1/4 cup cranberries for chopped pistachios, replace 1/2 cup flour with rolled oats, use dried cherries, swap half the white chocolate for dark chocolate, or brown the butter for a caramel-like flavor.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, layering with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze scooped dough balls on a tray then bag them for up to 3 months, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time from frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1CookieCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 105mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15g
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