White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with creamy white chocolate chips and tart dried cranberries. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, gifting, or everyday baking, with optional orange zest and nuts for a festive twist.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 280 g, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 170 g, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar 210 g, packed; dark brown sugar may be used
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 g
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips or chunks about 210 g
- 1 cup dried cranberries 120 g; soak briefly and pat dry if very dry or hard
- 1 teaspoon orange zest up to 2 teaspoons, optional
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts 60 g; pecans, pistachios, or macadamia nuts, optional
- extra white chocolate chips and dried cranberries for pressing on top of cookies before baking, optional
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling on warm cookies, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to promote even baking and prevent over-browning on the bottoms.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until well combined. Set aside.2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a large mixing bowl, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until lighter in color and slightly fluffy.3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Beat in the egg, then the egg yolk, followed by the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed and mix until the mixture is smooth and creamy.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until no dry streaks of flour remain. If using a stand mixer, stop when a few streaks remain and finish folding the dough together by hand with a spatula to avoid overmixing.2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Fold in the white chocolate chips or chunks, dried cranberries, orange zest (if using), and chopped nuts (if using) until evenly distributed. The dough will be fairly thick and slightly sticky.1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips or chunks, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 48 hours. For thicker, chewier cookies, chill 1–2 hours. If chilling overnight, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before scooping.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart. For a bakery-style look, roll each portion into a ball and press a few extra white chocolate chips and dried cranberries on top.1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips or chunks, 1 cup dried cranberries, extra white chocolate chips and dried cranberries
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked. If your oven runs hot, start checking at 9 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through if you notice uneven browning.
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, use a round cookie or biscuit cutter slightly larger than the cookies to gently swirl around each one, nudging it into a neat circle for a more professional, bakery-style appearance.
- If desired, sprinkle each warm cookie with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will firm up as they cool.flaky sea salt
Notes
Chilling the dough helps produce thicker, chewier cookies with deeper flavor. If your dried cranberries are very firm or shriveled, soak them in warm water or orange juice for 5–10 minutes, then pat dry before adding to the dough so they plump instead of staying tough. For soft cookies, remove them from the oven when the centers still look slightly underbaked; they will continue to set on the hot baking sheet. Use good-quality white chocolate for best flavor and texture, and don’t be afraid of the salt—both the salt in the dough and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top keep the cookies from tasting overly sweet.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal
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