Originally published in 2012, 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’ve made these white chocolate cranberry cookies countless times over the past several years and decided to add them to my annual holiday cookie lineup called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. They’re festive, a fan-favorite, and there’s hardly ever a crumb leftover. 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!
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—yum!). 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. 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. Use dried cranberries 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. Accessorizing with extras makes a pretty cookie, don’t you think?!
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
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 including:
- Coconut Macaroons
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies
- Pinwheel Cookies
and here are my top 10 cookie baking tools if you’re looking for recommendations!
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 2 minutes. 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 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.
Sally – you baking GENIUS!!! Every single recipe turns out perfectly because of your directions. I always STEAM CRANBERRIES to soften them – I find them too hard. Thank you!
I didn’t think anything could beat a Chocolate Chip Cookie, but these are SOOOOOO GOOD.
Addicted on the first bite..! My husband likes them, too, and said: You can make a couple hundred of these..!!! This will be my new go-to cookie recipe. Thank You Sally, you are a Godsend.
I love these, too! Thanks Susan!
Could I add macadamia nuts to this or cranberries to the macadamia chunk recipe of yours? Is so, how much? Thanks!
Hi Anna, yes, you can add chopped macadamia nuts to this recipe, or cranberries to the macadamia cookies. Just keep the amount of add-ins the same as the recipe calls for. So for this recipe, keep the total amount of add-ins to 1 and 3/4 cups, and if you use the macadamia chunk recipe, keep it to 2 cups. Staying within this amount, you can use a blend of dried cranberries, white chocolate morsels, and chopped macadamias.
This is the one cookie my granddaughter & her college roommates ask for the most. I’ve sent so many cookie packages to Fordham that I have lost count. When I head down for her showcase this w/e, I’m bringing one recipe of these frozen too, so they can bake them during finals!
Absolutely delicious!
I bake cookies ONCE a week for my “sweet teeth”, I have a mouthful of them :-).
Last Sunday, I decided to try these. That was a terrible idea, by Tuesday I was already out and I obsessed all week to make them again and guess what day is today?
These are the best cookies ever.
Can you add walnuts to this recipe?
Hi Ellen, Keep the total amount of add-ins to 1 and 3/4 cups. Staying within this amount, you can use a blend of dried cranberries, white chocolate morsels, and chopped walnuts.
Made this using cherries and milk chocolate instead of cranberries and white- came out great. My dough came out a little dry (I halved the recipe, might’ve had something to do with it) so I added 1/2 tbsp of milk and they came out so soft and delicious. Had to cook for a total of 16 minutes. Very very good!
I often want to have this recipe but don’t know how to do 1/2 of an egg. How did you do it?
Hi Katie, our general rule for halving an egg is to crack it open, beat the yolk and white together with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half.
I have made this recipe 38 times in the last 4 months. Yes, you read that correctly, 38 times. It’s a long story as to why I’ve made so many cookies, but they were not for me, and I’m not in the cookie business either. However, each time, the cookies get rave reviews. It’s important to follow the recipe and techniques carefully for the cookies to turn out soft as well as chewy. Reading and watching Sally’s tips and how to’s, I have had to unlearn a few things from years of baking, but that’s great because hope I’m never too old or stubborn to learn. So thanks to this website for teaching an old baker some new tricks.
I started with baking these cookies for 11 minutes and they burned. I tried them at 8 minutes and they were still too raw. 9 minutes seemed to be the perfect time but I have to say, they just didn’t taste all that great. This recipe is flat and needs some tweaking. I was so excited to try these but they were a waste of time and ended up in the garbage.
These are delicious! Made them with a white sugar substitute and they still turned out so good.
Don’t let a few bad reviews deter you from trying this recipe!
I make these for the 4th of July. I add half blueberries and half cranberries to come up with as many dried fruits as needed. I’m on the board of the blues society and we have a 9 hour festival before fireworks. We feed every musician that plays and every year no matter how many I make I never have any leftovers!
I loved this and so did my kids!
This recipe is fantastic and loved by everyone who gets one. I take these to my daughters school for the teachers and they beg me to being more.
These turned out absolutely perfectly! Thank you for posting a terrific recipe! They’re a new favorite for sure!
LOVE this recipe! Have made these cookies for two consecutive Christmas seasons and always use the dough base to start any cookie. Love your recipes so much – have always been so happy with the results (and all the lucky folks who’ve tried them)!
These cookies are exactly as promised – soft and flavorful 🙂 Not sure where others have done wrong…
So glad to read that! They are a favorite around here as well.
Sorry to say, these were very disappointing. Followed all instructions exactly, spooned in flour, leveled off top. Added cornstarch. All ingredients room temperature. Chilled dough. And yet and yet… The cookies were heavy, did not spread much, are not chewy, and nobody in my family found them that tasty. My regular ole tollhouse recipe beats this – actually, no contest.
These are so pretty and festive! I did give the cookies a little press before putting in the oven which helped with kickstarting the spreading (I made them in a test batch and they didn’t spread!) great recipe!
My family loves these! They request them every family gathering. The neighbors rave about them as well. I have made them as per the recipe and also with added cranberries and white chocolate. Brilliant every time.
This was just what I was looking for. I accidentally added a full cup of butter so I just added an additional 1/8 or so cup of flour. My one addition that made these cookies top notch was I added just a touch of orange zest. I was thinking of a nice orange cranberry muffin and boy did it take these cookies to the next level. I will absolutely make these again. Maybe I’ll add a touch of cinnamon next time.
I have made this cookie recipe with gluten free flour that past two years and not only are they pretty but they are delicious. Always a favorite.
Everyone loved this cookie. Disappears faster than anything else on the tray of cookies!
Sally – I LOVE these cookies. I made them for the 1st time for a work cookie swap. I brought some home, and then tasted them.
OMG – they were great, and I am so not a big cookie fan.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
These turned out perfectly. Oh and this is the first time I’ve made a recipe that was dead on about the quantity! Exactly 24 yummy cookies!
These cookies are a family favorite! I make them every year for the holidays and they go fast. I sub out some of the vanilla extract for orange and they come out amazing! A Holiday must for my family 🙂
These are my new favorite cookie and I look for any reason to make them
Followed directions to a T but they look uncooked inside. What could I have done wrong?
Hi Lara, you can add an additional minute or two to the bake time if the cookies seem undone. They are soft and chewy in the inside and will continue to bake a bit as they rest on the cookie sheet. Thank you for giving these a try!
This has been my go to Christmas cookie for the past 8 years. They are beautiful, festive and delicious.
Not a fan. My apologies. 🙁 The cornstarch gave it a funny aftertaste and they don’t look like the picture..more like a fat ball than a flat plump cookie :/ the outside of the cookie is hard as well. I followed directions and ingredients to a T. I just think they’re not for me.. They are still edible but I recommend a different recipe. Again..I’m real sorry. Merry Christmas!
Hi Lauren, thank you for giving this recipe 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 – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Hi can I substitute dried cranberries for fresh?
Hi Tehya, 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 every Christmas! They are a family favorite! My husband is deployed overseas and I would love to send him these. It takes 10-14 business days for a package to be delivered to him. On average it’s 10 days. What are your thoughts on sealing these up to send?
Hi could I substitute dried cherries for cranberries instead? Thanks
Yes, absolutely!
I added white and dark chocolate chips and more cranberries thought of walnuts but decided against it. Most popular vote won. We all won, it was a Winner in our book! Maybe frost with cream cheese and sprinkle leftover cranberriesand chips, if you wanted to be a little daring!
Can I use spray instead of parchment papers.?
Hi Diana, we don’t recommend spraying your baking surface for cookies. If you don’t have parchment paper or silicone baking mats, you can bake them directly on the cookie sheet.
These cookies are amazing! Added walnut pieces to them and couldn’t keep my husband out of them. He’s usually passing on craisin cookies but he loved these Glad I doubled this! . I added 1 Tbs powdered milk per recipe as someone had commented. They taste so good. This recipe is a keeper as the other 2 of yours I tried tonight. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
What does the powdered milk do? Thanks