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Indulge in the ultimate holiday treat with these buttery, thick, and moist white chocolate cranberry cookies. Packed with fresh cranberries, creamy white chocolate, and a hint of orange, these perfectly round cookies are sure to become a family favorite!
There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked cookies to fill your home with warmth, especially during the holidays. These white chocolate cranberry cookies are a delicious combination of sweet and tart, with buttery richness and a hint of orange that makes them irresistible as a snack or dessert. Thick, moist, and perfectly round, they’re as beautiful as they are delicious.
Ingredient Notes
- DRIED CRANBERRIES: If you don’t love the taste of fresh cranberries, just use the same amount of dried cranberries. (Craisins work great.)
- Additions that would be tasty:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- orange zest
- chopped pecans
- macadamia nuts
- Any brand of white chocolate chips can be used.
- If you don’t have store-bought orange juice on hand, simply grab an orange and use freshly squeezed juice instead.
- One of my readers wrote in to say that she cut the sugar amount in half, and the cookies were still delicious!
Make These Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.
- Mix with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, until well combined.
- In a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup milk, orange juice, and 1 egg. No need to mix it together.
- Add the milk mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix well. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, gently whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 2 increments, beating well in between.
- On the lowest speed, add the chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Refrigerate cookie dough for 10 minutes.
- Drop scoops of cookie batter onto a baking sheet. A cookie scoop that measures 1.75 inches works best.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes. Cookies are done when they are very lightly browned on the top.
- Cool completely before storing.
Tips For Success
- This cookie recipe makes a buttery batter that can be kept at room temperature, but the cookie dough comes out of the scoop easier if its refrigerated for about 10 minutes before baking.
- I’ve made these sweet white chocolate cranberry cookies with both salted and unsalted butter. Either one works fine, but if using salted butter, decrease the salt amount by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Use a cookie scoop that measures 1.75 inches across the top of the scoop. To get perfectly round cookies, fill the scoop, and then scrape it along the sides of the mixing bowl so the top becomes flat. You want little half moons of dough.
- My baking sheets are well-seasoned, so I skip the parchment paper. Feel free to use it if you prefer!
- TO STORE: place the cooled cookies in an airtight container and they will keep at room temperature for several days.
- TO FREEZE: place the cooled cookies in a freezer safe container or a resealable freezer bag. They keep in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
These white chocolate cranberry cookies beautifully blend holiday flavors with homemade charm. Whether you’re sharing them with loved ones or enjoying them with a cup of coffee, they’re guaranteed to bring a little extra sweetness to your holiday season. Happy baking!
Great For Gift Giving
These cookies also make wonderful gifts! Package them in a decorative box, or place them in clear cellophane bags, tied with pretty ribbon or twine, for a thoughtful homemade treat. Whether you’re giving them to neighbors, friends, or family, these cookies are sure to spread the joy of the season, and brighten someone’s day. Which you have to admit, is always a good thing.
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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (decrease to 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (chopped)
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.
- Mix with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, until well combined.
- In a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup milk, orange juice, and 1 egg. No need to mix it together.
- Add the milk mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix well. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, gently whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 2 increments, beating well in between.
- On the lowest speed, add the chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Refrigerate cookie dough for 10 minutes.
- Drop scoops of cookie batter onto a baking sheet. A cookie scoop that measures 1.75 inches works best.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes. Cookies are done when they are very lightly browned on the top.
- Cool completely before storing.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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Yes, and it’s fantastic! I made it in “vegan style”.
– I used vegan butter (Eleplant – it’s made without palmoil)
– I left the granulated sugar (used only the 3/4 cup brown sugar)
– I used home made plant-milk instead of milk
– I used vegan egg alternative instead of the egg
– and the flour: half all purpose and half whole wheat flour.
– I added some drops of orange zest oil, too.
It is sweet, soft, beautiful, delicious and perfect! Thanks for the idea!
I love that this recipe uses fresh or frozen cranberries! I did omit half the white sugar and they were delicious!
Thanks for letting us know…I will add that to the recipe tips!
Hi Ann, this looks so pretty & perfect for gifting at Christmas. Can I use dried cranberry instead of fresh cranberries? If so, how much can I substitute for the 1 cup called for in the recipe.
Many thanks & blessed Christmas to you & your family!
Hi Myrna…yes dried cranberries are perfect! Use the same amount, one cup. Happy Holidays!
Delicious, my husband loved them.
Gave some to my neighbor and she immediately asked for the recipe.
I doubled the recipe to use up the cranberries and white chocolate chips and it made a ton .
Another great recipe!
Thanks, Ann, for another recipe. I really enjoy your recipes as they are always easy to make with ingredients you have on hand — and they are always absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious ❣️❣️❣️
This cookie recipe sounds yummy. Thank you for sharing.
Love all your recipes, thanks for sharing