These white chocolate and cranberry cookies combine a sweet and tart flavor thanks to the rich white chocolate chips and tangy dried cranberries.
Thanksgiving dessert is normally all about the pie, but sometimes you need a good cookie as well. Since I am all about the cranberries this year, I went with these white chocolate and cranberry cookies. The flavor combination is pretty classic and perfect for that additional Thanksgiving dessert.
What I love about this recipe is the texture of the cookies. They are super soft and chewy. Normally, when I want to get super soft cookies, they stay soft right out of the oven, but as soon as they cool, they lose some of that soft texture. These don't seem to have that issue. Even after a night in an air-tight container, they are still so soft. Want to know the secret? A few teaspoons of cornstarch. The cornstarch gives the batter a little more texture and thickens it in the process, leading to super soft cookies.
I know white chocolate isn't for everyone, but I absolutely love it. Something about pairing the super sweet chocolate with the tangy dried cranberries that just makes these cookies extra delicious.
Looking for more cookie ideas for the holidays? Try my thumbprint cookies or pumpkin snickerdoodles.
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- Flavors - The tanginess from the cranberries mixed with the rich white chocolate chips is perfectly balanced.
- Holiday Favorite - The cranberries make this cookie a fall and winter favorite.
- Simple - The cookies are super simple to make, but the mix gives them an elevated vibe.
Ingredients Needed To Make White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
- White chocolate chips - Use the regular size and not the mini.
- Dried cranberries - Make sure to use dried and not fresh.
- Cornstarch - Makes the cookies super soft and chewy.
- Brown sugar - Helps keep the cookies moist and subtly sweet.
- Butter - Keep the butter out to soften to room temperature.
Directions For How To Make White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
- Prepare.
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set to the side.
- Mix dry ingredients.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl. Set to the side.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
Cream the butter with a hand or stand mixer. Then, add in the sugars, followed by the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Make the batter.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two parts, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the white chocolate chips and cranberries, mixing to combine.
- Bake the cookies.
Use a 1-tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Scoop all the cookie dough, then use plastic wrap and chill the cookies for 2 hours.
- Bake the cookie dough.
After chilling, place the cookie dough on a baking sheet with 6-8 cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy.
Let the cookies cool slightly on the pan before moving to a cooling rack.
Serving Suggestions
The flavors of these cookies are great for the holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. The tangy cranberries are in season and mix well with warming spices in a hot cup of tea.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: The cookies can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- To Store: The cookies will last about a week in an airtight container.
- To Freeze: Premake the cookie dough and freeze it, then freeze the dough in cookie dough balls. Place the cookie dough balls in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips and Variations
- Cook Time - You'll want to set that timer for 8 minutes and not one minute longer. Don't worry if they look a little gooey when you take them out of the oven, either. They will come together while they cool.
- White Chocolate - If you don't love white chocolate and want to skip it, go for it. The cranberries will be great on their own. You can also swap them out for dark or milk chocolate.
White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Then add the sugars and continue to mix, about 3-4 minutes, until the butter is a pale yellow. Then add in the egg and vanilla. Make sure everything is thoroughly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the ingredients in two parts to make it less messy. Mix thoroughly to combine. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- When the mixture is fully combined, add in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Mix for less than 1 minute to combine.
- Prepare a sheet pan with parchment and scoop the cookie dough balls on it. The cookie dough balls should be about 1 tablespoon big. Don't worry about crowding the pan with cookie dough, as they are not going in the oven immediately.
- Chill the dough. Wrap the dough on the sheet pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- After chilling the cookie dough, let the cookies sit out for about 5-10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
- Space the cookies about 2 inches apart and place in the oven. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan until they are cool enough to move to a wire rack.
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