This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies have a soft, chewy texture and a delicious sweet-tart combination of cranberries and white chocolate with a hint of orange for brightness. They’re an easy holiday classic and freezer-friendly, and they come together in under 30 minutes.
For more holiday cookies, try my Christmas Cheesecake Cookies, Christmas Pinwheel Cookies, or check out this Christmas Cookies roundup.
5 Things That Make or Break This Recipe
- Use dried cranberries, not fresh: Fresh cranberries will bleed color and alter texture.
- Room temperature butter: Ensure your butter is softened to create a fluffy, well-creamed base for the dough..
- Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes for thicker, chewier cookies.
- Shape matters: Stack the dough into taller mounds to get soft centers with slightly crisp edges.
- Don’t overbake: Remove when edges are lightly golden and centers look slightly underdone. They will continue to cook on the hot sheet.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How To Make Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar
In a large bowl, beat together ½ cup room temperature butter with ½ cup packed brown sugar and ⅓ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy (this gives the cookies their chewy texture).
- Quick Note: Room temperature butter mixes better and helps cookies bake evenly.
Step 3: Mix in the wet ingredients
Mix in 1 large egg, one teaspoon vanilla extract, one teaspoon orange extract, and one tablespoon freshly grated orange zest. Blend until smooth.
- Pro Tip: Orange zest adds brightness and balances the sweet white chocolate.
Step 4: Combine dry ingredients
Add 1 cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix well, then add the remaining ¾ cup of flour. Dough should be soft but not sticky.
- If the mixture is sticky, add up to 2 tablespoons more flour.
- Don’t overmix the dough; it can lead to tough cookies.
Step 5: Add Mix-Ins
Fold in ¾ cup white chocolate chips and ½ cup dried cranberries until evenly distributed.
- Optional Variation: Add chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
Step 6: Scoop and Shape
Use a large cookie scoop to place dough balls on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Reshape into taller mounds to help keep the centers soft.
- Pro Tip: Chill the dough 30-60 minutes before baking for thicker cookies.
Step 7: Bake and Cool
Bake for 12 minutes, until edges are just turning golden while the centers remain pale and soft. Let cookies sit on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Don’t cook more than 12 minutes, even if the cookies look soft. They’ll continue to bake on the sheet after it is removed.
More Cookie Recipes
Variations and Serving Ideas
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies: Swap cranberries for freeze-dried raspberries for a fun twist.
- Lemon Blueberry Cookies: Use lemon zest and dried blueberries! Perfect for spring!
- Orange Pistachio Cookies: Replace cranberries with chopped pistachios for a nutty crunch.
- Add a drizzle of melted white chocolate on top for a pretty presentation.
Storage Tips
Storage, Freezing, Make Ahead
- Storage – Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing – To freeze, place cookies in a single layer in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. Dough can also be portioned and frozen; bake straight from frozen with an extra 1-2 minutes added.
- Make Ahead – You can make the dough up to 48 hours ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to chill the dough?
It’s optional. Chilling helps cookies bake thicker and stay soft.
Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
No, dried cranberries are best here. Fresh ones will release too much moisture and make the cookies soggy.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, portion and freeze before baking; bake from frozen when ready, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Can I make these without orange?
Yes, you can omit zest/extract for a simpler cranberry-white chocolate flavor.
More Christmas Cookies
- Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Iced Thumbprint Grinch Cookies
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
- 1 3/4 cups flour plus more if necessary
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, orange extract and orange zest, and mix well.
- Add one cup of the flour along with the baking soda and salt and mix well. Add remaining ¾ cups flour and mix until incorporated. Pinch the dough. If it doesn't stick to your fingers, it is ready. If it does, add more flour (start with 2 tablespoons) until dough does not stick to your fingers.
- Add the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries and mix until evenly distributed.
- Using a large cookie scoop, place the dough two inches apart on your baking sheets. Re-shape the dough so that it is taller than it is wide. The dough should look like small pillars.
- Bake for 12 minutes, just until the edges start to brown. Remove from the oven and let continue baking on the hot cookie sheet for ten minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Chill dough for thicker cookies.
- Use dried cranberries only.
- Don’t overbake – you’ll know they are ready when the edges are golden, and the centers are pale.
- Add orange zest for brightness.
- Scoop tall dough mounds for chewy centers.
- Press extra chips on top after baking for bakery-style look.
- Storage – Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing – To freeze, place cookies in a single layer in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. Dough can also be portioned and frozen; bake straight from frozen with an extra 1-2 minutes added.
- Make Ahead – You can make the dough up to 48 hours ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Hi there!
You requested feedback if anyone used fresh cranberries and liked it. Well, I’m here to tell you that my recipients LOVE the cookies I make this way. The tartness of the fresh cranberries balances out the overwhelming sweetness of the white chocolate chips. I coarsely chop the cranberries before adding to the batter. Also, not only do I add fresh orange zest and orange extract, but I also finely chop the entire orange into the batter.
My 83y/o dad who has finally gotten down to his desired weight is cursing me for making these again this year; they were his new favorites last year. Sorry, Dad, now you know how it was growing up with YOUR tantalizing cooking and fighting a weight problem! (I lost MY weight, too!)
Anyway, thank you for this fabulous recipe. It will be in the family for many years to come!
That’s great! I always love to hear feedback when you alter the recipe and it works out. Great job!
Hello Laura, thank you so much for the awesome feedback. Love the back story as well, thanks for stopping by to share.
Yummmmy. Best cookies ever
Hello! Do you need to use orange extract for this? Would orange juice suffice? If so, how much would you use.
Thank you!
Orange extract has a much stronger flavor than just orange juice Since you use so little it’s what adds the orange flavor to the cookies. You could add some fresh orange zest instead though.
Made this recipe for my blog with a few changes. It is delicious!!!!! Thank you for the recipe!
I sourced you at the bottom of the post.
Thank you Sarah!
Adding this recipe to my list of holiday cookies to make this year! They look amazing!