White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe
These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are so delicious and festive. Soft and chewy cranberry cookies studded with white chocolate chips and orange zest, create the perfect balance of sweetness from the white chocolate and the tartness of cranberry.
These soft-baked cookies will be a favorite on your Christmas cookie platter this year. Arrange them with your Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies, and your holiday treats will steal the spotlight at any cookie swap or party you have planned.
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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
I love serving festive cookies, whether at home, at a friendly cookie swap, or as a gift for a neighbor or friend. While I certainly appreciate the artistry of decorated cookies, I am also thankful when the ingredients themselves naturally elevate the flavor and presentation. If you love easy cookies like the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies, this recipe is for you. These easy-to-make cookies are delicious and effortlessly beautiful with bright red cranberries and snow-white chocolate chips poking through.
You can use fresh or dried cranberries in this recipe, though fresh cranberries are preferred for a softer and brighter cookie (see the comparison below). Fresh cranberries will also need to bake for a couple of minutes longer since they hold a bit more moisture.
Here’s why you will love these Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies:
- Easy to make – This recipe makes 3 dozen cookies, which might sound like a lot, but they’re so sweet, comforting, and giftable so they’ll be gone in no time.
- Festive – The red and white contrast of cranberries and white chocolate morsels will enhance your holiday cookie trays but are fantastic year-round.
- Make ahead – The dough can be made ahead of time and the baked cookies are freezer-friendly.
- Customizable – Want chocolate? Add chocolate chips. Like a crunch? Add nuts. See other variations below. You can also use fresh or dried cranberries.
Ingredients
This cookie recipe requires very little prep. Good-looking cookies do not have to be hard to make. Grab your measuring cups and mixer, because this recipe is nothing more than scoop, measure, pour, and mix.
- Butter – unsalted and softened and room temperature
- Sugar – for sweetness and to help get those perfectly crisp edges
- Brown Sugar – helps to give a chewy texture and richer color
- Flour – all-purpose, or replace with your favorite GF flour. Be sure to measure flour correctly.
- Orange Zest – adds a fresh citrus zing. It’s an easy to way to add great flavor.
- Vanilla – I use my homemade pure Vanilla Extract (These make great holiday gifts too!)
- Egg – should be large and room temperature
- Baking Powder – helps your cookies rise, we don’t want flat cookies on our cookie tray
- Salt – to balance the sweetness
- White Chocolate Chips – I love when these melt giving you little pockets of delicious white chocolate in every bite.
- Cranberries – fresh, coarsely chopped, or substitute with dried cranberries if necessary. If you soak your cranberries in hot water for 15-20 minutes, you’ll get softer cookies.
Substitutions
These cranberry cookies can be made to your flavor preferences- add chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, lemon zest, or even a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Pro Tip:
Dried cranberries bake 1-3 minutes faster than fresh cranberries (which have more moisture), so be sure to watch your cookies in the oven to prevent them from overcooking. Watch for the edges to turn golden brown and you’ll know they’re done to perfection.
How to Make Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
- Prepare – Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Wet Ingredients – Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat well to incorporate. Beat in the zest and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is mixed in.
- Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined and the cookie dough comes together.
- Fold – Using a stiff spatula, fold in the chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips. Don’t overmix, you don’t want to smoosh the cranberries.
- Shape and Bake – Shape into 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown at the edges (Cookies with dried cranberries will bake faster, about 11-13 minutes).
- Cool – Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip:
Use a small trigger-release cookie scoop to get evenly-sized cookie dough balls every time.
Make-Ahead
To store cookies: transfer to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen or refrigerated for longer storage.
Make-ahead: If you are not baking right away, wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 72 hours. To bake, remove from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature until the dough softens enough to scoop.
To freeze cookie dough: Place cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet, cover, and freeze for an hour or until solid. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a large Ziploc bag and freeze up to 3 months.
To bake frozen cookie dough: Place the frozen cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and thaw in the refrigerator for 3 hours before baking per the recipe instructions.
Sending you the merriest wishes on your Christmas baking journey. May your oven be precise, your ingredients be plenty, and each cookie be a sweet reflection of the joy and warmth of the season.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
If you love these Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies, then you’ll want to try these other tried and true Christmas cookies. Try one, or try them all and have the most beautiful holiday spread.
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Chocolate Truffles
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Almond Snowball Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (12 Tbsp or 1.5 sticks)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp grated orange zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, or use your favorite GF flour, measured correctly
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 cups white chocolate chips
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (8 oz. bag), coarsely chopped, or substitute 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well to incorporate. Beat in the zest and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined and dough comes together.
- Using a stiff spatula, stir in the cranberries and chocolate chips just until incorporated. Shape into 1-inch balls (a small cookie scoop makes it easy) and place 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown at the edges (Cookies with dried cranberries will bake faster, about 11-13 minutes).
- Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I love these cookies. This recipe I’ll make again. I used a food processor to chop the cranberries instead of a knife. I had cranberries bouncing to the floor at first.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Carol!
Just finished baking the cranberry white chocolate cookies.
I did add about 1/2 Cwalnuts and a dash of nutmeg. Used dry chopped cranberries. Absolutely delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Chris!
These cookies are delicious. I was looking for a drop cookie that looks festive to add to my holiday baking. These are a keeper!
They are perfect for the holidays! I hope it becomes a huge hit with your family and friends.
Did you use 8 0z cranberries it say 2 cups but I thought a cup was 8 Oz
Hi Linda! The 8oz label on the bag refers to the weight of the cranberries not volume size. We used 2 cups measured out in volume or it’s 8oz by weight. I hope you love the cookies!
Dear Natasha,
We are waiting for you to publish a cookbook of Ukrainian and Russian recipes…. We were not passed down any recipes from our deceased relatives since they never measured any ingredients!!!
Thanks for your suggestion, Irene.
Delicious – my son says they must become a Christmas staple!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Absolutely wonderful, I rehydrated the cranberries in hot water and orange extract. And when measuring out the white sugar, I added the orange zest and mixed with my fingers allowing the oil from the zest to infuse the sugar. I will try with fresh next time but I wanted to freeze these for christmas cookie boxes. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe
You’re welcome, Cindy! So glad you enjoyed the cookies.
A new holiday favorite in my household. I used good quality dried cranberries. The cookie was buttery and rich in flavor. The outside was slightly crisp like a shortbread with a lovely moist center. I am going to try this recipe with dried cherries, semisweet chocolate and grated lemon rind.
Sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Do I need to rehydrate dried cranberries if I use them?
Thank you!
Hi Jamie, yes you can rehydrate them before you use them. I have a pro tip on using dried cranberries in this post. I hope this helps.
Hi Natasha! I made a batch of these cookies last week and they were everybody’s new favorite. Around the holidays I sell food gift baskets and wanted to put these in there. But they are too moist with the Fresh cranberries. Can I use dried cranberries without soaking them in water? If so, What portion would I use?
Thank you in advance. And I love all your recipes. And you are my go to person for the best food😊
Hi Cindi! That would be fine. They are not as moist without soaking the cranberries but still great. You can follow the same quantities, just watch them in the oven, they will bake faster.
I loved this recipe, however I found they didn’t keep well in my cookie tin – I should have kept them in the fridge, I think. However They are DElicious and I will make again!
Will keep better with dried unsoaked cranberries. the cranberries are like raisins. WE generally do not soak raisins before putting in cookies. Another great addition to this recipe is a grating of orange zest!
These cookies are delicious but for some reason they took almost twice as long to cook! I had them in for 15 extra minutes just to look golden brown in an oven that usually cooks hot. Any ideas on why? The only substitutions I made were dark chocolate for white chocolate, and I subbed orange juice for zest.
Hi Drew. My thought is that the oven may not have been fully preheated before hand. This recipe is written for a conventional oven on regular bake mode. I encourage the use of an Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to see if you oven is heating correctly. Wait for the thermometer to register the appropriate temperature before you start to bake.
Also- the type of cookie sheet/pan can affect how they bake as well. Certain materials distribute heat differently. I hope that helps for next time.
Hi Natasha! I just looked over your cranberry white chocolate cookie recipe. Excited to try it out. Have you used almond flour in this recipe before?
Hi Yolanda! I have not tested that substitution.
Didn’t think these would taste good, even though they looked good, but gave them a try. And boy, they are delicious. The sweet and tartness of the ingredients work well together and because my husband likes these(and he’s picky when it comes to food), this recipe is a keeper. Actually making more batches of these to give out as gifts. Highly recommend!
Hi Laurie! Thanks so much for trying the recipe! I’m so glad you ended up enjoying it!
I made these cookies this past week and I shared them with colleagues at a meeting. They loved them and asked for the recipe. I loved the contrast of the tart cranberries and the sweet white chocolate. It’s a keeper recipe!
That’s wonderful, Laura!
EXCELLENT!!!! I made these today and I can’t stop eating them. The orange, cranberry, and vanilla flavors are so wonderful together and these recipe is very easy to follow. These are going in gift baskets for sure!!!! Thank you.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Andrea!
What makes my cookies hard, after they have cooled. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of cookies I make, after they cool they are hard.
Hi Bonnie! It really depends on the recipe and the type of cookie. It could several reasons- baking too long, oven temperature too high, using too much flour, etc.
I don’t what went wrong. I followed the directions, but when I checked the cookies to see if the edges were brown, they were almost still ball shaped. I flattened them a little bit and let them cook a few more minutes. They tasted good. I’m just not sure if this has happened to anyone else.
Hi Kim. That can happen if you use too much flour. I have a tutorial on How to measure ingredients here. I hope that helps.
I am enjoying your recipes. You are a great cook with great taste. I just made the cranberry and white chocolate cookies. They are so good. Can’t tell you how many of your recipes I have and love and I am a picky vegetarian. I do use fish so that helps.
I’m so glad you’re loving the recipe, Faye! Thank you.
These are incredible! Turned out perfect and my house never smelled this good. Definitely a keeper!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Geraldine!
This is off the topic of cookies, but I was wondering if you have a recipe for Struffoli ? I always trust your recipes. I make the Baklava every Christmas and it’s the best and so authentic. I was hoping you had one for Struffoli too.
Thank you so much and Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Hi Gail! I’m so glad to hear that. I do not have a recipe for Struffoli.
I loved these cookies and they came out perfect following this recipe! Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome, Evelyn!
These are soooo good! I’ve never baked with fresh cranberries so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
These have turned into a favorite cookie in our home!
Delicious!
Great to hear that! Thank you so much for trying out recipe, we’re so glad that you enjoyed it!
These cookies are DELICIOUS! I made these for a family function, and every time I opened the box, everyone jumped up to get another cookie! They were an absolute hit! I did use whole fresh cranberries instead of chopping them. It gave the cookies an extra “punch” of flavor. I also added macadamia nuts for a little crunch. You will love this recipe!
Hello Debbi, thank you for sharing that with us. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed these white chocolate cranberry cookies!
Delicious! I used a small 1” cookie scoop and got 80 cookies. No complaints because they’re that good! We tend to make smaller cookies, just reduce the baking time by about 2 minutes. Theses will be a staple on my cookie trays!
Thanks a lot for sharing, Joan. We’re glad that you enjoyed these cookies!
Omg!! Let me tell you I have tried other recipes very similar to yours however these are by far the best white chocolate cranberry cookies I have eaten. Thank you so much for the recipe
You’re very welcome, Erika! I’m so glad to hear that.
These were the best cookies ever! Everyone loved them ❤️ Easy to make. I forgot the brown sugar when I mixed them but added it at the end and they still tasted amazing 🤩
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Linda!
Happy with the metric!! ☺️ Question: can I make it without the brown sugar and substitute regular or would that change too much? And do I need to soak dried cranberries?
Hi there, brown sugar helps to give a chewy texture and richer color, I don’t recomment skipping it.
In order to give them a distinctly yuletide presence; I added pistachios. And so as to not overcrowd each cookie, I cut back slightly on the amounts of the nuts, the chips,and the berries.
Cinnamon and nutmeg put the ribbon on it.
A new Christmas tradition has begun!
That sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I just made these this past weekend for an event I went to with Hallmark actors and everyone absolutely LOVED them! One actress even said it was the best cookie she’s ever had! So, thank you for making me look good. 😆
Wow, that’s great feedback! Thank you so much, I appreciate you sharing that with us.
Wow! Sent some of these with my daughter-in-law to the hospital she works at. Everyone loved them and asked for the recipe! ( I directed them to your website) One doctor said these were the best cookies he’s ever had! Thank you for all of the great recipes
Love it! It’s always inspiring to see great feedback like this one. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’ve made several of your recipes and all have been delicious but I have never left a comment. These are worthy of a comment! I have been wanting to try a cranberry cookie and these are amazing! The orange zest really makes them pop – they are not too sweet, a little bit tangy and overall just right! I am now making them to take to a party but might have to make another batch because my family won’t stop eating them.
Hello Kim, thank you for taking the time to share your review. It means a lot to me and I’m happy that you enjoyed this one!
Excellent cookie. My husband and family ate them all up!! Love your recipes. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. Can I store cookies in a cookie can or should these cookies be stored in aTupperware container ?
Hi Sandra! You’re very welcome! These can be stored in an air-tight container of your choice.
Among all the recipes of white chocolate cranberry cookies, these are by far the best!! Thanks a lot!
Thank you, Emilie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Beware that if you change the amount of cookies you want to bake (I chose 72), the resulting ingredient amounts don’t translate well (like 1-1/5 cups butter)!
Hi Abby! 1 and 1/2 cups butter would be correct for 72 cookies because that would be doubling the original recipe (3/4 cup x 2). My notes in parenthesis next to the butter amount will not change- the website doesn’t have that feature.
These are definitely on my Christmas list from now on! The combination of orange zest and cranberries creates the perfect contrast with the super sweet white chocolate chips! Thank you for this recipe!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you liked it!
Looking at the pictures it looks like you chopped the cranberries in half, is that correct?
Yes, I did! I hope you love the recipe!
When you mention dried cranberries are you referring to Craisins?
Yes, or any other brand.
What is the best way to chop fresh cranberries for this recipe? I tried the food processor, but I think it chopped them too much.
Hi Johna, I just like to use a knife to coarsely chop the cranberries.
I did use the food processor and chopped them into little bits. They came out just right. I bag of cranberries made too much so I’m freezing the rest. They never got golden brown at the edges. When I baked them for 15 minutes they got extra brown on the bottom.
I plan to mix these this weekend and would like to freeze them. Do you know if the bright color of the fresh cranberries holds up to freezing? It will just be for a week or two before Christmas.
Hi Penyy, the cookie dough is freezer friendly and should hold up well. I hope you love this recipe.
Natasha: I’m using this recipe for a holiday cookie baking competition because I’m an amateur but this looks simple and delicious…wish me luck. 🙂
Hi Eve! That’s great. Let us know how it turns out!
The white chocolate cranberry cookies are now my families favorite!
That’s wonderful, Troy!
I know these are going to be delicious, TY for the recipe. Please let me know if fresh frozen cranberries will work as i have 3 bags in my freezer, but I’m concerned they may add too much moisture – what do you recommend? TY
Hi Angela. I haven’t tested it with frozen cranberries, but we’ve tested it with dry cranberries and they work well.
Hi Natasha! I can’t wait to make these! Is there anyway that I can use frozen cranberries for this recipe?
I haven’t tested it with frozen cranberries, but we’ve tested it with dry cranberries and they work well.
I just made these cookies. Wow, so delicious. I did not have oranges, so I used lemon zest instead, They were still perfect, crunchy on the surface, soft in the center, perfect level of sweetness. I have an oven heated by propane gas do they took a bit longer to bake. Now I have to figure out how not to eat all 36 all at once! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sounds delish! Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you loved the recipe!
I am looking forward to making these for my daughter in law. I will need to mail them from Meridian to San Diego. Do you have any tips on shipping food items?
Hi Debra! I do not, I’m sorry.
Delightful, all the flavors of a cranberry bliss bar with none of the hassle! Will be a go to Christmas cookie for years to come. NUMMMMMMM
Thank you, Tracey for your wonderful feedback!
I am allergic to cranberries. Has anyone tried this recipe with cherries?
Hi Debra! I think it would work. One of my readers on Facebook shared that she has made these with raspberries and blueberries.
Hi Natasha!! Love all of your recipes, so delicious!! I do have a question. Can these be made without the white chocolate (not a fan)? Would there be something else that can be substituted!! Thank you and Merry Christmas!!
Hi Annette, yes you can substitute them, These cranberry cookies can be made to your flavor preferences- add chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, lemon zest, or even a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Hi Natasha – when you say “soak cranberries” do you mean soak either dried or fresh cranberries. I have heard of soaking dried cranberries but never heard of soaking fresh cranberries. This recipe look yummy!!!!
Hi Jacqueline, this is for fresh cranberrries.
Hi Natasha, I haven’t actually made these yet, but they look yummy and I have high hopes. I wanted to ask if there are any changes in the recipe for high altitude?
Hi Teona! To be honest, I have no experience with high altitude baking so I am not sure. You may find this article from King Arthur baking on high altitude baking helpful!
Hi Natasha! Love all your awesome recipes! They are all delicious! I just bought 3 of your cookbooks to give to my family and friends as Christmas gifts and I cannot wait to give them over the holidays. Thank you!
Can I use leftover homemade cranberry sauce in this recipe instead of whole cranberries? Looking for a way to use up the leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving.
Hi Carrie! Thank you so much for purchasing the cookbook. I’m not sure how the cranberry sauce would work. My concern would be that it could change the consistency of the batter and effect the texture because of how wet sauce is. If you experiment, let us know it turns out.
I’m glad I got the recipe perfectly the first time. I always undercook or overcook my cookies. These are so good and perfect for the holidays. I love that they are freezer friendly too.
That’s wonderful, Mel! Thank you for sharing.
My grandson loves craisins. Im just wondering would craisins work?
Hi Marilyn. See my note above for instructions on this. I hope you love the recipe!
I was weary of these b/c the dough seem stiff and dry, but they turned out amazing! Great recipe!!
Hi CMG! I’m glad they turned out well for you. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. That is likely the cause. I have a tutorial on How to measure ingredients here.
Do you need to decrease the sugar if using the dried cranberries since they are sweeter?
Hi Anna. We did not make any changes when we tested it with dry cranberries.
These sound perfect for church coffee hour. Should I soak the cranberries before or after I chop them?
Hi Peggy! Either way will work. I hope you love the recipe!
Love watching your tutorials and have made some of your recipes. I just wish you included metric measures in your recipes. Keep up the good work.
Hi Pauline! Thank you for the feedback. In the recipe card, you can click on the “metric” button for conversions. Most of my recipes have this option but we are working on getting this added to all the recipes.
Yess I love it when metric is included! Really hope it’s added soon for this recipe, but in the mean time I’ll do it myself. ☺️
Hi Natasha! I can’t wait to make these! If I soak the cranberries in hot water as you mentioned, how dry do they need to be before I add them to the dough?
Hi Angela, I would drain them and get as much water off as you can. I hope you love this recipe.
Hi Angela! The don’t need to dry but try not to add excess liquid to the batter, drain the well. I hope you love the recipe!
These cookies were delicious and my entire family scarfed them down! The perfect holiday cookie! I’ll for sure be making them again!
Hi Pam! That’s wonderful. I’m glad they were a hit!
I love these so much! The cranberries work so well with the white chocolate, they are absolutely delicious.
Thank you for sharing, April! So glad you loved the recipe.