White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
I’ve made many variations of these white chocolate cranberry cookies, but this one’s the winner. The combination of tart cranberries, sweet white chocolate, and a soft, chewy cookie base works perfectly because each flavor really shines through without overpowering the others. I love that these cookies feel festive without being overwhelming. The slightly tart cranberries are the perfect balance for the creamy sweetness of the white chocolate.
You’ll love how simple it is to put together the dough, and when they bake, you’ll be greeted with a soft, gooey center and that perfect balance of flavors. I fully believe that even if you’re a cranberry hater, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this one.
Go ahead and make a batch for yourself, freeze the rest, and you’ll be ready for any occasion that calls for a sweet bite!
With love,
Your Baker, Hannah
Convinced it’s time for Christmas cookies? Here’s a grocery list of everything you’re gonna need!
Ingredients Needed to Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
Dried cranberries
100% cranberry juice (or water)
Salted butter
Granulated sugar
Brown sugar
Large egg
Vanilla extract
Baking soda
Salt
All-purpose flour
White chocolate chips
Heavy cream
(To make it even easier, you can hit the “Get Ingredients” button inside the recipe, and these items will be added straight to your shopping cart at the grocery store of your choice.)
Ingredient Substitutions:
Cranberry juice: You can replace cranberry juice with water if you prefer a milder flavor or don't have cranberry juice on hand.
White chocolate chips: If you don't have white chocolate chips, you can use any other chocolate chips, though the flavor will change. Milk or dark chocolate can work as alternatives.
Heavy cream: You can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, but the ganache will be a little less rich and creamy.
Butter: You can substitute salted butter with unsalted butter and just add a pinch of salt to the dough.
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Step-by-Step Instructions for Baking White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Rehydrate your dried cranberries by heating cranberry juice (or water) in the microwave until it's warm, then pour it over the cranberries. Let them sit to plump up as you prepare the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, cream together your butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
Next, stir in the dry ingredients: baking soda, salt, and flour, and mix until just combined. Fold in the rehydrated cranberries. Then, scoop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown and the centers are soft.
While the cookies cool, make the white chocolate ganache by microwaving the white chocolate chips and heavy cream together, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Once the cookies are fully cooled, dip them halfway into the white chocolate ganache, allowing any excess to drip off, and place them back on the baking sheet. Let the chocolate set by refrigerating them for about 30 minutes.
How to evenly coat your cookies in white chocolate:
To get an even coat of white chocolate on your cookies, place your cooled cookies onto a wire rack or parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a spoon or a piping bag to drizzle the ganache evenly over the tops. Let the chocolate naturally drip down the sides for a more even coating. Refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes to set the ganache completely.
How to prevent your cookies from spreading too much:
If you're worried about your cookies spreading too much, ensure the dough is firm before baking. You can refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before scooping to help it hold its shape. Make sure to space the cookies at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet to allow room for spreading.
How to store your baked cookies and freeze the cookie dough to bake later:
Store your baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for up to 2 months. To freeze cookie dough, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and freeze the dough balls. Once frozen, transfer them to a ziplock bag or airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Recipe for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat your cranberry juice in the microwave until it is warm and steaming (around 1 minute).
- Next, place your dried cranberries into a small bowl, and pour the warm cranberry juice over the top of them to allow them to rehydrate. While your berries are hydrating, begin making your cookie dough.
- Into a large mixing bowl, place your melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, mix on high until the butter and sugar and light and fluffy, with no lumps of butter left.
- Once mixed, add in your egg and vanilla extract, and mix on low speed until the egg is incorporated. (Do not over mix, as this will change the texture of the cookies by allowing to much air into the dough).
- Next, add in your baking soda and salt and mix to combine.
- Once all of the ingredients have been mixed, add in your flour and, using a wooden spoon, stir by hand until the flour has been mostly incorporated, but not entirely.
- Next, add in your soaked cranberries (make sure to drain off the excess cranberry juice before adding) and finish stirring your dough until it has come together fully.
- Once your dough has been mixed, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop 6 equally sized cookies onto each one (12 cookies altogether).
- Place your cookies into the oven, and bake them for 12-15 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and the centers are still soft and gooey.
- Once the cookies have baked, remove them from the oven, sprinkle them lightly with sea salt, and allow them to cool slightly before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- While your cookies are cooling, place your white chocolate and heavy cream into a small bowl, and microwave them in 30second increments, stirring regularly, until the chocolate has been fully melted and is smooth. (Be careful not to allow the chocolate to go too long in the microwave, as it will easily seize and burn.)
- Once the cookies have cooled and your chocolate is melted, begin dunking your cookies into the chocolate until they are coated halfway in ganache. Allow the cookies to drip slightly before placing them back onto the cookie sheet.
- After all of the cookies have been dipped, place them into the fridge and allow the chocolate to harden back up completely (This should take about 30 minutes.)
- When the chocolate has set, remove the cookies from the fridge, serve, and enjoy!
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