Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect mix of sweet and tart, with sweet white chocolate chips melting into a soft center and tart cranberries adding a little zing. These easy cookies are a must-bake for the holiday season, but honestly, they're just as good any time of year. The chewy texture is irresistible, and the best part-they require minimal to no chilling time, so you can whip up a batch whenever the craving hits!
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Traditional flavour combinations are brilliant and have become traditional for a reason, but if you are feeling a bit more adventurous, try our Peanut Butter Miso Cookies! More is more, right? Try our caramel, pecan and chocolate chip loaded Sourdough Turtle Cookies!
Sourdough Baker? Try this flavour combination in our Sourdough Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie recipe.
Equipment & Kitchen Tools
- Small Saucepan: to melt the butter in. This can be done in a microwave too!
- Large Bowl: metal bowls are best if you are using an electric mixer.
- Electric Mixer: or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
- Rubber spatula: to scrape down the sides of the bowl when mixing.
- Large baking sheets: you will need two large sheets to make 16 cookies. They spread in the oven, so they do need quite a bit of space!
- Parchment paper (we love Bacofoil Baking Parchment) or a silicone cookie sheet.
- Wire rack.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Here's everything you will need for these Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- butter: we used melted unsalted butter, but you may use salted butter if you wish. Just skip the salt in the recipe!
- light brown sugar: has higher moisture content and is of paramount importance in order to make chewy chocolate chip cookies.
- caster sugar: or granulated white sugar. This type of sugar is needed for crisp golden brown edges. The drier texture lets the baked cookies form a crispy crust.
- egg: medium in the UK, large in the US.
- egg yolk: again, medium in the UK, large in the US.
- vanilla bean paste: or pure vanilla extract. We personally use and love Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste.
- plain flour: also known as all purpose flour.
- bicarbonate of soda: also known as baking soda (not to be confused with baking powder).
- salt.
- white chocolate chips: we use less white chips than we would use dark or milk chocolate chips. White chocolate is sweeter, but if you have an extra sweet tooth, go ahead and add extra white chocolate chips (but no more than 250g in total). Better use any extra white chocolate chips in our cherry scones - another must-try!
- dried cranberries: completely optional, but they certainly add a nice tart flavour to this white chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Find the ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and leave it to cool down slightly.
3. Add the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Add the eggs, egg yolk, salt and vanilla bean paste and beat for another minute.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the plain flour and bicarbonate of soda.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, taking care not to overmix.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
7. Divide the cookie dough into 16 even pieces (each weighing about 30g) and form small round balls. If they are very sticky, and hard to shape, place the cookie dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5cm in between.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges are turning golden brown.
9. Leave white chocolate chip cookies on the baking sheet to firm up for 10 minutes, then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks For Best Results
- Use quality ingredients: Use high-quality butter, sugar, flour, and white chocolate chunks or chips. Higher quality ingredients will result in a better-tasting cookie.
- Chill the dough: If you are working in a warm kitchen, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This helps the dough to firm up and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in a thicker, chewier cookie.
- Don't overmix: Mix the dough until just combined. Overmixing can result in tough, dry cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to ensure that your cookies are all the same size. This helps them to bake evenly.
- Add a pinch of salt: Adding a pinch of salt to the dough can enhance the flavor and balance out the sweetness.
- Use parchment paper: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking to the cookie trays.
- Don't overbake: Bake the cookies until they have crisp edges. Overbaking can result in a dry, crumbly cookie.
- Let them cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them to set and prevents them from breaking apart.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature (ideally, a dark cupboard away from the sun) for up to 4 days. To preserve them for longer, allow the cookies to cool completely. Then place the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bag, separating the layers with parchment paper. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to enjoy the cookies, simply remove them from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Reader Review
"My daughter and her friend made these this weekend - they were so easy for them and they came out so well!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use different types of chocolate such as dark or milk chocolate if you prefer. Find our Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe here.
The cookies are done when the edges are just starting to turn golden brown and the centre is just set. It's important not to overbake them as they can become dry and crumbly.
Yes, you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Simply shape the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze them until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When you're ready to bake them, let them thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking.
Other Delicious Cookie Recipes
Cookies are one of our favorite things to eat, and not only over the Christmas season! Over Easter, try our Easter Cookies With Mini Eggs! Honestly, nothing compares to soft cookies fresh out of the oven. So if you're ready to move on from these White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies to even more delicious cookies, have a look at our recipes below:
- Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies (Not Cakey)
- Sourdough Sugar Cookies (Sourdough Discard Recipe)
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cranberry Oat Cookies
Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 170 g (6 oz) unsalted butter melted
- 180 g (⅘ cups) light brown sugar
- 50 g (⅖ cups) caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 250 g (2 cups) plain flour
- ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 200 g (1⅛ cups) white chocolate chips
- 60 g (½ cups) dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and leave it to cool down slightly.
- Add the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat for 1 minute. Add the eggs, egg yolk, salt and vanilla bean paste and beat for another minute.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the plain flour and bicarbonate of soda.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, taking care not to overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Divide the cookie dough into 16 even pieces (each weighing about 30g) and form small round balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5cm in between.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes until the edges are turning golden brown.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet to firm up for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cook completely.
Nutrition
Vicky says
These cookies turned out perfectly and I love the addition of white chocolate chips! The cookies are soft, sweet, and the perfect treat when you need something fast and delicious.
Ieva Greber says
Thank you, Vicky! So glad you liked them and thanks for taking the time to leave wonderful feedback! 🙂
Mahy says
I am out of cookies, and you know what that means - time to get baking! Can't wait to try your recipe!
Kim says
You'd never know these cookies were so easy to make, given how delicious they were! Keeping this recipe close at hand.
Chenee says
My daughter and her friend made these this weekend - they were so easy for them and they came out so well!
Ieva Greber says
So glad! 🙂
Tiffany says
I love how fast I can make homemade yummy cookies with this recipe! Thanks!