These Amazing Cookies Are #1 On Santa’s List
This recipe for white chocolate chip cranberry cookies has been shared and enthusiastically reshared all over the internet. I love how simple and basic it is. No nuts, no oatmeal, just a tender, buttery cookie with a little bit of tang from cream cheese wrapped around white chocolate chips and fresh cranberries.
This beautiful cookie’s utter simplicity and perfection would make Santa do a happy little jig to find them on his plate at stocking-filling time. ❤
These cranberry cookies are easy to make in one bowl. It is important to have the cream cheese, egg, and butter at room temperature. That means the butter should be easy enough to cut and spread on fresh bread, but it should not look melty or greasy at all.
Cream the butter and cream cheese until fluffy, then add the sugar and beat until it’s all incorporated. Then beat in the egg and add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Make sure the leavening is completely blended into the butter and egg mixture.
Gradually add the flour and when no streaks of flour remain, fold in the chopped white chocolate and then the cranberries. The dough will be thick. Chill the dough for at least an hour to firm it up. Chilling it overnight would be even better.
Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper to keep these cranberry cookies from sticking and be sure to allow two inches between each cookie because the dough will spread.
I Brazenly Made A White Chocolate Swap In Theses Cranberry Cookies
When I started to make these, I did not have any white chocolate in my cupboard, but I did have some Ghiradelli premium white baking chips. I thought they were white chocolate, and I was all worried that I’d need to make another run to the store to get the right ingredient.
I began researching and discovered white chocolate isn’t chocolate at all. It does not contain any cocoa solids. It’s made from cocoa butter, milk, and sugar and may contain other sweeteners and flavorings like vanilla. It is a sweet and rich confection with a great mouth feel.
I felt much better when I read this blurb from Taste of Home: “White baking chocolate is usually sold in 1-ounce squares in the baking section of grocery stores. You can substitute vanilla baking chips in place of squares, but be certain to use the same number of ounces called for in a recipe. One cup of vanilla chips is equal to 6 ounces of white baking chocolate.”
I use white baking chips in lots of other cookie recipes with great results, so I went ahead and used a heaping cup of them in this cookie. The cookies taste fantastic, I didn’t make another trip to the store, and the white baking chips are significantly less expensive than white chocolate. In my mind, it’s a happy ending.
That being said, please use white chocolate as listed in the recipe if you prefer. I’m sure your cookies will taste amazing!
How to spice up this cookie:
There are many ways to customize White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. Here are a few ideas:
Add chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts.
Add a splash of liqueur, such as brandy or rum. – (I often do this)
Use different types of chocolate chips, such as milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
Use dried cranberries instead of dried cranberries.
Use a combination of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
Printable Recipe:
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
This recipe is for a soft, chewy, buttery cream cheese cookie loaded with white chocolate chips and fresh cranberries.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 8 ounce white baking choclate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream the butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
- Add the sugar and beat until it's all incorporated.
- Beat in the egg and add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Make sure the leavening is completely blended into the butter and egg mixture.
- Gradually add the flour and when no streaks of flour remain, fold in the baking chips and then the cranberries.
- The dough will be thick. Chill the dough for at least an hour to firm it up. Chilling it overnight would be even better.
- Roll the dough into one-inch balls and place two inches apart on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- The cookies will be very soft. Let the cookies stay on the baking sheet for five or 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Notes
The cookies will look even nicer if you press in a few white chips and pieces of cranberry before baking.a
These cookies are extra pretty, and because they are classically red and white, they look fantastic on a cookie tray! I host a cookie exchange party every year with dear friends, and I know this one will get lots of oohs and ahhs!
Cranberries are classically Thanksgiving, and Christmas treats because the season is limited, but don’t let that stop you from baking them any time you want! Fresh cranberries freeze beautifully right in the package so grab a few extra bags to tuck in the freezer while they are abundant and use them just like fresh!
If you enjoyed this recipe for easy pistachio cookies, please share it on your social media! I would love for more people to try this delicious and easy-to-make dessert. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!
Thanksgiving and Christmas are all about cranberries! Never enough cranberries, I say! What’s your favorite way to serve cranberries for the holidays? Here are some more of our popular cranberry recipes: Fresh Cranberry and Orange Sauce, No Bake Cranberry Cream Pie, and Keto Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies. Cranberry Christmas Cake.
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Would love to make these cookies for a Valentine’s Day treat! Could I incorporate a few Valentine’s Day M&M’s in this cookie?
Thanks!