If there’s ever a cookie that screams “Christmas” it has to be these White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies. And so I dutifully waited until after Thanksgiving to post these lovelies.
White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies
Granted, they’re not fancy decorated sugar cookies or gingerbread men, but they’re festive with the colorful dried cranberries contrasting with the white chocolate. And while I might think of Christmas, these are good any time of the year, which is a good thing.
About White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies:
And these White Chocolate & Dried Cranberry Cookies are exceptional, if I do say so myself. They have what I think is the perfect crispness on the edges giving way to the chewy centers, and that flavor combo is the best.
The white chocolate chips add such richness, and the dried cranberries play so well with their slightly sweet/slightly tart flavor chiming in. Can I say addictive? Maybe dangerously so… luckily, they make a lot, so even a little overindulgence might not empty the cookie jar!
Making White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies
Getting these cookies just right caused me a bit of trouble. I went through several recipes and methods and had a number of “fails.” Don’t get me wrong, here, nothing went to waste. But never mind the heart – for me, it’s the stomach that wants what the stomach wants.
I cobbled together my own recipe, and along the way, determined that the technique, especially in shaping, is the most important thing to get the perfect, plump cookie! The details are in the recipe, and also just below, under helpful hints.
My Fails – good, just not good enough…
Helpful Hints:
Just to review, here’s the hints that are going to give you the perfect cookies:
- Use real butter – margarine will spread more and you’ll risk a thin cookie.
- Chill the dough for at least two hours. Less and they just won’t be quite right, but do bring out the dough, break it into three or four chunks, and let it sit for 10 minutes before forming, or the dough will be too hard to work with.
- If the dough is chilled longer, bring it out of the fridge, break the dough into three or four chunks, and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t, you’ll end up with really thick, cake-like cookies.
- Make these the right size – you’ll want balls of about 2 tablespoons – I’d say about the size of a walnut. I use a scoop to portion all the dough out and then form into balls by hand.
- When ready to cook, break those balls in two by hand, not by cutting. Turn them so the rough edges are facing up, and place the two halves side by side. Squish them together from the bottom into a kind of round, no need to be perfect, but leave the rough tops alone.
- When the cookies come out of the oven, place a few chips and dried cherries on top of the hot cookies and just barely press them in. Yeah, it’s a bit of a cheat but gives you gorgeous cookies
From Our Best Bytes is an example of what the cookie dough should look like after it’s broken apart and placed back together.
Freeze White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies:
Freeze the dough or the finished cookies;
- For best results, shape dough into balls and freeze on a parchment-lined tray. Once frozen, remove from the balls to a Ziploc bag. Freeze for three to four months, longer in a deep freeze. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Baked cookies may be frozen in Ziploc bags, but consider layering them in a sturdy box to protect them, with parchment between layers. Tightly seal and freeze for up to three months. Bake from frozen but add a few minutes to the time.
Other Cookies You Might Like:
white lace inn oatmeal chocolate toffee cookies
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
General Baking Items:
- My standard advice for saving on any baking items is to stock up during your grocery holiday sales, especially before Easter and the Winter Holidays, and never pay full price. Many items are up to half off.
- Discount stores, if you have one nearby, have great pricing on baking items year-round, as does your buyer’s club, although quantities are larger.
Dried Cherries or Cranberries:
- Most dried fruit isn’t cheap, but cranberries usually come in at less than the pricier Cherries and sometimes can be substituted for them.
- Look for any dried fruit during the Winter Holidays, when the sales are competitive, and stock up. Check after the holidays in the bargain bin or shelf.
Chocolate Chips & Other Varieties:
- Between tariffs, storms, and disease in 2025, chocolate prices have risen dramatically.
- The normal strategy is to watch for sporadic sales through the summer, but stock up at the lowest pricing around the Winter Holidays as well as competitive pricing before Valentine’s Day and Easter.
Eggs:
- Both Aldi & Lidl, as well as buyer’s clubs, have great everyday prices but usually do not approach a great pre-holiday grocery store sales price.
- If you have room, stock up at a low. Eggs keep for several weeks after the “buy by” date. They are best stored in the original container on the bottom shelf, not the door.
- The American Egg Board (the people behind the Incredible Edible Egg Commercials) is a great resource for any egg questions!
White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies
White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes + 2 hour chill
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: about 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 48 cookies 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, divided
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
Add the butter to a bowl if beating with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment. Beat for at least a minute until butter is smooth and creamy.
Add in the white & brown sugar and beat on high-speed until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down before adding the egg and vanilla. Continue to beat on high until egg and vanilla are incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together, with a whisk or fork, the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add bit by bit to the butter/sugar mixture at low-speed until just combined.
By hand, stir in 1 cup each of the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, reserving the other 1/2 cup of each for garnishing.
Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours. Break the dough into three or four pieces and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes before forming into balls. If refrigerated longer, break up the dough but leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment, silicone liners, or mist lightly with cooking spray.
Using a two tablespoon scoop, portion dough out, then form into balls. If you don’t have a scoop, form into balls roughly the size of a walnut. The dough may be a bit crumbly but will warm as you work with it.
Break each dough ball, by hand, into two pieces. Lay the pieces down side by side, the rough, broken sides facing up. Press the two sides together on the bottoms, forming a rough circle of dough with a craggy top. See photo at bottom of page.
Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for about 8 – 9 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure an even cook. Cookies are done when barely browned around the edges although the center will appear slightly underdone.
While the cookies are baking, mix together the extra 1/2 cup each of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently press a few pieces into the top of each cookie. (The cookies will deflate a bit with this action and a bit more as they cool.) Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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I’ll be linking up White Chocolate Dried Cranberry Cookies to Fiesta Friday this week, and I’m one of the co-hosts, along with Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com. Take a minute to click over and check out all the posts!
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