White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Treat
Our Ultimate Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe
Are you looking for a festive bake that perfectly marries sweet, creamy, and tangy notes in one delicious mouthful? Picture a cookie that’s delightfully soft and chewy on the inside with gently crisped edges, bursting with generous white chocolate chunks and vibrant, tart cranberries. If this is your idea of a perfect treat, then you’re in for a delight. We are confident that we’ve crafted the ideal recipe for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, and we’re excited to guide you through it.
These cookies represent more than just a sugary snack; they are a small taste of celebration. Their popularity soars during the festive period, adding a pop of colour and joy to any biscuit tin or dessert spread. Whether you’re an experienced baker or are just beginning your culinary adventures, this recipe is wonderfully straightforward, dependable, and sure to yield fantastic results with every batch. Let’s pop on our aprons and begin!
Why You’ll Adore This Recipe
- A Perfect Flavour Harmony: The luscious sweetness from the white chocolate provides a beautiful contrast to the zesty sharpness of the dried cranberries. It’s a timeless pairing that always pleases the palate.
- An Unbelievably Chewy Texture: We’ll let you in on our secrets to achieving that perfect chewy middle with just the right amount of crispness around the edges. Say goodbye to hard, crumbly biscuits!
- Simple and Easy to Follow: You won’t need any special gadgets or complex methods. This is a straightforward, fuss-free recipe that produces bakeshop-quality results right in your own home.
- Beautifully Festive Appearance: With the cheerful red of the cranberries set against the creamy white chocolate, these cookies look just as wonderful as they taste, making them perfect for holiday events and as edible gifts.
- Easy to Customise: Why not add a handful of chopped nuts, such as pecans or macadamias, or perhaps a pinch of cinnamon for an extra layer of warmth?
Ingredients
- 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 150g (3/4 cup) light brown soft sugar, packed
- 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 200g (1 1/4 cups) good-quality white chocolate chips or a chopped bar
- 150g (1 cup) dried cranberries
How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Baking these wonderful cookies is a truly enjoyable process. Before we get started on our cranberry cookies, we understand that organising a complete festive dinner can be quite an undertaking. If you’re after a straightforward yet tasty main to serve before dessert, we suggest our Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe. For something with a little more zing, our Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls are a guaranteed hit. But now, it’s time to return to our main event and follow these easy steps to achieve cookie excellence.
- Get Your Kitchen Ready: To begin, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Take two large baking sheets and line them with baking parchment, then set them to one side.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, or using a stand mixer, beat the softened butter with both the light brown and caster sugars until the mixture becomes pale, light, and airy. This step is vital for a great cookie texture and should take around 3–4 minutes.
- Introduce the Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and the vanilla extract to the bowl. Continue to beat everything together until it is thoroughly combined. The mixture might look slightly split at this point, but it will come together.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a different bowl, whisk the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt together. This step helps to distribute the raising agent evenly, which allows your cookies to bake uniformly.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Bit by bit, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on a low speed until it is just incorporated. It’s important not to overmix, as this can result in tough cookies. Stop mixing once the streaks of flour have disappeared.
- Fold in the Add-ins: Using a spatula, gently fold the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the dough. Make sure they are spread evenly throughout.
- Chill Your Dough: This is a non-negotiable step! Cover your bowl with cling film and place the cookie dough in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes, or for as long as 24 hours. Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and also enhances their flavour.
- Shape and Bake: Use a tablespoon or an ice cream scoop to portion out the chilled dough. Place the dough balls on your lined baking trays, ensuring you leave ample space between each one to allow for spreading. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown and the centres still appear a little soft.
- Cool and Firm Up: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking trays for about 5 minutes. Afterwards, transfer them to a wire rack to cool down completely. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
Our Top Tips for Perfect Cookies Every Time
We’re committed to helping you achieve a fantastic bake with every batch. Here are some of our favourite expert tips to ensure your cookies are always chewy and delightful.
Do Not Skip Chilling the Dough
We’ve already mentioned this, but its importance cannot be overstated. Chilling the dough solidifies the butter, causing it to melt more slowly in the oven. This slower melting process means the cookies spread less, resulting in a thicker, chewier final product. It also allows the flavours to develop and deepen.
Always Use Room Temperature Ingredients
For a smooth and well-emulsified dough, it’s crucial to use butter and an egg that are at room temperature. Cold ingredients do not blend together as seamlessly, which can negatively impact the final texture. We suggest taking your butter and egg out of the fridge an hour or so before you plan to start.
Measure Your Flour Accurately
Using too much flour is a frequent cause of dry, cake-like cookies. To avoid this, don’t scoop flour directly from the bag. Instead, use a spoon to gently place the flour into your measuring cup, then level it off with the flat edge of a knife. This method prevents the flour from being packed down too tightly. For a more detailed look at this method, have a look at this fantastic guide on how to measure flour from King Arthur Baking.
Turning These Into Christmas Cookies Decorated for the Season
While these cookies have a naturally festive feel, you can easily dress them up for any holiday celebration. This is a brilliant chance to get creative with some fun christmas baking with your loved ones.
A Finishing Drizzle of White Chocolate
After the cookies have cooled down completely, melt a little extra white chocolate and drizzle it decoratively over the tops. While the chocolate is still wet, you can scatter over some festive sprinkles or a dash of edible glitter for extra sparkle. This easy touch makes your bakes look professionally made and transforms them into a perfect batch of christmas cookies decorated with care.
Incorporate Some Orange Zest
Cranberry and orange is a quintessential Christmas flavour combination. For a fragrant twist, try adding the zest of one orange to your butter and sugar mix right at the start. This will impart a lovely citrus aroma that beautifully complements the other ingredients.
FAQ
Conclusion: Your New Favourite Festive Bake
And there you have it—our simple, dependable, and incredibly tasty recipe for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. They offer a delightful balance of sweet and tart flavours, all wrapped up in a wonderfully chewy texture that is sure to have everyone coming back for more. They are an excellent choice for holiday get-togethers, cookie swaps, or just to be savoured with a hot drink on a quiet afternoon.
We genuinely hope this recipe finds a permanent place in your baking repertoire, particularly during the festive months. The real magic of baking is in sharing the results, so we highly encourage you to make a batch for your family, friends, and neighbours to enjoy.
We are very excited for you to give this recipe a go! If you bake these cookies, we would love for you to leave a comment below and tell us how they turned out. Feel free to tag us in your pictures on social media as well—we adore seeing your culinary creations!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150g (3/4 cup) light brown soft sugar
- 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 200g (1 1/4 cups) white chocolate chips or chunks
- 150g (1 cup) dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan) and line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and both sugars together until pale and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt together.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.
- Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries with a spatula.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking trays, leaving space for them to spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
