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Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies are the easiest holiday cookie! The dough is made with just 5 ingredients, and can be chilled for 2-3 days before baking. The cookies are tender and buttery, with perfectly crisp edges, and cranberries and white chocolate chunks in every bite. Finish with a beautiful drizzle of white chocolate.
This recipe was originally published in December of 2020. I’ve just updated the blog post and re-published it, but the recipe has not changed.
Why you’ll love Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies:
- Crisp, Buttery Texture – Slice & Bake cookies have the perfect marriage of melt-in-your-mouth buttery centers and crisp edges! The texture is even better when studded with dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.
- Easy Cookie Recipe – This dough comes together in minutes, with basic pantry ingredients
- Make-Ahead – The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking! You can also slice the dough and freeze it, or freeze the baked cookies!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
- Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract for best results.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted, brand of dairy-free butter sticks.
- White Chocolate – You can use chopped white chocolate baking bars or white chocolate chips.
- Cranberries – Feel free to swap dried cherries or chopped dried apricots for the cranberries.
How to Make Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies:
Step 1: Make the Dough. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour, salt, white chocolate chunks, and dried cranberries.
Step 2: Shape Dough & Chill. Form the dough into two logs, and roll them through coarse or raw sugar to add a nice crunch to the edges of the cookies. Chill your dough in the fridge for 2 hours.
Step 3: Slice Cookies. Slice each log into 12-14 cookies.
Step 4: Bake. Place 6-8 cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.
Step 5: Drizzle. Once the cookies come out of the oven, let them cool, and then drizzle with white chocolate, or dunk halfway into white chocolate!
Serving + Storing:
Enjoy cookies once the chocolate drizzle has set (you can speed this up in the fridge). Store cookies in an airtight container (with parchment paper between layers) at room temperature for 4-5 days.
If you love slice & bake cookies, try my Chocolate Pistachio Slice & Bake Cookies or my Dark Chocolate & Orange Slice & Bake Shortbread Cookies.
Expert Baking Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
Yes, you can do either with this recipe!
Yes! Freeze the dough logs in well-sealed ziploc bag. Or, slice the chilled dough logs and freeze sliced cookie dough rounds in an airtight container for 3-6 weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Yes! Let them cool, then freeze in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. Thaw on the counter for a few hours before drizzling with white chocolate and enjoying!
More Easy Cookie Recipes:
- Key Lime Slice & Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
- Cherry Pie Cookies
- Almond Crescents
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Cranberry White Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1/2 cup + 5 tbsp salted butter, softened, 184 grams
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed, 165 grams
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out , 260 grams
- pinch salt
- 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped, 141 grams
- 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- raw or coarse sugar, for rolling
For Decorating
- 4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped, 113 grams
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: Beat softened butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, until well creamed, 1 minute or so. Add brown sugar and mix on high speed until well creamed with the butter, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until just combined, on medium high speed. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Mix in the chopped white chocolate and cranberries last.1/2 cup + 5 tbsp salted butter, softened, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed, 1 large egg, at room temperature , 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out , pinch salt, 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped, 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal logs, about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Add some raw or coarse sugar to a plate, and roll each dough log in the sugar to coat the outside. Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. You can also chill the dough in the freezer for 1 hour or up to 4 weeks (thaw dough in the fridge overnight before baking). Tip: To keep the dough from flattening on one side, place the dough log inside two drinking glasses (one on each end). This will keep the log more well-rounded.raw or coarse sugar, for rolling
- Bake: Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Slice each cookie dough log into 12-14 equal slices. Place cookies a few inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake for 12-14 minutes. The edges will be lightly browned. Keep additional cookie sheets full of unbaked cookies in the fridge, covered with a kitchen towel, until ready to bake. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Serve + Store: Melt your finely chopped white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, in 20 second intervals, stirring between, until fully melted. Drizzle over the cookies. Enjoy once the chocolate has set (you can speed this up by popping them in the fridge). Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 4-6 days.4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
