I finally perfected Soft White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies with crisp edges, soft centers, and a secret ingredient that gives them bakery-quality results.

Jump to Recipe

I never meant to make a cookie that stops a room, but my White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies do just that. Crisp edges, soft centers, and a single secret twist make them taste like they came from a bakery.

I use melted butter and big handfuls of white chocolate chips so every bite feels indulgent, while bright cranberries keep it balanced. It’s my guilty pleasure riff on Soft White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies and basically the White Chocolate Chip Cookies With Cranberries people beg me to bring to parties, no chill time needed and somehow everyone wants the recipe.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

All purpose flour: Gives structure and chew, mostly carbs and some protein, minimal fiber.
Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor and tenderness, it’s mostly fat, makes cookies soft and glossy.
Brown sugar: Sweet with molasses notes, adds moisture, mainly simple carbs, not much else.
White chocolate: Very sweet, creamy, mostly sugar and fat, melts into pockets of sweetness.
Dried cranberries: Tart and chewy, adds bright sourness, sugary, some fiber and antioxidants.
Egg and yolk: Binds the dough, adds protein and richness, yolk makes dough silkier and tender.
Vanilla extract: Tiny bit of aroma, enhances sweetness and overall flavor depth, hardly any nutrition.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (255 g) white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

1 1/2 cups (150 g) dried cranberries, sweetened

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; set the racks in the middle.

2. In a bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch (the secret to bakery texture), 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt.

3. In a large bowl whisk 1 cup (227 g) melted and slightly cooled unsalted butter with 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar until mostly smooth and glossy.

4. Add 1 large room temperature egg plus 1 large egg yolk and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture and whisk until combined; it’s ok if it looks a little loose.

5. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined; dont overmix or the cookies will get tough.

6. Fold in 1 1/2 cups (255 g) white chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups (150 g) sweetened dried cranberries, reserving a few chips and cranberries to press on top if you want pretty cookies.

7. Scoop dough (about 2 tablespoons or a medium cookie scoop) onto prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each mound with your fingers or the back of a spoon and press the reserved chips/cranberries on top. No chill time needed, bake right away.

8. Sprinkle lightly with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt if using, then bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden and centers still look a touch soft; aim for 10 for chewier, 12 for crisper.

9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 4 to 5 minutes so they set, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Two rimmed baking sheets
3. Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
4. Large mixing bowl plus a medium bowl
5. Whisk
6. Spatula or wooden spoon
7. Measuring cups and spoons and a kitchen scale (for grams)
8. 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon, and a wire cooling rack

FAQ

Q: Do these cookies really need no chill time? A: Nope, you can bake them straight away because the butter is melted. They may spread a little more than chilled dough, so space scoops about 2 inches apart and bake until edges are set. If you want thicker cookies, chill the scooped dough 15 to 30 minutes.

Q: Can I use salted butter or a butter substitute? A: Salted butter works, just skip or cut back the added salt. Margarine or plant-based spreads will change texture and might make them flatter or greasier, so stick with real unsalted butter for best results.

Q: Can I swap white chocolate or add nuts? A: Yeah, use chopped white chocolate or chips, both work. You can swap some or all white chocolate for semi sweet or milk chocolate if you like. Toasted pecans or almonds are a great add in too, but reduce the chips a bit so cookies dont get overloaded.

Q: How do I get chewy centers and crisp edges? A: Don't overbake. Take them out when edges are golden but centers still look slightly soft. Let cookies cool on the pan 5 minutes so they finish cooking, then move to a rack. Using a mix of brown and granulated sugar and the melted butter helps chewiness.

Q: How should I store or freeze them? A: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 3 to 4 days. To freeze baked cookies, layer with parchment in a freezer bag up to 3 months. For dough, scoop balls, flash freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag and bake from frozen adding a minute or two to baking time.

Q: Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried? A: Fresh are very tart and wet so theyll change the dough. If you want fresh, chop and toss with a little sugar and drain off excess moisture first, or cook them down a bit. Dried sweetened cranberries are easiest and give the best texture here.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (no Chill Time) Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap with whole wheat pastry flour 1 to 1 for a nuttier, slightly denser cookie, might need a touch more liquid; or use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum same measure, expect a bit more crumble.
Unsalted butter, melted: use a stick of vegan butter 1 to 1 for dairy free results, keep it melted then cooled; or try refined coconut oil 1 to 1 for crisper edges and a faint coconut note.
White chocolate chips: replace with chopped milk chocolate or butterscotch chips 1 to 1 for similar sweetness; or sub in chopped macadamia nuts for rich crunch if you want less sickly sweet.
Dried cranberries, sweetened: swap for chopped dried cherries or raisins 1 to 1 for similar chew and tartness; or use freeze dried cranberries for intense tart crunch, add them straight in.

Pro Tips

• Pro tip: Chill the scooped dough 20 to 30 minutes if you want thicker chewier cookies, or bake right away if you like them flatter. Chilling firms the butter and slows spread, and it really changes the texture.

• Pro tip: Plump the dried cranberries first. Toss them in a little warm orange juice or hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, drain and blot dry. They wont steal moisture from the cookie that way and they taste brighter.

• Pro tip: Use chopped white chocolate or big chunks instead of only chips. Big pieces melt into pockets of gooey sweetness, makes every bite more interesting. Reserve a few pieces to press on top before baking so they look bakery pretty.

• Pro tip: Sprinkle the flaky sea salt right when the cookies come out of the oven so it sticks and melts a bit, and always bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack or rotate halfway for even browning. To keep them soft in storage tuck a slice of bread into the jar, it actually works.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (no Chill Time) Recipe

Recipe by Nicky Smith

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected Soft White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies with crisp edges, soft centers, and a secret ingredient that gives them bakery-quality results.

Servings

servings

Calories

234

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Two rimmed baking sheets
3. Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
4. Large mixing bowl plus a medium bowl
5. Whisk
6. Spatula or wooden spoon
7. Measuring cups and spoons and a kitchen scale (for grams)
8. 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon, and a wire cooling rack

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (255 g) white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
1 1/2 cups (150 g) dried cranberries, sweetened
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; set the racks in the middle.
In a bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch (the secret to bakery texture), 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt.
In a large bowl whisk 1 cup (227 g) melted and slightly cooled unsalted butter with 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar until mostly smooth and glossy.
Add 1 large room temperature egg plus 1 large egg yolk and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture and whisk until combined; it's ok if it looks a little loose.
Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined; dont overmix or the cookies will get tough.
Fold in 1 1/2 cups (255 g) white chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups (150 g) sweetened dried cranberries, reserving a few chips and cranberries to press on top if you want pretty cookies.
Scoop dough (about 2 tablespoons or a medium cookie scoop) onto prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each mound with your fingers or the back of a spoon and press the reserved chips/cranberries on top. No chill time needed, bake right away.
Sprinkle lightly with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt if using, then bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden and centers still look a touch soft; aim for 10 for chewier, 12 for crisper.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 4 to 5 minutes so they set, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.