This recipe for cranberry white chocolate cookies has been shared and enthusiastically reshared all over the internet. I love how simple and basic it is. The elves tell me it is Santa's favorite. 😉
I'm with Santa; this cookie is perfect. There are no nuts or oatmeal, just a tender, buttery cookie with a little tang from cream cheese wrapped around white chocolate chips and fresh cranberries.
If you love pretty cookies, you might also like my easy ✨Sugar Cookie Bars- they are so easy! Thick and chewy, loaded with decadent buttercream frosting and sprinkles!
For another festive option, try my 🎄Christmas Jello Poke Cake! A bright dessert that only looks fancy but is wonderfully light after a big meal!
These cranberry white chocolate cookies are easy to make in one bowl. The cream cheese, egg, and butter must be 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 oily.
Cream the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Next, 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 coarsely chopped cranberries. The dough will be thick. Chill the dough for at least an hour to firm it up, or overnight would be even better.
Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent these cranberry white chocolate cookies from sticking. Also, be sure to leave 2 inches between each cookie, as the dough will spread.
When I started to make these cookies, I did not have any white chocolate in my cupboard, but I did have some Ghirardelli premium white baking chips.
I thought they were white chocolate and worried I’d need to make another run into town to get the right ingredients. I hate making unnecessary trips to the store because it wastes precious time!
I began researching and discovered that 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, such as vanilla. It is a sweet and rich confection with a great mouthfeel.
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 for squares, but be sure to use the same number of ounces called for in the recipe. One cup of vanilla chips is equal to 6 ounces of white baking chocolate.”
I use white baking chips in many other cookie recipes with great results, so I bravely went ahead and used a heaping cup of them in this cranberry white chocolate cookie.
These cranberry white chocolate 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, if you prefer, you can use white chocolate, as listed in the recipe. Either way, I’m sure your cookies will taste amazing!
If you enjoy cranberry recipes, you’ll love my 🍒Cranberry Jalapeño Dip — a sweet-and-spicy holiday appetizer.
This recipe is for a soft, chewy, buttery cream cheese cookie loaded with white chocolate chips and fresh cranberries.
The cookies will look even nicer if you press in a few white chips and cranberry pieces before baking them. 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 classic 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!
⭐ Cranberry Orange Loaf: A cozy, fragrant winter loaf perfect for breakfast or gifting.
⭐ Mountain Dew Bundt Cake: Bright, citrusy, and always a crowd-pleaser.
⭐ Crème Brûlée French Toast Casserole: Rich, custardy, and make-ahead friendly — great for holiday brunch.
⭐ Triple Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake: Decadent, glossy, and perfect for chocolate lovers.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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