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Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookies

These cranberry orange white chocolate cookies are the ultimate holiday cookie! They bake up with chewy centers and have the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

I know that cranberries might not be your #1 pick as a mix-in for cookies, but these cookies will make you re-evaluate that.

image of orange cranberry white chocolate cookies cooling on a wire rack

The cranberries add such an amazing texture and flavor to these cookies, and when they’re paired with sweet orange zest and creamy white chocolate, it’s an irresistible combination.

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookie Ingredients & Substitutions

I love this cranberry orange white chocolate cookie recipe just the way it is, but I know some people might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Or you might have food restrictions or allergies.

image of ingredients laid out to make orange cranberry white chocolate cookies

Below are some swaps and variations that can be made in this recipe.

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt included in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
  • Brown Sugar – This recipe calls for light brown sugar, but you can also use dark brown sugar.
  • All-purpose flour – This recipe turns out best with all-purpose flour, but you can use a cup-for-cup gluten free flour bend in its place if needed. I recommend using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour.
  • Cornstarch – A little bit of cornstarch helps these cookies bake up soft and chewy! If you don’t have cornstarch on hand, you can skip this ingredient.
  • White Chocolate Chips – I love to use mini white chocolate chips, but regular white chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks, or chopped up white chocolate bars can also be used in this recipe.
  • Orange Juice / Orange Zest – Using fresh orange juice / zest absolutely makes these cookies! It gives them such a bright, delicious flavor. If you’re feeling fancy and they’re in season, use blood oranges! Otherwise, regular oranges will work great too.
image of a blood orange that's been cut in half

How Many Cookies Does this Recipe Make?

The recipe makes 24 cookies using a 1 1/2 Tbsp scoop.

However, you can also make jumbo cranberry orange white chocolate cookies that are twice the size!

Scoop 12 cookie dough balls (about 3 Tbsp each) and bake for 17-19 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.

image of orange cranberry white chocolate cookies that have finished baking and are cooling on a silpat mat

Storing These Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookies

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container or sealable bag at room temperature for up to a week.

Baked cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container.

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat them, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before diving in.

Tips for Making the Best Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookies

  • Properly measure your flour! Fluff and level with a knife or use a digital kitchen scale.
  • Use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized and bake evenly.
  • Don’t over-mix your cookie dough once you’ve added the flour! Mix in the dry ingredients just until the flour has been incorporated.
  • Space your cookies 2-3 inches apart before baking them. They will spread quite a bit as they bake.
  • Don’t over-bake your cookies. Even if the centers seem a bit soft coming out of the oven, they will firm up as they cool.
  • Press extra bits of white chocolate and dried cranberries on top of the cookies while they’re still warm to make them look even more gorgeous.
  • Garnish with fresh orange zest to really take these cookies to the next level.
  • If you don’t want to scoop the cookie dough, make cookie bars! Bake in a 9×13-inch pan at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack, and wait to cut the cookie bars until they’re fully cooled.
image of cranberry orange white chocolate cookie dough being scooped onto a silicone baking mat

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this cranberry orange white chocolate cookie recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it!

Please leave a rating on the recipe card below and be sure to tag @chelsweets or use #chelsweets if you share on social media so that I can see your cookies!

image of a white chocolate cranberry orange cookie that's been bitten into to show how soft and tender the cookies are

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 24

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookies

image of orange cranberry white chocolate cookies cooling on a wire rack

These cranberry orange white chocolate cookies are the ultimate holiday cookie! They bake up with chewy centers and have the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes

Ingredients

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookies

  • 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (170g)
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150g)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66g)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature (56g)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice (15g)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch (8g)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (6g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (140g)
  • 3/4 cup mini or regular white chocolate chips (130g)
  • 2 Tbsp orange zest - zest of 1 large orange

Garnish - Optional

  • 2 Tbsp orange zest - zest of 1 large orange
  • additional white chocolate chips
  • additional dried cranberries

Instructions

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  2. Place 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together with a paddle attachment or hand mixer on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture should become lighter in color as air is incorporated into it.
  3. Mix in 1 egg and 1 Tbsp orange juice on a medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to make sure everything is fully mixed together.
  4. Sift 2 cups flour, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt into the butter/egg mixture. If you don't have a sifter, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add them to the batter. Mix on a low speed until just combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick, but that's how it's supposed to be.
  5. Add in 1 cup of dried cranberries, 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, and 2 Tbsp of orange zest. It's a lot of mix-ins, but trust me it's the perfect amount! Beat on low until combined.
  6. Scoop out cookie dough balls that are about 1 1/2 Tbsp of dough each. These cookies spread a bit while they bake, so place the cookie dough scoops about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  7. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. The sweet spot in my oven is 12 minutes! The centers of the cookies will still look soft, but that's what we want! The cookies will continue to bake and firm up as they sit on the hot cookie sheet and cool.
  8. Let the cookies cool fully on the baking sheets. While they're still warm, press additional white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the cookies (optional but makes them look so pretty!). Top the cookies with a sprinkle of fresh orange zest, then enjoy! Leftover cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Notes

Yield

This recipe makes 24 cookies using 1 1/2 Tbsp of dough per cookie. This recipe can be doubled or halved (use half a scrambled, raw egg) as needed to adjust the yield.

You can also make 12, larger cookies using 3 Tbsp of dough per cookie. Bake them at 350 F / 175 C for 17-19 minutes.

Tips for Making the Best Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookies

  • Be sure to properly measure your flour! Fluff and level with a knife or use a scale.
  • Use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
  • Don't over-mix your cookie dough once you've added the flour! Mix in the dry ingredients just until the flour has been incorporated.
  • Space your cookies 2 inches apart before baking them. They will spread a bit as they bake.
  • Don't over-bake your cookies. Even if the centers seem a bit soft coming out of the oven, I promise they will firm up as they cool.
  • Press extra bits of white chocolate and cranberries on top the cookies while they're still warm to make them look even more gorgeous.
  • Garnish with fresh orange zest to really take these cookies to the next level!
  • If you don't want to scoop out the cookies, make cookie bars! Bake in a 9x13-inch at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack, and wait to cut the cookie bars until they're fully cooled.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 207Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 25mgSodium 115mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 1gSugar 21gProtein 2g

Nancy

Thursday 9th of November 2023

These are excellent! Just the right flavors! I didn’t even do any topping. Highly recommended. I’ve already made 3 batches.

Chelsweets

Sunday 12th of November 2023

Hi Nancy,

I'm so happy to hear you loved this recipe :) Thank you for sharing!!

Jenna

Monday 19th of December 2022

Is there any way to make these in advance?

Chelsweets

Friday 23rd of December 2022

Hi Jenna,

These can totally be made in advance! These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Hope that helps, happy baking!

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