Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Soft and chewy cranberry white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. A classic cookie with a fun pop of flavor and color. A perfect treat for the holidays or any time of the year!
Have you ever thought about how odd it is that we have animals living in our homes? At what point did we decide it was a great idea to have dogs, cats, rodents, fish, birds etc living in a house along side us. Don’t get me wrong, I love it… most of the time. I could certainly do without the occasional mess to clean up. But really… it’s weird. It’s not like you’d have a cow living in your house with you, so why the others? Size is a clear factor there and who knows if they could be house trained like dogs and cats. I’d be curious to know if anyone has ever accomplished that. Not that I’d want a cow living in my house. I find them incredibly cute at times, but not enough to live with one, or even own one. Cute from a distance. I’ll stick with dogs and cats.
Another odd thought for you… does anyone remember the color changing/heat sensitive tops back in the 80’s? What ever happened to those? Pretty sure it was BUM equipment brand but I could be totally wrong on that. Had I known that trend would never return, I would’ve kept mine. So much fun. I know for sure my kids would get a kick out of it. Let’s skip bringing back high bangs, super neon colors (again), super wide pants or super big bellbottoms and instead opt for heat sensitive items. They may not be fashionable but they would be fun.
Confession time…
I’ve never been a fan of white chocolate. *gasp!* I’m not even always a dark chocolate fan… BUT paired with the right flavors, I’ll happily enjoy dark chocolate. White chocolate I’m only just beginning to enjoy this year. Again, maybe it has everything to do with what flavors it’s being paired with. I definitely still can’t enjoy it on it’s own, but with something else… it’s 100% enjoyable.
Case in point… these cookies! SO good!
Cranberry and white chocolate just seems like a classic Christmas combo, but I’d never tried it… until now. And omg… you absolutely have to try these no matter your thoughts on white chocolate. If I can be converted, anyone can be.
These cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies are perfectly soft and chewy. The cranberry offers a fun pop of color and flavor, perfect for the holiday season! That sweet and tart burst of flavor from the cranberries pairs beautifully with the white chocolate. PS… don’t skip the cinnamon in these cookies. It’s a must! It gives these cookies that extra something that would otherwise be missing. So much amazing flavor in every bite!
These are hands down the only oatmeal cookie recipe you’ll need for Christmas! A guaranteed family favorite and a must make for Santa! I heard oatmeal cookies are one of his absolute favorites! Be sure to add them to your baking plans asap!
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Tips tricks and questions answered…
How many will this recipe make?
As written, this will make roughly 2 dozen or slightly more. Too many? Freeze extra or cut the recipe in half. Not enough? Double or increase the recipe as needed.
What size should my dough balls be when shaped?
If possible, use a medium cookie scoop for consistent sizing. If one is not available, you’ll want roughly 1.5-2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Slightly larger is okay too, as long as you are consistent with your own scooping and shaping.
Can I use different chocolate?
If you’re not a fan of white chocolate, absolutely. Substitute with your favorite chocolate chip variety or do half and half.
I can’t find dried cranberries!
Double check near the other dried fruit. If you still can’t find them, substitute with another dried fruit, such as cherries.
Does this recipe need to be chilled?
A short chill is helpful to prevent too much spreading.
How long will these last?
These can easily be stored for a week or longer in an airtight container. Baked cookies may also be frozen.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes! Follow the steps through the initial chill step. Then wrap it well, label with essential info and freeze. Frozen dough will keep for up to a year.
Can I make substitutions to the ingredients?
Yes and no. Baking is a science. This recipe works with the exact measurements listed. Altering one or several of those can cause the recipe to fail. If you’re familiar with baking substitutions, go for it! Outside of any alterations I’ve already mentioned, for specific substitution questions, ask in the comments below.
Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1/2 C light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 C all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 C old fashioned oats
- 3/4 C white chocolate chips, see notes
- 3/4 C dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter with granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla, followed by next four ingredients. Scrape bowl as needed. Mix in flour, followed by old fashioned oats. Mix until just combined and no streaks remain. Stir in chocolate chips and dried cranberries by hand.
- Refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop. Space 2-3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. If desired, top off with additional chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Lightly press down on each cookie to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just set. Allow cookies to rest on the pan for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
More holiday cookies to try:
- Candy cane peppermint kiss cookies
- Chewy ginger molasses cookies
- Cinnamon sugar slice and bake cookies
- Slice and bake cranberry pistachio cookies
- Snickerdoodle kiss cookies
- Christmas pinwheel cookies
- Chocolate kiss cookies
- Gingerbread cookies
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Another recipe we tried for the first time this holiday season and another permanent addition to the line up. This was met with rave reviews from all of my cookie people that I bake for and they are my oldest daughter’s favorite cookie. I don’t generally care for oatmeal cookies and will choose no cookies over oatmeal cookies in general, but even I have to admit that these are pretty tasty. And my chocoholic uncle who has been wholly dedicated to chocolate chip for all of his 76 years said that me might like these even better. I can’t think of any higher praise than that. Thanks so much!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing, Karen!
These cookies turned out to be way to sweet! Not sure what I did. Used white chocolate chips, crasins was the only substitution, I guess that really was not a substitution. The first tray spread out way to much as well because I realized it should be chilled. I also added some extra oatmeal.
Different brands of white chocolate chips and craisins may offer different levels of sweetness. You can always cut back on both of those or adjust the sugar to your liking.
turned out thin & very runny I think not enough flour you say only 3/4 cup certainly
Not enough
It sounds as though your measurements were off, Wanda. These are definitely not a thin/runny consistency.
Ive asked a few times and my comment keeps getting deleted, not sure why, my sister and i would like to bake these but with added pecans. Do tou think thats possible and if so how much should we add? Thanks!
Hi Sharon! Your comments haven’t been deleted! All comments have to be manually approved before being published. Also, they’re not displaying properly on desktop at this time, but will show up on mobile once published. Thanks for your understanding and patience! You can absolutely add pecans to your dough. If you plan to keep the recipe as is but add pecans to the mix, I’d suggest decreasing the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Start with 1/2 cup of each of those and start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans. It’s easier to add more than to take out! Enjoy and happy baking! :)
Thank you so much! We are so excited to make these!
Followed the recipe to a T and these are delicious cookies, would like to print the recipe as I will be making these a lot they are so scrumptious they will be gone in a day or two. Thank you for this recipe.
So glad you enjoyed them, Polly!
How would you measure ingredients for a double batch?
Measure or prep everything twice as written or print out the recipe and double the amounts listed and measure based on those numbers.
could i substitute frozen whole cranberries
I wouldn’t recommend it for these cookies.
I made these yesterday, and they look nothing like yours! They spread out andare so flat. I wonder what happened.
These will spread a bit and are not meant to be big puffy cookies. The measurements are correct as listed but some have found adding up to 1/4 cup more flour has helped them. Alternatively, you can also chill your dough to firm it up more prior to baking.
My absolutely 💯 % favourite 🍪 recipe!
I always double the recipe and freeze a bunch to help have some ready for when the grand kids come over. Thanks for sharing !
So glad everyone has enjoyed them! :)
I’m a huge fan of cranberry and white chocolate,so thought of giving this recipe a try.
The cookies turned out to be too good. Love the texture of it.
I used 1/2 cup wheat flour and only 3 tbsp powdered sugar. Even then i felt my cookies were sweet, maybe cos my white chocolate is sweet.
Thanks for sharing.
Should the brown sugar be “packed’ in this recipe? The directions do not specify that.
Packed slightly is fine.
Made yesterday – added chopped pecans. The cookies are delicious and followed recipe as written. My husband who wouldn’t touch a cranberry if his life depended on it he came in as I was pulling out of the oven and said smells good what are you baking? I didn’t tell him there were dried cranberries in the recipe. His response after consuming three “you can definitely make these again”!!! Will definitely make during the week of Thanksgiving and probably will use this recipe for one of my cookies for a cookie exchange in December 🎄🎄🎄
So glad he enjoyed them! :)
I just found out someone coming over for Thanksgiving is gluten-free. Have you or anyone to your knowledge tried this recipe with gluten-free flour?
So thoughtful of you to consider their dietary restrictions! King Arthur Flour has a “measure for measure” (or 1:1) gluten free flour that would work well. Use that in place of the flour called for in this recipe. I haven’t personally used it but it’s likely your best easy substitute.
I was looking for something new to add to my roster of Christmas recipes and these were a huge hit! I sent most of them off with my boyfriend to his office where they received some high praise! I think I need to let my dough chill longer next time because the cookies spread quite a bit during baking but they still tasted incredible.
So glad you enjoyed them, Rebecca! Yes, a good chill is definitely necessary to help lessen any spreading.
I had the same problem a few other commenters left below. Followed the recipe, but they spread and were really thin and lacy. I added an additional heaping 1/2 c flour to the dough I had left and it fixed it!
Followed this recipe exactly, Cookie dough was very dry once I let it chill . Baked according to directions and all went well . My only problem is the cookies were extremely sweet . Was wondering if u could cut back on the sugar in them ? Other than that they were very good . Just a major sugar rush .
The combination of the cranberries and white chocolate adds quite a bit of sweetness. You can try reducing the sugar to see how they turn out for you.
I accidentally used dark brown sugar….what a great mistake! Only make them that way now! Still fantastic either way! My most requested cookie!
Happy baking accidents are fantastic! So glad everyone is enjoying them. :)
Can the dough be chilled and made ahead of time? TIA!
Absolutely!
These are great! We have a snow day here today and I had most of these ingredients on hand. I used gluten free flour and dried cherries instead of cranberries. So yummy!
So glad you enjoyed them, Melodie!