Description
Delightful white chocolate cranberry cookies bring festive cheer with sweet-tart magic. Holiday baking reaches new heights as homemade goodness fills kitchens with irresistible warmth you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients:
- 12 tablespoons (3/4 cup or 1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Mix-Ins:
- 3/4 cups (4.5 ounces) white chocolate chips
- 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries (alternative)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven by heating to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper for optimal baking conditions.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and airy.
- Incorporate the egg into the butter-sugar mixture, beating until fully blended. Add orange zest and vanilla extract to enhance the flavor profile.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sea salt by whisking thoroughly.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until a cohesive dough forms without overmixing.
- Gently fold chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips into the dough, ensuring even distribution throughout.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls using a cookie scoop or hands, placing them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes (11-13 minutes for dried cranberries), watching for golden-brown edges as the indicator of doneness.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
Notes
- Swap dried cranberries for fresh ones to adjust moisture and tartness in the cookie texture.
- Toast white chocolate chips briefly before adding to enhance their nutty caramelized flavor profile.
- For gluten-free variation, substitute all-purpose flour with almond or coconut flour, adding extra binding agent like xanthan gum.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent excessive spreading and create more structured, compact cookies.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 124
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 56 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 13 mg