These Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are bursting with sweet white chocolate chips and tart dried cranberries wrapped around an oatmeal cookie dough. Chewy, colorful and festive, it’s a classic cookie recipe for all of your holiday cookie platters – make ahead and freezer friendly!
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Extra white chocolate chips on hand? Be sure to make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies and Matcha Cranberry White Chocolate Bark.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Traditional oatmeal cookies get a glow-up with white chocolate and cranberries!
- Perfect cookie to make ahead as the dough balls freeze beautifully!
- A great recipe for the holiday season – or any time of year!
Ingredients You Will Need
Cranberry oatmeal cookies with white chocolate require your usual oatmeal cookie dough ingredients, along with craisins and white chocolate morsels. We will need:
- unsalted butter – one stick of room temperature unsalted butter is all you need. If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the salt in the recipe.
- brown sugar – brown sugar adds a sweet molasses flavor and contributes to the dough’s chewy texture. White sugar will make a crisper cookie, so I typically opt for more brown sugar than white sugar.
- egg – for binding ability.
- vanilla extract – for sweet vanilla essence.
- old-fashioned rolled oats – the best oats are traditional rolled oats as opposed to steel cuts oats or quick oats. These make the best chewy cookies.
- whole wheat pastry flour – the flour brings the dough together. Sub in half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour for the same soft texture.
- ground cinnamon – a classic oatmeal cookie wouldn’t be complete without cinnamon – and the warming spice compliments the cranberries and white chocolate. A dash of orange zest wouldn’t hurt either!
- baking soda – for lift and color.
- fine sea salt – to enhance all those classic oatmeal flavors.
- dried cranberries – dried cranberries, or craisins, provide that sought-after sweet-tart bite and festive color (fresh cranberries don’t provide the same sweet flavor and chewy bite). Feel free to sub out the cranberries for any dried fruit you prefer, like raisins, dried cherries or chopped prunes.
- white chocolate chips – feel free to use white chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks or chopped white chocolate bar. Or, if you are not a fan of white chocolate, swap them out for milk or dark chocolate chips instead.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
How to Make
These cranberry white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies come together in one bowl. The key is to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then the rest is SO easy. Here’s how to do it:
Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or opt for a hand mixer), cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and combined.
Add Dry Ingredients
Add rolled oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Then mix on low speed until almost combined.
Fold in cranberries and white chocolate chips. The dough will be fairly thick and a little sticky.
Scoop Dough
Using a medium cookie scoop (I used #30), scoop dough (press/flatten into cookie scoop for even size) and place on prepared baking sheet. Leave some room for cookies to spread, spacing about 3″ apart.
I like to space in rows of 3, alternating with rows of 2 (see photos below).
Bake & Shape
Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes. The middles may seem slightly soft but they will set upon cooling on baking sheet.
TIP: While the cookies are still warm, use a round biscuit cutter and gently spin the cookies around a bit to create round, even edges.
Cool
Cool on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing says the holidays more than a platter of freshly baked cookies, but these sweet little guys can be enjoyed any time of year. Some of my favorite ways to enjoy include:
- Cookie Exchange Party: Double the batch and bring these to your next holiday cookie exchange.
- Gift Giving: Wrap a batch in cellophane and give them out to family and friends.
- Just Because: Whoever needed a reason to enjoy a warm and gooey oatmeal chocolate chip cooki? Enjoy one (or two!) anytime!
How to Store
Extra craisin white chocolate oatmeal cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. I find they dry out too much and lose their crisp, chewy texture if stored in the fridge.
Freeze Baked Cookies: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature right on the kitchen counter.
Make Ahead Instructions – Freeze Cookie Dough
If you really want to get ahead on holiday baking, the cranberry white chocolate cookie dough can be prepared, shaped and frozen into dough balls. To do so, simply:
- Prepare the cookie dough as instructed, then place the unbaked balls of dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet small enough to fit in your freezer.
- Freeze the dough for 1 hour, then transfer to a plastic freezer storage bag. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready, bake the cookies as instructed (no need to thaw!), adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Recipe Tips & Notes:
- Softened butter is key. This ensures the butter and sugar mix cohesively.
- Fold in cranberries and white chocolate chips with a spatula. Otherwise, the electric mixer will break them into pieces.
- If rolling the dough balls by hand, it helps to have a bowl of hot water nearby to keep your hands slightly damp. This prevents the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Make a double batch. Bake half now, and store the remaining half in your freezer.
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter*, room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF; line a large with parchment paper and set side.
- Mix wet ingredients: In large bowl of stand mixer using paddle attachment (or using hand mixer) cream together butter and sugar on high speed for about 1-2 minutes – mixture should be light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla, beating on medium speed until mixture is smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: Add in rolled oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until almost combined, then fold in cranberries and chocolate chips. Dough will be fairly thick and a little sticky.
- Scoop dough: Using a medium cookie scoop (I used #30), scoop dough (I press/flatten into cookie scoop) and place on prepared baking sheet. Make sure to leave some room for cookies to spread, about 3" apart. I like to space in rows of 3, alternating with rows of 2 (see photos above).
- Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes. The middles may seem slightly soft but they will set upon cooling on baking sheet. Make sure to cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes:
- Prepare the cookie dough as instructed, then place the unbaked cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet small enough to fit in your freezer.
- Freeze the dough for 1 hour, then transfer to a plastic freezer storage bag. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready, bake the cookies as instructed (no need to thaw!), adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
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