White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies! Perfect for a holiday cookie tray, bursting with tart and sweet dried cranberries and smooth white chocolate.

By
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett has been writing about food and sharing recipes for 15 years. He is the author of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese.
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Updated February 16, 2021
Garrett McCord
Brandied Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Elise Bauer

This cookie has become a tradition in my family and always makes an appearance during the holidays!

Chunks of silky white chocolate help you ease into the holidays, while warm and slightly spicy hints of brandy tickle your tongue. Plus with cranberries in full season, taking advantage of these sweet-tart garnet gems just makes sense.

white chocolate cranberry cookies on plate
Elise Bauer

With or Without Brandy

We soak the dried cranberries first in brandy for extra flavor. Any brandy will work great with these; Cognac, Armagnac, and Kirschwasser (a cherry brandy) are excellent.

If you want, you can forego the brandy altogether and just soak the cranberries in water to plump them.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Cranberry soaking 60 mins
Total Time 92 mins
Servings 24 to 30 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brandy (enough to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)

  • 1 cup dried cranberries

  • 1 cup (2 sticks butter, at room temperature

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

Method

  1. Soak the dried cranberries:

    Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl. Add enough brandy to surround the cranberries. Cover and aside for 1 hour. Strain out the plumped cranberries, reserving remaining brandy.

  2. Preheat oven to 375°F
  3. Beat butter and sugars:

    Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.

  4. Add the eggs, vanilla extract:

    and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.

  5. Whisk dry ingredients, add to wet:

    Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed.

  6. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips:

    Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.

  7. Spoon out dough onto lined baking sheet:

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker's best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet.

  8. Bake:

    Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    *I find that adding the baking soda separately seems to form softer cookies. This is how my mom and grandmother taught me, and if there is actual science behind it, I'm not aware but it seems pretty consistent, and it won't ruin the cookies if you try it this way.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
190 Calories
8g Fat
24g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24 to 30
Amount per serving
Calories 190
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 11%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 173mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 41mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.