White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

This White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies Recipe is soft, chewy, and full of sweet, fruity flavor! Quick and easy to make, it’s ready in under 30 minutes with no chilling time required and is perfect for holidays and everyday treats. 

Up close photo of a white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie with a bite taken out.

 I first had white chocolate and cranberry cookies when a friend shared them with my family. Admittedly, I’ve never been a huge fan of oatmeal raisin cookies. But white chocolate and cranberry oat cookies? Oh man. It was love at first bite! 

The use of white chocolate chips and cranberries in place of raisins just takes the entire dessert up a notch – or five. So, I knew I had to make them myself! 

Admittedly, this recipe isn’t exactly healthy. There’s a time and place for healthier options like protein pumpkin cookie dough and easy protein Reese cups and there’s one for sugar-laded, butter-filled recipes, too. Balance, right? 

And with just ten minutes of prep time and about ten minutes of baking time needed, these oatmeal cranberry cookies are the perfect indulgent recipe! I make them every year for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but truly, there’s never a bad time for this recipe. 

Recipe Ingredients

Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions to make this oatmeal craisin cookie recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details! 

Ingredients for white chocolate oatmeal cranberry cookies on a white marble countertop.
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter to prevent the cookies from being too salty. 
  • Sugar – A combination of light brown sugar and granulated sugar (white sugar) sweetens the cookie dough while keeping your cranberry oatmeal cookies soft in the center with crisp edges. 
  • Eggs – Add structure, helping the cookies hold their shape. We don’t recommend using egg substitutes! 
  • Vanilla Extract – Use high-quality pure vanilla extract to infuse the cookies with sweet vanilla flavor. 
  • Cornstarch – This acts as a tenderizer, creating soft, chewy cookies. 
  • Leaveners – Baking powder and baking soda help the cookies rise. 
  • Flour – We use regular all-purpose flour, but a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour will also work. 
  • OatsOld-fashioned rolled oats create a chewy texture. Do NOT substitute quick oats or steel-cut oats! Make sure to uses certified gluten-free oats if you need to keep these cookies gluten-free. 
  • Mix-Ins – White chocolate chips and dried cranberries (craisins) create a deliciously sweet, fruity taste. 

How to Make This White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

Before you begin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner, and set it aside. 

  1. Combine the wet ingredients. Cream the butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl. Then, add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. 
  1. Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt just until smooth. Then, fold in the flour, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries until a thick dough forms. 
  1. Portion. Use a cooking dough scoop to portion the dough into equal-sized balls. 
  2. Bake. Arrange the cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about two inches between each piece. Bake until the craisin cookies are a slight golden brown. Be careful not to overbake! 
  1. Cool. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, and enjoy! 

Helpful Tools 

Six cookies with oats and dried cranberries stacked on a white countertop.

Tips for Success

  • Use Room Temperature Ingredients. For easy mixing, soften the butter and bring the eggs to room temperature before you begin. It’s okay if some of the butter is slightly melted.
  • Avoid Overmixing. Be careful to combine the batter just until no streaks remain. Continuing to mix will result in dense, tough cookies. 
  • Prevent Overbaking. Keep a close eye on your oven, and remove the cookies as soon as the edges are set and they’re slightly golden. They should still be soft or look a little wet in the center. Remember, they’ll continue to bake as they cool! 
  • Chill the Dough. For thicker, softer cookies, chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour before baking. The dough will be very stiff, but using a cookie dough scoop or spoon helps to form into balls.
Overhead photo of cookies with a bite taken out of the middle one.

How to Store

  • Store cooled cranberry white chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 
  • Freeze these white chocolate oatmeal cranberry cookies for up to 3 months. 
  • Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature when you’re ready to eat. 

Common Questions 

Can I use instant oats for these white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies?

We don’t recommend it! Instant oats (or quick oats) will make your cookies too soft and chewy. 

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried? 

Again, we don’t recommend it. They will be too bitter and are likely to bleed into the cookies as they bake. 

Why did my oatmeal cookies turn out hard? 

Overmixing the batter and overbaking the cookies are the most common reasons they turn out hard. 

A stack of six golden brown cookies.
Overhead photo of cookies with a bite taken out of the middle one.

White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies Recipe

Sammi Ricke
Elevate traditional oatmeal cookies, and make these white chocolate oatmeal cranberry cookies in 20 minutes – no chilling required!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine All American
Servings 48 cookies
Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
    1 cup (2 sticks butter), softened to room temperature, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
    2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Mix in the cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.
    1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pour in the flour, oats, chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Mix until a thick dough forms.
    2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup dried cranberries
  • Using a 1 ½ inch cookie dough scoop, form the dough into balls.
  • Arrange the dough balls 2 inches apart and bake for 9-10 minutes or until the cookies have slightly spread into shape, barely a light golden brown but still a little wet/soft in the middle. Take care to not over bake as the cookies will continue to set up and harden once out of the oven.
  • After 5-10 minutes remove the cookies from the baking sheet and continue cooling on a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Prep Tips – For easy mixing, soften the butter before you begin. It’s okay if some of the butter is slightly melted.
Baking Tips – The cookies will be very soft and seem as if they are not finished baking, but allowing them to continue to bake and cool on the baking pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack allows them to be soft and chewy. If the cookies are flatter and crispier than preferred, chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour before baking. This will produce a thicker and chewier cookie. The dough will be very stiff, but using a cookie dough scoop or spoon helps to form into balls. We do not need to chill our dough before baking to have thick and chewy cookies, but it all depends on the baking sheet, brands of ingredients, etc. Baking can be an art!
Pro Tips – As soon as the cookies are removed from the oven, take a drinking glass or ceramic mug and place it over each cookie, and using quick circular motions make each cookie perfectly round. 
Storage Tips – For longer storage, place cookies in an airtight container or freezer storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 150kcal
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19 Comments

  1. I use coconut oil in my nest when making cookies too, but I freeze the dough after rolling it in parchment paper like a log. Then slice as many as you want for the day and the coconut oil (butter too) melts evenly in the oven…happy feasting.

  2. Your oatmeal cookies look delicious! Certainly not your ordinary oatmeal cookies. You’ve added lots of tasty ingredients. Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle. Pinning.

  3. Oh my…I want these right now – thanks for sharing your recipe with us over at the Creative K Kids’ Tasty Tuesday & I hope you’ll join us again next week!

    1. These cookies would be a wonderful recipe to try your hand at gluten-free baking! Thanks for stopping by, Mayuri and enjoy these delicious cookies. 🙂