Soft White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies with Orange Zest
If you are looking for the perfect holiday cookie that comes together in just about 25 minutes, look no further. These soft white chocolate cranberry cookies are everything you want in a festive treat — pillowy centers, golden edges, bursts of tangy cranberry, creamy white chocolate chips, and a bright hint of orange zest woven through every single bite.
They are the kind of cookies that disappear from the plate before you even have a chance to arrange them nicely. Whether you are baking for a holiday cookie exchange, a cozy night in, or just because the craving hit, this recipe is your new go-to. Let’s get into it.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and fresh orange zest until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the halved cranberries and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Results
Using fresh cranberries gives these cookies their beautiful jewel-toned pops of color and that signature tartness. If you use frozen cranberries, do not thaw them beforehand — just fold them in straight from the freezer to prevent the dough from becoming too wet.
Do not skip the orange zest. It might seem like a small addition, but it lifts the entire flavor of the cookie and ties the cranberry and white chocolate together in the most wonderful way. Use a microplane grater for the finest, most fragrant zest possible.
For extra soft cookies, pull them out of the oven when they still look slightly underbaked in the center. The residual heat from the pan will finish cooking them through without drying them out.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months, or freeze the raw dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, adding just 2 extra minutes to the bake time. Either way, you will always have a warm, festive cookie ready to go whenever the mood strikes.
