These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies have the perfect slow-bend texture, with chewy edges and a soft center. The dough is simple to mix together and results in a perfect oatmeal cookie every time. The addition of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries makes it a go-to holiday cookie.
A recipe for the Christmas cookie purist. I'm talking about all of you who love ginger cookies, eggnog cookies, and chocolate chip pudding cookies. There's always room for a classic cookie, especially an oatmeal cookie, in the Christmas cookie box. This oatmeal cookie recipe is one you can count on to be thick and chewy every time.
Reasons to Love White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Classic and delicious.
- Chewy edges and soft interior thanks to the old-fashioned oats (not quick oats).
- Easy to customize with other mix-ins.
- Only 30 minutes of chilling.
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
The base of this cookie is a standard chewy oatmeal cookie, just like grandma used to make. You'll be transported back 20 years (did I just age myself?), and reminded of your childhood when you take a bite. Every bite is filled with cinnamon, oats, white chocolate, and cranberries, with the most delicious buttery flavor throughout.
We've covered the flavor, now let's chat about the texture. These white chocolate oatmeal cookies have a slightly crispy golden brown edge, a soft center, and just the right amount of chew. The chew is thanks to a couple of ingredients including the old-fashioned oats and brown sugar.
Chewy cookies have more moisture in them, and that's exactly what brown sugar adds to this recipe over white sugar. They should slowly bend when you try to break them in half, rather than break all at once. That's how you know you have a really great oatmeal cookie.
Key Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients to make these white chocolate oatmeal cranberry cookies. Skip down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Flour: this recipe works with all-purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour (we like Bob's Red Mill). This recipe relies on some flour for structure, as opposed to some of our flourless oatmeal cookies like flourless monster cookies and flourless oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
- Cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract: for flavor.
- Oats: make sure you use old-fashioned oats (rolled oats work) in this recipe. It's what gives them the chewy oatmeal cookie texture. Quick oats have a powdery texture and will not yield the same result. You can use gluten-free old-fashioned oats, like Bob's Red Mill.
- Butter: use quality, unsalted butter for best results.
- Sugar: a mix of granulated sugar and dark brown sugar gives these the right amount of crisp and chew.
- Eggs: set them out at room temperature for best results.
- White chocolate chips: we always use Ghiradelli white chocolate chips!
- Dried cranberries: these are often called craisins and can be found near the raisins.
How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Here are the step-by-step instructions, with photos, to make white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies. Jump down to the recipe card for the full instructions and video tutorial.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a medium to large bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again for 1-2 minutes until the yellow streaks are gone and the mixture is light and fluffy.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients then turn the mixer up to high speed and beat to combine fully, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Stir in the oats, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. The longer you chill the dough, the thicker the cookies will be.
Preheat the oven to 350 f when you're ready to bake. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop 3 tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and roll into cone-shaped balls (see image below). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden brown and the tops are just barely set.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Add a few extra dried cranberries and white chocolate chips on top. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Ungreased cookie sheets: like almost every cookie, do not grease the baking sheet. There's enough butter in the cookie to keep it from sticking. Using parchment paper or a silicone mat is a much better option.
- Cone-shaped dough: roll the dough into more of a cone shape rather than a circle to get a thick cookie.
- Chill the dough: you can't skip this step! The longer it chills, the thicker the cookie.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs: for best results, let the butter and eggs sit out for 1-2 hours prior to baking.
Recipe Variations
Oatmeal raisin cookies: swap the white chocolate chips and craisins for raisins and some extra cinnamon.
Dark chocolate: swap the white for dark chocolate chips, or dark chocolate chunks.
White chocolate chip cookies: omit the craisins and add extra white chocolate chips.
More Oatmeal Cookies
- Flourless oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- No bake chocolate oatmeal cookies
- Flourless monster cookies
- Oat flour chocolate chip cookies
- Brown butter oatmeal cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats not quick cooking
- 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips plus more for topping
- 1 cup dried cranberries plus more for topping
Recommended Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silpat mat
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a separate bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, for 2-3 minutes, until it's light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition then add the vanilla and continue to beat for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add half of the dry ingredients and turn the mixer on low to incorporate into the dough, then turn the mixer up to high to combine fully. Repeat with the second half of the flour mixture.
- Stir in the oats, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Cover thee dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days (see notes).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a medium (2 Tablespoon) cookie scoop to roll the dough into even-sized balls. Arrange them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the edges and top are just set.
- Remove them from the oven and top them with additional cranberries and white chocolate (not necessary, but makes them look better). Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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