I’ll show you how to make these thick and chewy cranberry orange cookies with white chocolate! These cookies are festive enough for Christmas cookie platters and easy enough to make all season long. The base is my buttery, vanilla-hinted sugar cookies recipe that’s crisp at the edges, soft-baked in the middle, and super easy to make.
If you love the cranberry and orange flavor combination, you might also like my cranberry orange shortbread cookies and chewy cranberry oatmeal cookies.
When I was younger, my mom started a cookie exchange with her friends. She would haul home containers full of peanut butter blossoms, crinkle cookies, and pinwheel cookies. Just in time for Christmas, I recently baked these cranberry orange cookies drizzled with white chocolate, and it made me think of those exchanges. These cookies are buttery, chewy, and packed full of dried cranberries and orange zest. These are adapted from my easy drop sugar cookie recipe, and I have to say, they might even be better than the original!
About These Festive Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Easy to make. These cookies chill for about an hour in the fridge before baking, but the dough comes together in minutes. You don’t need to roll out or shape the dough, just scoop, chill, and bake.
- They stay soft for days. Whether you are heading to a cookie exchange or sending cookies to your loved ones, these soft orange cranberry cookies store well. Keep them airtight and they’ll stay fresh and chewy!
- Freezer-friendly. The orange cranberry cookies are perfect for freezing. You can even freeze the dough so it’s ready to thaw and bake when you need it.
Fresh vs. Dried Cranberries
For the full, printable ingredients list and recipe details, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card later in the post.
I make these cookies with sweetened (or unsweetened) dried cranberries. While you could make them with fresh cranberries, dried ones are the popular choice for a few reasons. Mainly, dried cranberries are sweeter and chewier, almost like candy, and they have a low water content compared to fresh berries. Fresh cranberries are tart, tangy, and juicy. They’re also bigger. If you’re using fresh cranberries, you can expect a slightly different flavor and texture in your cookies.
How to Zest an Orange
You’ll need a microplane or citrus zester to zest the skin of the orange. Do your best to only zest the orange peel, since that’s where the oils, color, and flavor are. Avoid the whitish, bitter rind underneath. If needed, refer to my tutorial on how to zest a lemon that applies to oranges and other citrus, too!
How to Make Cranberry Orange Cookies With White Chocolate
The cranberry-packed cookie dough comes together easily with a mixer; otherwise, you can mix the ingredients by hand. Follow the steps below to make and bake your white chocolate cranberry orange cookies.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Start by creaming the butter and sugar, then mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
- Combine and add the dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients separately, and slowly add them to the wet batter. Beat until the dough starts to form. Lastly, fold in the cranberries.
- Chill the cookie dough. Now, use a large cookie scoop to drop portions of cranberry cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Afterward, refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Bake. Take your cookies out of the fridge, and bake them in a 350ºF oven for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just set in the middle. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, and then move your cranberry orange cookies to a wire rack.
Add a Chocolate Drizzle
If you want to add a white or dark chocolate drizzle to these cookies, like you see pictured here, I recommend using a high-quality melting chocolate like Ghirardelli melting wafers. Other good choices are almond bark, chocolate bars like Lindt or Ghirardelli, or chocolate chips.
- Melt the chocolate. Microwave the chocolate at 50% power in 30-second increments. Stir in between bursts to prevent the chocolate from burning. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stovetop. See my post on how to melt chocolate for tips.
- Drizzle it over the cookies. Use a spoon or a small piping bag to drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled cookies.
Julianne’s Tips for Perfect Cookies
- Use a cookie scoop so they’re all the same size. I like big fat cookies, so I use a large cookie scoop, which is about 3 tablespoons.
- If the cookies spread: Right when you take the cookies out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter, or two spoons and push the edges of the cookie back towards the center. This only works before the edges have set, so do it right when you take them out of the oven. It also make the cookies thicker!
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time: Most oven have hot spots which can cause issues during baking, or the lower shelf cooks faster than the top. I recommend baking just one tray of cookies at a time on the middle rack of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does cream of tartar do in cookie recipes?
Cream of tartar creates a soft and chewy texture and improves the flavor of the cookies. If you don’t have it, you can skip it in a pinch. The cookies just won’t be quite as soft and tender.
Why do you refrigerate the cookie dough?
Refrigerating cookie dough prevents the cookies from spreading in the oven, and it also develops the flavor. You need at least 60 minutes of chill time. If your dough has been in the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours, allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before baking.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- Make the cookie dough ahead. Prepare the dough and pre-scoop it onto a baking sheet as directed. Cover it tightly, and refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours.
- Freeze the unbaked cookie dough. If you like to freeze the cranberry orange cookie dough, chill it in the refrigerator first, and then transfer the hardened cookie dough to an airtight container. Separate any layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months.
- Store and freeze baked cookies. Store the baked cranberry orange cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months (whenever possible, try to freeze the cookies before adding the chocolate drizzle). Thaw the cookies before serving.
More Christmas Cookies
Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Prep Time: 75 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Thick and chewy cranberry orange cookies with white chocolate are festive enough for Christmas cookie platters and easy enough to make all season long! These cookies are buttery, soft-baked, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (285g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 medium orange
- 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2g) cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon (2g) salt
- 1 heaping cup (170g/6oz bag) dried sweetened cranberries
- 2–3 ounces White chocolate bar, baking chips or almond bark
Instructions
- Combine the butter with the sugar and beat on medium speed until well creamed together. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Mix into the butter and sugar until the eggs are well beaten.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Slowly add into the batter and beat on medium-low speed until well combined and dough forms, then add the cranberries.
- Use a large cookie scoop and scoop cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the dough about 2 inches apart, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes prior to baking.
- Bake at 350° F 10-12 minutes. Allow cookie to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
- Once cooled, melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 30-90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate is smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Allow white chocolate to harden before storing.
Notes
- Freezing cookie dough: Prepare the dough and pre-scoop it onto a baking sheet. Cover tightly and leave it in the refrigerator for 48 hours. If you like to freeze the cookie dough, just let the dough harden first in the refrigerator then transfer to an airtight container. Place in the freezer and use a piece of parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.
- Freezing finished cookies can be frozen and stored in an airtight container. If possible, it’s best to add the white chocolate drizzle once they’re thawed, however, this can be frozen after the chocolate is added. Use a piece of parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.
- White Chocolate- If you want to add a drizzle to these cookies, you can use Ghirardelli melting wafers, Almond Bark, white chocolate bar such as Lindt or Ghirardelli or white baking chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 229
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2.4g
- Cholesterol: 36mg
Can you use white chocolate chips melted for the glaze?
Yes most certainly!
These cookies were a hit with the family! Soft and chewy with tons of flavor, I will be adding it to my holiday cookie list
I am so happy to hear that Stephanie! Thank you so much!
Of all the cookies that I made for my daughter’s wedding 2 weeks ago this cookie was the one everybody wanted the recipe for! Instead of using the white chocolate I drizzled and orange infused glaze on the cookie. They were the absolute favorite of the variety of 12. You will not be disappointed if you make this cookie!
Hi Mary- Wow, what a compliment, thank you so much!
These cookies look heavenly! I love white chocolate and cranberries and any cookies with a crust outer and soft inner has my name ALL over it!
I love cranberry and orange together…and now in a cookie! Perfect!!!
I love these cookies and those tags are adorable! I love a snicker doodle so I am sure I’d love these too!
What a delicious cookie for the holidays! I love baking and gifting treats like these. And yes, the Target $1 is the best for cute tags!!! I’m so glad I got to see you briefly this past weekend. Maybe next time I won’t have so much going on so I can stay longer!!!
These are absolutely wonderful!!! I need to make them asap.
These cookies look so soft and tender! I love the white chocolate, cranberry and orange for the holidays!
What a fun cookie swap! I love this time of the year because I have so many excuses to eat delicious cookies. I love the fun tags you used too.
Julianne, it was so great to see you this past weekend. . love these cookies and I’m thinking of you. . you got this and you will get everything done by January!!!! It’s going to be great!!!!!!
I was so sad to miss the conference. I had to do a training for my day job and couldn’t go. It looked like so much fun! Next year, maybe.
And I want to get in on this cookie stuff. Nothing sounds more fun than getting cookies in the mail! These look amazing!