White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Name: Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract; Juice of half an orange; Zest of 1 orange; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon of baking powder; 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats; 1 cup of dried cranberries; 1 cup of white chocolate chips or chunks

Jump to Recipe

Soft, chewy and packed with homemade flavor, these cranberry and white chocolate oatmeal cookies are sure to be a hit. This oatmeal cookie recipe has quickly become my absolute favorite.

Why you'll love these Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Inspired by the Starbucks cranberry bliss bar, this white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie is amazing. To develop this recipe, I tapped into my culinary school training AND my years as a Starbucks barista. I tested this recipe over 8 times until I came to a flavorful and delicious cookie. It has quickly become one of my absolute favorite cookies.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies Ingredients

Dried Cranberries
White chocolate
Orange zest
Orange juice
Unsalted butter
Ground Cinnamon
All purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Pure vanilla extract
Light brown sugar
White sugar
Large eggs
Old-fashioned oats

How to Make Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Using a stand mixer or electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Use room temperature eggs and add them one by one. Mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla, orange juice and orange zest and mix on high until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in the oats, cranberries, and white chocolate on low speed.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and place them onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once all your dough has been scooped, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at-least 45 minutes. I like adding extra cranberries and white chocolate to the top of each cookie at this point.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5. Place your chilled cookie balls on the lined baking sheets atleast 2 inches apart from each other, Bake for 13-15 minutes. The edges will look nice and brown while the center will look soft. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack to cool.

Variations and Substitutions

Don't have old-fashioned oats? You can use quick oats or instant oats instead.

Want traditional oatmeal cookies? omit the white chocolate, orange juice and orange zest and swap the dried cranberries for dries raisins

No a fan of white chocolate? Make dark chocolate and cranberry oatmeal cookies instead by replacing the white chocolate chips with dark chocolate.

Don't want to wait for your dough to chill for 45 minutes? pop the scooped cookie dough into the freezer for 10 minutes instead.

Don't want big cookies? Instead of using an ice cream scoop, use a smaller cookie scoop instead. This will require you bake the cookies for less time and will yield more cookies.

Tips For Success

Use fresh and good quality ingredients.
Measure the flour correctly. If you pack in too much flour, these cookies will puff up and be dry, rather than soft and chewy. Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level with the back of a butter knife.
For the perfectly round cookie, the minute the cookies come out of oven, use the largest biscuit cutter you have or the opening of large round cup if the cookies are too big (anything round and wider than your cookies) Place the biscuit cutter over the cookies on the hot cookie sheet and move your hand in a circular motion for about 10 seconds.
Leave ample room on the baking sheet. These cranberry oatmeal cookies do tend to spread a bit in the oven! Be sure to leave at least 2 inches between each cookie before placing in the oven

How to Store White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

unbaked cookie dough storage

I'm a big fan of making a big batch of cookie dough and freezing the bulk of the dough in order to have fresh baked cookies whenever I want. This is my process for freezing cookie dough:

Using your ice cream scoop, scoop out your cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Chill the scooped cookie dough balls in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Remove the cookie dough from the freezer and place the cold cookie dough balls into a freezer safe zip-top bag.
The cookie dough will keep in a freezer bag inside the freezer for up to 2 months.
When it’s time to bake the cookies, bake them for two-three minutes longer since the dough is frozen.
Don't have light brown sugar? Use dark brown sugar or make your own brown sugar by combining 1 cup of white sugar with one tablespoon of molasses.

baked cookie storage

To store your baked cookies, place them in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for up-to 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Oatmeal Cookies taste dry?

There are a few reasons why your oatmeal cookies might be coming out dry:
1. Overbaking: This is the most common culprit. Oatmeal cookies should be chewy, not crispy. Over baking can make them dry and crumbly.
2. Old Oats: Using old oats can result in a drier texture. Ensure you're using fresh oats.
3. Lack of Moisture in Other Ingredients: If your eggs, butter, or brown sugar are not at room temperature, they may not incorporate enough moisture into the dough.

What is the secret to chewy cookies?

The secret to chewy oatmeal cookies lies in a few key factors:
1. Balance of Ingredients: Ensure a proper balance of wet and dry ingredients. Too much flour can make the cookies dry, while too much liquid can make them runny.
2. Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature butter, eggs, and brown sugar helps to create a moist and chewy texture.
3. Baking Time: Bake the cookies just until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Overbaking can make them dry.
4. Cooling Properly: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Quality Oats: Using old-fashioned rolled oats provides a chewier texture than quick oats.