Thick and chewy Bakery Style White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies have slightly crisp edges and a soft center.
These thick and chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are the BEST cookies ever! They are crisp around the edges with soft and chewy centers. Loaded with lots of white chocolate and dried cranberries, it’s hard to eat just one!
White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are perfect all year round, but especially during the holidays! They are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, and make a great gift!
CHEWY WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIE INGREDIENTS
This white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie recipe calls for very simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator. Let’s go over all of the ingredients used in this best ever chewy white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie recipe.
- Butter: I always bake with salted butter. It doesn’t contain any flavorings that unsalted butter has. Just two ingredients; cream and salt. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer, you may just need to increase the sea salt by ¼ teaspoon in the recipe! Make sure that the butter is at room temperature.
- Dark brown sugar: Brown sugar helps give these cookies their chewy texture. I like to use dark brown sugar for a deeper taste, but light brown sugar works just as well! Use your favorite brand of brown sugar. This is the one that I use in all of my baking.
- Eggs: Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature for the best results.
- Vanilla extract: Always use pure vanilla extract (not imitation) for the best tasting baked treats!
- All-purpose flour: I always use unbleached all-purpose flour in my baking. You can also use all-purpose gluten free flour with great results as well!
- Rolled oats: Rolled oats (aka old-fashioned oats) work best in these oatmeal cookies. They give the cookies the perfect chewy texture. You can use quick cooking oats in this recipe, but just be aware that the texture will not be as chewy.
- White chocolate. I always choose a high-quality chocolate like Ghirardelli or Valrhona for my baking! For this recipe, I like to use chopped chocolate from a bar. You can also use white chocolate chips with great results!
- Dried cranberries: Use any brand of dried cranberries that you like, just make sure that they are sweetened only with cane sugar. I like using these organic dried cranberries from Whole Foods.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHEWY WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
This white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies recipe is easy to make and requires only a few steps! Let’s go through the steps to make sure you end up with the perfectly chewy cookies.
STEP ONE: TOAST THE OATS
This step is totally optional but adds a delicious nutty flavor to the oats. To toast the oats, simply spread them out on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Set them aside while you prepare the cookie dough.
STEP TWO: CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR
Place the room temperature butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5-8 minutes). You can also use a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer.
STEP THREE: ADD EGGS AND VANILLA EXTRACT
Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until mixture is fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes.
STEP FOUR: COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS AND ADD TO BUTTER MIXTURE
In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture. Mix on low speed until a dough forms.
STEP FIVE: ADD WHITE CHOCOLATE AND DRIED CRANBERRIES
Add the chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips and dried cranberries to the dough and mix until evenly combined.
STEP SIX: REFRIGERATE THE DOUGH
Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight. Chilling the dough overnight produces the BEST oatmeal cookies. I promise you!
STEP SEVEN: SCOOP OUT DOUGH
Once your cookie dough has chilled, use a large cookie scoop or weigh out 3 oz portions of the dough. Roll each portion into a ball and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press the cookies with your fingers to flatten the top slightly.
STEP EIGHT: BAKE
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Slightly under baking your cookies is OK because the cookies will continue to cook once they are out of the oven.
WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIE FAQS
Many factors affect the chewiness of a cookie, but moisture is necessary.
- Brown sugar: using brown sugar increases the moisture of a cookie dough because brown sugar has a higher water content than granulated sugar.
- More eggs: eggs also increase the moisture in cookie dough, resulting in chewier cookies.
What's the difference between quick oats and old fashioned?
The difference between rolled oats (old fashioned) and quick cooking oats is how much they have been processed. All oats start off as oat groats, which are hulled, lightly steamed, and then pressed through a roller mill. Rolled oats kept whole, while quick oats are cut into smaller pieces so they can cook faster.
You can use quick oats instead of rolled oats in oatmeal cookies, but the cookies will have a different texture and will not be as chewy.
Store your oatmeal cookies covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Yes! You can freeze baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough balls for up two 3 months. If freezing unbaked cookie dough, bake frozen cookie dough and add 1-2 minutes to your baking time.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes You'll Love!
- Chocolate Peppermint Cream Sandwich Cookies
- Chewy Walnut Spice Cookies with Honey Glaze
- Salted Chocolate Chunk Espresso Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
- Strawberry Almond Linzer Cookies
- Cut-Out Pecan Sandies
- Fudgy Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Cut-Out Orange Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Cookies
- Kourabiedes- Greek Christmas Cookies
- Melomakarona - Greek Christmas Honey Cookies
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Thick and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup 227 g butter, room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups 485 g packed brown sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 440 g cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ 275 g cups rolled oats (old-fashioned)
- 12 oz 340 g chopped white chocolate, or high quality white chocolate chips
- 1 cup 5 oz dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread oats on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and toasted oats. Slowly add to the butter and egg mixture and mix until a dough forms.
- Add chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Mix until combined.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a large cookie scoop to drop dough (about 3 ounces) onto prepared baking sheets. Roll each cookie dough portion into a ball. Make sure to leave enough space between cookies. You should have about 6 cookies per cookie sheet. Use your fingers to lightly press flatten the tops.
- Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center looks a little bit undercooked.
- Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store your oatmeal cookies covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- You can freeze baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough balls for up two 3 months. If freezing unbaked cookie dough, bake frozen cookie dough and add 1-2 minutes to your baking time.
Elly Garofalo says
Angelina has done it again. I absolutely love these cookies. Cranberry anything is my favorite. Even my husband, who has to have frosting on every cookies, loves them. I tried the Double Chocolate Cookie a few weeks ago and they are AMAZINGGGG! Since I'm stuck in the house, I may as well BAKE everything you publish. Thank you Angelina for the BEST recipes. My neighbors can't wait for more!! Stay Safe and Healthy.
Angelina says
Thank you, Elly!! Stay safe!
Debbie B. says
WOW!!!!!!!! highly recommend
Angelina says
I'm SO happy you enjoyed this recipe, Debbie! ❤️
Ashley Blair says
First of all, I never leave comments for recipes. But these cookies were SO GOOD I had to.
Angelina says
Amazing!! So happy you love them, Ashley!
Anonymous says
I made these three times since Christmas and everyone goes crazy over them! My family requested these cookies for NYE too!