Name: Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 54 min
Ingredients: ½ cup butter (softened); ½ cup light brown sugar (firmly packed); ¼ cup white granulated sugar; 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¾ cup all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats; ½ cup dried cranberries; ½ cup white chocolate chips

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These easy Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are wonderfully golden brown and crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and incredibly delicious. Perfect for the holidays or any time of the year!

cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies on a white plate with a napkin

Filled with dark red dried cranberries and creamy white chocolate chips, they’re a festive take on traditional oatmeal raisin cookies and are a must-have on my Christmas cookie list!

And not only are they scrumptious; they’re also quick and easy to make!

There’s no need to pull out the mixer, and you don’t need to chill the dough. You can mix it by hand and have it on the pans and ready for baking in about 10 minutes.

And let me tell you…the smell in your house while these cookies are baking will be absolutely heavenly!

This recipe is adapted from my all-time favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, the original Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Quaker Oats, and I got the idea from the cranberry oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie recipe on a bag of Craisins (#notsponsoredbyeithercompany).

I tried those cranberry cookies once, and I totally fell in love with the flavor combination of the tart cranberries and the sweet white chocolate chips. But, to my dismay, they weren’t at all awesomely crisp and chewy like those oatmeal cookies.

So I figured why not just use the oatmeal cookie recipe and replace the raisins with dried cranberries and add white chocolate chips? I also upped the vanilla and reduced the cinnamon….and oh, my goodness…I arrived at the best oatmeal cookies with cranberries and white chocolate chips ever!

cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies on a wire rack with a spatula and white napkin on the side

Ingredients you need:

Butter
Light brown sugar
White granulated sugar
Egg
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Salt
Cinnamon
Old-fashioned rolled oats
Dried cranberries
White chocolate chips

Here’s a look at how to make Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies:

Note: This is just a quick overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe with detailed instructions.

2 images; one a graphic of an oven with text that says preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; the other of butter and sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon on the side with text that says place the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large bowl

2 images; one of the butter and sugars being mixed in the bowl with a wooden spoon with text that says mix until well combined and smooth; the other of an egg and vanilla added to the bowl with text that says add the egg and vanilla extract

2 images; one of the eggs and vanilla mixed into the dough with a wooden spoon with text that says mix until well combined; the other of a flour mixture in a separate bowl with a whisk with text that says in another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt

2 images; one of the flour mixture in the bowl with the butter mixture with text that says add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture; the other of the flour mixture stirred into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon with text that says stir just until the flour mixture has been fully incorporated

2 images; one of oatmeal, cranberries, and white chocolate added to the bowl of dough with text that says add the oats, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips; the other of the mixed dough with text that says stir until evenly distributed throughout the dough

2 images; one of balls of dough on a baking sheet with text that says drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets; the other a graphic of an oven with text that says 350 degrees Fahrenheit and, one pan at a time, bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown

2 images; one of the baked cookies on the baking sheet with text that says cool on baking sheet for one minute; the other of the cookies on wire racks with text that says remove to wire racks to cool completely, enjoy

Tips & Tidbits:

Old-fashioned rolled oats give you the best chewy texture, but you can use quick-cooking oats if that’s what you have on hand (don’t use instant oats, though).
Don’t substitute fresh cranberries for the dried cranberries, as there is too much liquid in them.
I mix these by hand, but you can use an electric mixer if you’d prefer.
I recommend using light-colored baking sheets to prevent the cookies from overbaking and getting too brown (dark pans absorb more heat).
- If you only have dark pans, consider reducing the oven temperature to 325°F and keep an eye on the cookies as they bake (you may not need the full 12 to 15 minutes).
After baking, the cookies will cool on the pan for just a minute, then you will move them to wire racks to cool completely. At this point, the cookies will still be very hot and soft. Use a spatula and be very careful so they don’t break apart. They will firm up as they cool.
These cookies are at their best the day they are baked, but you can store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days (although they can start to lose their softness rather quickly).
- To help keep them soft, you can try adding a piece of white bread to the container, placing the bread off to the side to avoid touching the cookies as much as possible. Don’t forget to replace the bread as needed so it doesn’t get moldy.
To freeze, place cooled cookies in freezer bags or containers. If layering, place waxed paper or parchment paper between the layers. For best results, use within 2 months. Thaw and enjoy!

cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies stacked on a white napkin with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips scattered around them

These cookies will have everyone coming back for more and will disappear fast (case in point: I ate way too many of them before I was even done taking the photos). Soooo, you might just want to consider making a double batch!

And I’m proud to say that David – whose favorite cookie has always been chocolate chip – declared these his new favorite cookie after eating just one!

I hope you try these Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies and love them as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!

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Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are wonderfully golden brown and crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and incredibly delicious. Perfect for the holidays or any time of the year!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Cooling Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 54 minutes

Servings: dozen cookies

Calories: 128

Author: Michelle / Now Cook This!

Ingredients

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, light brown sugar, and white granulated sugar until well-combined and smooth.
Note: I do all of my mixing for this recipe by hand. You can use an electric mixer if you prefer.
Add the egg and vanilla extract; mix until well-combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well-combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture; mix just until the flour mixture has been fully incorporated.
Add the oats, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips; stir until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased light-colored cookie sheets (you can do this all at once, or you can do one pan and then the next pan while the first one is in the oven).
Note: I recommend using light-colored pans to help prevent the cookies from overbaking and getting too dark. I use 2 half sheet pans (they measure approximately 17x2x1 inches) and can fit 12 balls of dough on each sheet. If you only have one pan and need to reuse it for the other batches, make sure it has cooled down before you add more dough.
One baking sheet at a time, bake on the center rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for one minute, then carefully remove them to wire racks to cool completely.
Note: The cookies will still be very soft at this point; use a spatula and be very gentle so they don't break apart; they will firm up as they cool.
Enjoy!

Notes

Old-fashioned rolled oats will give you the best chewy texture, but you can use quick-cooking oats if that’s what you have (don’t use instant oats, though).
These cookies are at their best the day they are baked, but you can store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days (although they can start to lose their softness rather quickly).
- To help keep them soft, you can try adding a piece of white bread to the container, placing the bread off to the side to avoid touching the cookies as much as possible. Don’t forget to replace the bread as needed so it doesn’t get moldy.
To freeze, place cooled cookies in freezer bags or containers. If layering, place waxed paper or parchment paper between the layers. For best results, use within 2 months. Thaw and enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!Mention @nowcookthis or tag #nowcookthisrecipes!