White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Cranberries

Loaded with white chocolate and nuts, these cranberry cookies are perfectly delightful! Rich and chewy with crispy edges, they are always well received. A perfect Christmas cookie recipe.

The tartness of the dried cranberries a perfect balance to the sweetness of the white chocolate. Every bite has a perfect balance of flavor, and the nuts of course add a nice crunch.

 

Cookies are one of my very favorite things to bake.  You only need one bowl, a few minutes of prep time, and in under 30 minutes you have a perfectly wonderful treat in your hand. There’s nothing like a homemade cookie fresh from the oven!

With the pretty red dried cranberries, these cookies add a nice festive color to any holiday cookie tray. They are perfect for Valentine’s Day too. But they are so yummy that you will want to make them all year long!

Unlike most cookie recipes that call for both granulated sugar and brown sugar, these white chocolate and cranberry cookies are made with all brown sugar. Not only does it make them extra chewy, it gives them an incredible rich, buttery flavor. They truly are delicious!

HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES

Ingredients needed:

• soft butter (I use salted butter in all my recipes.)
• brown sugar (I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar will also work.)
• eggs (Use large eggs, preferably at room temperature.)
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• baking soda
• baking powder
• salt
• white chocolate baking chips (I like Ghirardelli brand.)
• Craisins
• macadamia nuts (or pecans)

1. PREP – Line baking sheets with silicone liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 
2. WET INGREDIENTS – In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar till creamy, then beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. DRY INGREDIENTS – Whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, & salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Gently stir in the white chips, craisins, and nuts.
4. FORM – I like to use a cookie scoop to form my cookie dough balls so that they are all the same size and bake up evenly. After I scoop them onto my prepared pan, I roll them into balls so that they are perfectly rounded.
5. BAKE – Space cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart, then bake at 350° for about 10 minutes.
6. COOL – Let cookies cool for 2-3 minutes on pans, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PRO COOKIE BAKING TIPS:

• For best results, let your butter soften to room temperature on the counter. When using the microwave, you usually end up with some parts melted while other parts are still cold. 
• Scooping the dough with a cookie scoop and then rolling into balls helps ensure that the cookies bake evenly and are nice and rounded instead of having scraggly edges.
• After rolling cookie dough into balls, press a few additional baking chips into the top of each ball. They will end up with a pretty bakery look.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES

Like most drop cookies, these craisin cookies will last for 3-4 days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container. Just make sure they are cool before storing, or as they cool the steam can make them soggy.

If you want to store them longer, they freeze well. In an airtight container, they will last in the freezer for up to 4 months. I like to place my cookies in a heavy duty ziplock freezer bag. That way as you use up the cookies, you can squeeze out the extra air, keeping them fresh longer.

CAN I FREEZE THE COOKIE DOUGH?

Yes, you can freeze this cookie dough. I recommend rolling the dough into balls, then freezing on a baking sheet for an hour or two. After the balls are frozen, place them into an airtight container. Just like with the cookies, I like to use heavy duty ziplock bags.

Frozen cookie dough balls will last for about 3 months in the freezer. You can place them on prepared pans, let thaw, then bake as directed. Or you can just bake them frozen and add 2-3 more minutes to the baking time.

VARIATIONS:

• We like these cookies best with white chocolate, but you can substitute milk or dark chocolate chips if you prefer.
• Salted, roasted macadamia nuts are amazing in these cookies, but when I don’t have them on hand I use pecans instead. Still delicious, especially if you toast the pecans first.
• I’ve also made these with dried cherries in place of the dried cranberries. Delicious!
• Switch out one of the teaspoons of vanilla for almond extract or maple flavoring. Both are yummy, and the almond extract pairs especially well with dried cherries.
• If you want to be extra fancy, you can drizzle some melted white chocolate over the cookies after they have cooled.
• For a yummy citrus flavor, add up to a tablespoon of freshly grated orange peel. 

RECIPES WITH CRAISINS:

• Cranberry Zucchini Bread
• Orange Cranberry Cheese Ball
• Cranberry Eggnog Bread
• Asian Pasta Salad

MORE HOMEMADE COOKIES:

• Cookies and Cream Blossoms
• Chocolate Cookie Cups (with peanut butter mousse filling)
• Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Strawberry Cookies
• Chocolate Sugar Cookies
• Molasses Cookies
• Pecan Sandies
• Pumpkin Spice Cookies
• Lime Shortbread Cookies

CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

(originally published 12/9/2009, updated August 2020)