These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are super easy to make but hard to resist. Traditional oatmeal cookies are given a festive pop of flavor and color thanks to the classic Christmas combo of white chocolate and cranberries.
WHY WE LOVE THESE WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
There’s something about the pairing of white chocolate and cranberry that instantly transports you to Christmas. Perhaps it’s the red and white colors, perhaps it’s the contrast of tart and sweet. Whatever the reason, these white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are your one-way ticket to festive bliss.
Not only is this recipe super straightforward but it’s packed with flavor, as ordinary oatmeal cookies are given a seasonal twist with cinnamon then studded with cranberry and white chocolate chip. We should warn, you’ll struggle to find a reason not to make these all year round once you’ve inhaled the irresistible aroma of them baking in the oven.
The hardest part of this recipe is then resisting the temptation to keep them all for yourself as after a nibble you’ll want to devour the entire batch. Although rumor has it, Santa is also a fan of the white chocolate, cranberry combo so maybe try spare one or two on Christmas Eve.
INGREDIENTS/SHOPPING LIST
• All-purpose flour
• Ground cinnamon
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Quick Oats
• Unsalted butter, softened
• Packed light brown sugar
• White sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• White chocolate chips
• Dried cranberries
HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES FROM SCRATCH
1.Prep - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Dry Ingredients - In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and Quaker Oats. Set aside.
3. Wet Ingredients - In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter and sugars until they are light and airy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Combine - Gradually add dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing only until just combined.
5. Stir - Stir in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
6. Scoop - Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and add to a cookie sheet 2-inches apart.
7. Bake - Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes or until they are lightly golden in color.
8. Cool – If you can resist, allow them to cool on a wire rack then enjoy!
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
- Craving Crunch - Don’t prefer your cookies soft and chewy? Add pecans for some crunch.
- Dry Cookies - Level off your cups of all-purpose flour when measuring to avoid dry cookies
- Cranberries Substitute - If you don’t enjoy the tart taste of cranberries but still want the festive red and white you can substitute for cherries.
- Both sugars - Using both granulated sugar and brown sugar helps with texture as well as structure. Brown sugar adds moisture to the cookies and an almost molasses flavor.
- Eggs - Room temperature eggs incorporate better into cookie dough so will improve your bake. If your eggs are still chilled, place in warm water for up to 5 minutes.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
CAN I USE ANY CHOCOLATE IN THIS RECIPE?
Of course! It is Christmas after all, so any chocolate works. If you’re not a white chocolate fan, dark or milk chocolate chips will also work. If you really want to be on the naughty list, add a mix of all three.
CAN I USE FRESH CRANBERRIES?
Dried cranberries are best as, unlike fresh cranberries, they won’t release moisture which could potentially make soggy cookies. If you only have fresh to hand, you may need to adjust the dry ingredients to compensate as well as the bake time.
WHY DO MY COOKIES LOOK UNDERDONE AFTER FOLLOWING THE RECIPE?
Don’t panic if your cookies are looking underdone when you remove them from the oven, this is part of the science when baking cookies. For optimum soft and chewiness, follow the times stated as they continue to bake and crisp up once out of the oven.
WHY DO MY COOKIES KEEP SPREADING?
While it’s tempting to make your white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies huge, ensure you have enough space between each dough ball to allow for spread. If you have time, refrigerate your dough for around 30 minutes before baking. This will also prevent your cookies from spreading and merging into each other.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE THESE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES?
If you can resist scoffing these cookies straight out of the oven, they will last for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature. If you fancy baking them all year round, the cookie dough balls will freeze well for up to 3 months. No need to thaw the dough balls, simply bake from frozen for an extra minute or two.
Did these cookies help get you on the nice list with family and friends? Let me know in the comments below or on social media!
More Festive Treats You'll Love
- Starbucks Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Gluten-Free Lemon Star Cookies
- No-Bake Fudge Stripe Christmas Wreath Cookies
- Stained Glass Cookies
Traditional oatmeal cookies are given a festive pop of flavor and color thanks to theclassic Christmas combo of white chocolate and cranberries.
- 1 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups Quaker® Quick 1-Minute Oats
- 1 cup Unsalted butter Softened
- 1 cup Packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup White sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup White chocolate chips
- 1 cup Dried cranberries
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and Quaker Oats. Set aside.
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In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter and sugars until they are light and airy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.
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Gradually add dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing only until just combined.
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Stir in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
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Scoop 1-inch balls onto cookie sheet 2-inches apart.
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Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes or until they are lightly golden in color.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack then enjoy!
Candy
One serving is 12 cookies? How many cookies does this make?