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These Cranberry Cookies are perfectly crisp around the edges, chewy and amazingly decadent. Chewy sugar cookies packed full of creamy white chocolate, dried cranberries and homemade candied ginger are the perfect holiday cookie!
This recipe was originally posted in December 2017. It has been updated for photos and content. Scroll down below the recipe card to see what the old photos looked like – it’s worth a good laugh!
These ginger sugar cookies are so good guys…they almost melt in your mouth with the sweetness from the white chocolate, the tart cranberries and that oh-so-delicious bite from the candied ginger.
The boyfriend is in love with these cranberry cookies which is a shock because they are not chocolate (he usually only likes chocolate desserts – or so he says….). So again I warn you, you will not be able to eat only one of these chewy sugar cookies. So toss that diet out the window and let’s get down to business.
***Holiday baking is upon us! Try making these amazing Pecan Pie Bars **
The Ingredients for Cranberry Cookies
I’m guessing you will already have most of these ingredients in your pantry. If not, get them at the grocery store, or just buy them through the below Amazon links if you want to save yourself some time (affiliate links).
I like to use homemade candied ginger, but you can also buy it. If you want to learn how to make it (it’s super easy and makes an awesome treat or gift), check out recipe HERE. Otherwise, you can buy it through the link below.
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter
- Shortening
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Dried cranberries
- Candied ginger
- White chocolate chips
How to Make Cranberry Cookies
***NOTE these cranberry cookies require at least a 3 hour, if not overnight, refrigeration period.
I use a mix of shortening and butter here because I learned something new recently. Shortening helps to keep cookies from spreading too much when they are baked. Plus, it provides a slightly chewier texture. So I’ve been experimenting. And the butter/shortening combo worked perfect for these chewy sugar cookies.
First, cream the butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl. Make sure the butter and shortening are softened before doing this step. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Then add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix to make a dough. Don’t over-mix otherwise your cookies will be tough. Mix just enough so you still see the occasional streak of flour.
Gently stir in the cranberries, white chocolate chips and chopped candied ginger.
Once the dough is made, we roll it into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap to refrigerate for a few hours. This makes it super easy to just cut the cookies in 1/4 to 1/2″ slices to bake. Place half of the dough on a large sheet (24″) of plastic wrap and roll the dough into a 2″ log while wrapping it in the plastic. Do the same with the second half. Refrigerate the dough for 3 hours or overnight.
Once your dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the dough in 1/4-1/2″ slices and place 2″ apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and crisped. Remove from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.
Remove the white chocolate sugar cookies from the baking sheet and let them finish cooling on a wire rack. If you can do that without eating them.
Expert Tips
- The butter and shortening need to be room temperature before mixing; otherwise your batter will be lumpy.
- You can omit the candied ginger if you don’t have it. However, I highly recommend using it as it provides a wonderful flavor to the cookies.
- Adequate chill time is essential to get the right texture for the cookies. If you don’t chill, the cookies will spread and become hard instead of soft and chewy.
- If baking the cookies from frozen, add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are my cookies hard? Typically, this is a result of baking too long. They can also become tough if you over mixed the batter.
- What makes a cookie chewy? I find that using shortening results in a chewier cookie. Butter will sometimes cause cookies to steam, which can dry them out. A good combo of butter and shortening makes a perfect chewy cookie. Also, using an extra egg yolk helps to keep the cookies denser and more chewy.
- Can you make cranberry cookies ahead of time? This recipe is perfect to make in advance. The chilled dough will stay good in the fridge for about 3-5 days.
- Can you freeze cranberry cookies? Slice the roll of dough into about 1/4″ slices and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 3 hours, or until solid. Store in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding an additional 2-3 minutes to the cook time. You can also freeze baked cookies in the same way. Thaw them at room temperature.
Favorite Cookie Recipes
- Mexican Wedding Cookies;
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies;
- Chewy Molasses Cookies;
- S’mores Cookies;
- Almond Meringue Cookies.
More Recipes Using Cranberries
- Cranberry Chutney;
- Cranberry Sticky Wings;
- Cranberry Bread from a Side of Sweet;
- Cranberry Cider from The Recipe Rebel.
Did you make these cranberry cookies? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out.
Cranberry Cookies
These Cranberry Cookies are perfectly crisp around the edges, chewy and amazingly decadent. Chewy sugar cookies packed full of creamy white chocolate, dried cranberries and homemade candied ginger are the perfect holiday cookie!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup shortening, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 egg, plus one yolk
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for one minute.
- Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix well. Be careful not to over mix. It's ok if there are a few streaks of flour.
- Add the cranberries, ginger and white chocolate chips and gently mix to combine.
- Place half the dough on 24" of plastic wrap and roll into a log about 2" thick. Do the same with the other half. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the dough and slice into pieces about 1/4" thick and place 2" apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until edges have just started to brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Expert Tips:
- The butter and shortening need to be room temperature before mixing; otherwise your batter will be lumpy.
- You can omit the candied ginger if you don't have it. However, I highly recommend using it as it provides a wonderful flavor to the cookies.
- Adequate chill time is essential to get the right texture for the cookies. If you don't chill, the cookies will spread and become hard instead of soft and chewy.
- To freeze: Slice the roll of dough into about 1/4" slices and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 3 hours, or until solid. Store in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding an additional 2-3 minutes to the cook time. You can also freeze baked cookies in the same way. Thaw them at room temperature.
Nutrition
Check out these old photos!
Love the idea of making dough the night before, then fresh baked cookies on the day you need them!
Makes it so much easier! Plus, when you get that cookies craving, you can just make one (or 6) LOL!
Oh, how perfect! I never thought to roll the dough into logs… this is fantastic! I could make up a whole bunch of these and just bake them off as needed! 🙂
Totally! It makes it so easy 🙂