White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (Soft & Chewy)

By Elizabeth Waterson // Dec 11, 2024 (Updated Oct 30, 2026) // Leave a Comment

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These White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are soft, chewy cookies packed with old-fashioned rolled oats, sweet white chocolate chips, and tart dried cranberries. I love how the cranberries balance the sweetness of the white chocolate, while the oats give every bite that classic chewy oatmeal cookie texture. They're perfect for Christmas cookie trays, holiday gifting, or enjoying with a hot cup of coffee. And trust me, you don't have to wait until Christmas to make these!

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies on a light surface. — Chewy oatmeal cookies packed with tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate. Basically, Christmas in cookie form!

These cookies were inspired by my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I made one important change. Instead of using brown butter, I went with softened butter because I wanted the tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate to shine without competing with the nutty flavor of browned butter. I also love adding an extra egg yolk to my cookies for a richer, softer, and chewier texture. And while I like to take my time creaming the butter and sugars to create a soft cookie base, don't skip chilling the dough! I found that without chilling, these cookies spread a little more than I wanted.

These cookies would be great on a Christmas Cookie plate with my hot chocolate cookies, almond roca, and M&M Christmas Cookies.

A Little Sweet, A Little Tart, A Lot of Deliciousness

Softened Butter: I chose regular softened butter rather than the brown butter I use in my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I wanted the cranberry and white chocolate flavors to stand out without the competing nutty flavor of brown butter.
Extra Egg Yolk: I love adding an extra egg yolk to my cookie recipes. The additional fat adds richness and helps create a moist, tender, chewy cookie.
Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: These give the cookies their classic oatmeal texture and satisfying chew. Stick with the oats specified in the recipe rather than substituting quick oats.
White Chocolate Chips & Dried Cranberries: The sweet white chocolate and tart cranberries are the stars of this recipe. I love how the two flavors balance each other without needing extra spices.
Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and moisture while complementing the buttery cookie dough.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

butter and sugars creamed together in a glass bowl. — Butter and sugars creamed until light and fluffy.

eggs and vanilla mixed into wet ingredients until combined. — Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract mix together.

dry ingredients mixed together then added to wet ingredients. — Whisk dry ingredients together then mix into wet ingredients.

cranberries and white chocolate added to cookie dough in a glass bowl. — Add the cranberries and white chocolate and mix to combine. Chill the dough.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies before and after baking. — Bake the cookies.

plate of oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies.

Take your time creaming. I like to cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla. I even let the mixture rest briefly before beating it again to create a lighter, softer cookie base.
Don't skip the extra egg yolk. The additional fat helps create the moist, tender, chewy texture I love in oatmeal cookies.
Chill the dough. I found that these cookies spread a little too much without chilling. Give the dough at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before scooping and baking.
Don't overbake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, then let them cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They'll continue to firm up as they cool.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (Soft & Chewy)

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Print Recipe

Total Time: 52 Minutes
Yield: 12-16 Cookies 1x

Instructions

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated mix and beat for 1 minute you want it to be light and fluff. Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract beat for two minutes. After the two minutes let the batter rest for 30 seconds mix for another minute to two minutes. The mixture will be much lighter in color.
In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, cornstarch, and oats.
Slowly add flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined then stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Place dough covered in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C and line a baking sheet with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.
Scoop 2 tablespoons balls of dough and bake for 10-12 minutes, the cookies should be just, they will cook a little bit more on the tray while they cool. Add extra chocolate chips on top right after baking if desired. After 5 minutes of cooling transfer the cookies to cool on a wire rack. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for 5 days.