Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
Chocolate chip cranberry cookies are a wonderful fall cookie because cranberries and chocolate are, so fall. For best results, don’t skimp on cranberries or chocolate chips and double this batch because they take just 30 minutes to make.
Discover the delightful blend of flavors with our Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. These cookies perfectly combine the rich, velvety taste of semi-sweet chocolate chips with the tangy sweetness of dried cranberries, creating a uniquely satisfying treat. Each bite offers a harmonious mix of chewy and crispy textures, making these cookies an irresistible delight.
Ideal for any occasion, from holiday gatherings to everyday snacking, our Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies are a favorite among both kids and adults. The vibrant cranberries add a pop of color and flavor, complementing the deep, chocolatey goodness of the chips for a cookie that is both visually appealing and delicious.
Enjoy these cookies with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee, or just on their own for a truly enjoyable treat. Their perfect balance of flavors and textures makes them a standout addition to any cookie platter. Treat yourself and your loved ones to the exquisite taste of our Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies – a delightful fusion of sweet and tangy that brings joy to every bite.
Why make these cranberry cookies
- Perfect Flavor Harmony: The rich, semi-sweet chocolate chips and tangy dried cranberries create a delightful balance of sweet and tart, offering a unique and satisfying flavor experience.
- Ideal Texture: These cookies provide a perfect mix of chewy and crispy textures, making each bite enjoyable and memorable.
- Visually Appealing: The vibrant cranberries add a pop of color that enhances the visual appeal of the cookies, making them an attractive addition to any cookie platter.
- Versatile Enjoyment: Whether for holiday celebrations, casual snacking, or thoughtful gifts, these cookies are perfect for any occasion and loved by both kids and adults.
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose flour – I use regular all-purpose flour with baking soda and salt. Baking soda gives it that wonderful light texture.
- Cornstarch – Also known as cornflour, adds a nice crisp to the cookies.
- Chocolate chip – I like the combination of chocolate with cranberries. Especially, because cranberries are tart, so the chocolate adds a nice depth of flavor.
- Sugar – The light brown sugar keeps them soft but the white sugar makes them crisp giving this cookie a perfect texture.
- Spices – You can use cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or gingerbread spice. Today, I am not using any spices.
- Chocolate – I am using bittersweet chocolate chips but you can also use white chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar.
- Vanilla – You can use vanilla extract, bean paste, or vanilla sugar.
Step-by-step: Chocolate chip cranberry cookies
- Preheat the oven at 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4
- Dry ingredients – Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream together the butter with both brown and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Then, add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. But, do not over mix.
Pro tip – We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough so do not overmix.
- Finally, add the chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
Pro tip – This cookie dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. - Chill the cookies for just 15 minutes. Scoop or use a spoon to drop cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper.
Pro tip – You can also drop the dough balls on a cookie sheet and freeze them until firm. Then, freeze the dough balls in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
- Bake for 10 to 12 mins or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Cool on a cookie tray for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before you transfer to a cookie jar.
- Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar can cream until light and fluffy.
- Rest the dough before rolling the cookies. Resting helps the butter firm up again, which makes it easier to work and prevents spreading
- And if the cookie dough is too soft, put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Chilling the cookie dough will prevent spreading.
- Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will spread the cookies.
- It is a good practice to place cookies in the fridge while the oven is preheating to prevent them from spreading.
- When baked, leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from sweating on the bottom.
Frequently asked questions
How long will these cranberry chocolate cookies keep?
These cranberry cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. You can chill the cookies in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or you can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months or freeze the cookies for up to a month.
How do you fix cookies that spread too much? How to prevent cookies from spreading?
These cookies do not spread too much.
However, too much butter or sugar in the recipe can lead to cookies spreading. Also, too much baking powder or baking soda can also make cookies spread too much.
In addition, place cookies on a cold, not hot baking pan.
And make sure the oven is at the right temperature.
Do these chocolate chip cookies spread?
The cookie needs the right temperature for baking. So the cookie spreads just enough and the outside bakes to a crisp preventing any more spreading (hope that makes sense). Hence, finding the right oven temperature is essential. Therefore, please follow the directions that come with the recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
Chocolate chip cranberry cookies are a wonderful fall cookie because cranberries and chocolate are, so fall. For best results, don't skimp on cranberries or chocolate chips and double this batch because they take just 30 minutes to make.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup (280 g) All purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (15 g) Cornstarch or all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted
- 2 large Eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) White sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) Brown sugar
- ½ tsp Spices cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or nutmeg
- 1 cup (235 g) Chocolate chips bittersweet or semisweet
- 1 cup (100 g) Dried cranberry
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat the oven at 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4
- Dry ingredients – Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream together the butter with both brown and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Then, add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. But, do not over mix. Pro tip – We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough so do not overmix.
- Finally, add the chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Pro tip – This cookie dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Chill the cookies for just 15 minutes. Scoop or use a spoon to drop cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper. Pro tip – You can also drop the dough balls on a cookie sheet and freeze them until firm. Then, freeze the dough balls in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
- Bake for 10 to 12 mins or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Cool on a cookie tray for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before you transfer to a cookie jar.
Notes
- Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar can cream until light and fluffy.
- Rest the dough before rolling the cookies. Resting helps the butter firm up again which makes it easier to work and prevents spreading
- If the cookie dough is too soft, put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Chilling the cookie dough will prevent spreading
- Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will spread the cookies.
- It is a good practice to place cookies in the fridge while the oven is preheating to prevent them from spreading.
- When baked leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from sweating on the bottom.
Bake Ahead and Freezing Instructions
- Dough – You can freeze the dough for a month wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
- Unbaked cookies – And, you can also freeze the baked cookies dough balls in freezer bags. They will stay for up to a month.
- Baked cookies – Alternatively, freeze the baked cookies between parchment papers for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Creative ways to use this dough or cookies
- Cookie Cups: Mold the cookie dough into the shape of cups before baking, and once they’re done, fill them with a chocolate mousse and top with a fresh cranberry.
- Festive Cookie Platter: Arrange the cookies on a platter adorned with fresh cranberries, mint leaves, and star anise for a festive look.
- Cranberry Couli: Serve the cookies with a cranberry couli to drizzle over, adding a tart contrast to the sweetness of the white chocolate.
- Cookie Crumble: Crumble the cookies and use them as a base for a chocolate cranberry cheesecake or crunchy topping for yogurt or ice cream.
- Cookie Pops: Make cookie pops by inserting sticks into the cookies before baking and decorating them with chocolate drizzles and cranberry pieces.
- Cranberry Cookie Shooters: Create chocolate cranberry cookie shooters by serving a small amount of cranberry cocktail in shot glasses rimmed with cookie crumbs.
- Cookie Tower: Create a tower by stacking the cookies in a pyramid shape on a platter, garnished with fresh cranberries and mint leaves for a festive centerpiece.
- Cookie Gift Jar: Layer the dry ingredients for the cookies in a mason jar, and attach a recipe card with instructions on how to complete the cookies. It makes for a thoughtful, homemade gift.
- Cookie Bouquet: Arrange the cookies in a bouquet, inserting sticks into the cookies before baking and then tying them together with festive ribbons.
- Christmas Spritz Cookies or Christmas Star Cookies
- Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies or Gingerbread Sugar Cookies
- Classic Gingerbread cake or Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Spiced Gingerbread Loaf Cake
These cookies do look delicious
thank you for sharing
Thank you Parth -you are very welcome
Love the idea of adding some tart cranberries. I think Santa would be very happy if i left these out for him!
Ah.. absolutely Cricket.. Santa would definitely be oh so happy with these.
I have a package of cranberries in my refrigerator at all times from October through December! These cookies look amazing!
Same here. Always have cranberries on hand all year round dried or frozen. Thanks Lisa
those cookies look delicious, I love the combination of cranberries and white chocolate. I will definetly try them
Me too Laura. Thanks
I think cranberry and chocolate is one of the best flavor combos, can’t wait to bake these up!
I think so too Sue. Thanks
I don’t see much cranberry and white chocolate chip combos, I really like this. Cranberries are one of my favorite pantry items to ‘play’ with. Your recipe looks magnificent!
Thank you Tina. I do agree we need to a few more cranberry and white chocolate recipes. They do go well together. Thanks
Ooh, such delicious cookies! I love the combination of cranberries and white chocolate. Definitely perfect for the season and as holiday gifts.
Thanks Tara.. Definitely perfect for this season.
These look so good! Festive and fun! I love cranberries in my cookies.
Me too. Love cranberries in my cookies
These cookies sound delicious!!! I love the flavor profile here, perfect for christmas!
Definitely perfect for the holidays
I simply adore died cranberries! These look so delicious! I bet the white chocolate pairs beautifully, as well!
Me too – I often eat the dried as snack. They are tart so they work great with the sweet white chocolate