Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

By Maria Lichty

Published on December 06, 2024

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I bake a lot of cookies, especially during the holidays. A few popular Christmas cookies include: Andes Mint Cookies, Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles, and Easy Sugar Cookies. I also LOVE these Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies and make them every December.

The base of the cookie is made with hearty oats, which provide a chewy, slightly nutty foundation. The sweet and tart cranberries add bursts of fruitiness with each bite, perfectly balanced by the citrusy zing of fresh orange zest, which brightens the whole cookie. The rich, creamy white chocolate chips melt in to create pockets of sweetness that contrast beautifully with the tang of the cranberries.

These cookies are the perfect treat for any season, but especially during the holidays. The interplay of textures and flavors—chewy oats, sweet white chocolate, tart cranberries, and fragrant orange—makes these cookies festive and irresistibly delicious.

Ingredient Notes

• Dried Cranberries: You can use unsweetened or sweetened dried cranberries. I soak them in hot water so they are soft and juicy!
• Orange Zest: Use a microplane to zest an orange! The zest will give the cookies a delightful orange flavor.
• Eggs: I use one egg and one egg yolk. The yolk makes the cookies extra rich and chewy!
• Oats: Use old fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats!
• White Chocolate Chips: I recommend Guittard or Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. If you don’t like white chocolate chips, you can leave them out or use semisweet or dark chocolate chips!

How to Make Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Soak the Dried Cranberries. Place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This will soften the cranberries and plump them up so they are nice and juicy!

• Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and salt. Set aside.

• Rub together the sugar and orange zest. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant. When you rub it together with the sugar, the friction helps release these oils and infuses the sugar with the bright, aromatic oils. This makes the sugar taste more intensely citrusy and fragrant when used in the recipe.

• Cream the butter and sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, orange sugar mixture, and brown sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula if necessary. This should take about 2 minutes.
• Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined and smooth.

• Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix. With a spatula, stir in the oats.
• Add the cranberries and chocolate. Drain the dried cranberries and dry well with paper towels. Stir the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips into the dough.

• Scoop the cookie dough into round balls, about 2 tablespoons per ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.

• Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown but the centers are still light golden and soft. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Store & Freeze Cookies

• Storing on the Counter: Place the cooled cookies in an airtight container. You can stack the cookies in layers, but place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between layers to avoid sticking. The cookies will stay fresh for up to 4 days on the counter.
• Freezing Baked Cookies: To prevent the cookies from sticking together, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and put them in the freezer for 1 hour or until they are solid. Place the frozen cookies in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before enjoying…or you can even eat frozen cookies, my favorite!
• Freezing Cookie Dough Balls: Scoop the cookie dough into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 30 minutes or until solid. Once the dough is frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen dough straight from the freezer, just add 2 to 3 extra minutes to the baking time. No need to thaw before baking.

More Cookie Recipes

• Oatmeal Cookies
• Iced Oatmeal Cookies
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
• Cranberry Orange Pistachio Shortbread

Check out more COOKIE RECIPES!

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Cookies

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies with tart dried cranberries, a hint of fresh orange, and creamy white chocolate. A delightful and delicious cookie for the holiday season!

5 from 1 vote

PrintSave RecipeReview

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Servings 28 cookies

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

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• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and salt. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant.
  
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, orange sugar mixture, and brown sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula if necessary. This should take about 2 minutes.
• Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined and smooth.
• With the mixer off, add the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and mix until just combined. Stir in the oats.
• Drain the dried cranberries and dry well with paper towels. Stir the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips into the dough.
  
• Scoop the cookie dough into round balls, about 2 tablespoons per ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
  
• Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown but the centers are still light golden and soft. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  

Notes

Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. Freeze in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 111mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 221IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg

Keywords cranberry, orange, white chocolate

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