Crispy, sweet cranberry walnut cookies with white chocolate, these easy cookies are totally addictive - impossible to stop at just one!
The cranberry walnut cookies are a new favorite - I’ve baked them 4 or 5 times in the last months, tweaking ingredients along the way. Now, I think they’re just right!
White chocolate because I love it, cranberries for their tangy contrast, walnuts for crunch (almonds work too), and oatmeal for a slight chew, though the cookies stay mostly crispy.
And if you like crispy cookies, try these Candied Ginger Cookies or these Cornflake Cakes. Or make some soft Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar.
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Recipe ingredients
The usual cookie ingredients are unsalted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
White chocolate: I use chunks of baking chocolate that I have to chop. White chocolate chips are fine as well. Try these Chocolate Chip and White Chocolate Chip Cookies, too.
Dried cranberries: Raisins or chopped apricots are super, as well, but the cranberry version is my favorite. Cranberries are tangier than raisins or apricots, and I love that.
Walnuts. You can replace them with almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts. Anything goes!
Oatmeal: Regular oats, not instant.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cranberry walnut cookies?
Like any other cookie recipe I know, this one is super easy. You only need a little patience to scoop all 50 cookies onto the baking trays.
Step #1: Mix the soft butter and sugar well for about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, then beat again until creamy.
Step #2: Mix flour, baking powder, and soda and add to the creamed butter.
Step #3: Mix in the chopped ingredients and the oatmeal using a spoon.
Step #4: Scoop walnut-sized portions of dough onto parchment-lined baking trays, leaving space for spreading.
Step #5: Lightly press each cookie with a spoon to flatten it. Bake for 11-12 minutes until lightly golden. Rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step #6: Once cool, melt extra white chocolate au bain-marie or in the microwave and drizzle over the cookies. Let set before serving.
White chocolate drizzle
For easy drizzling, spoon the melted chocolate into a small zip-lock bag. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate back and forth over each cranberry cookie.
If you can't be bothered with the bag (I can't be most of the time), use a teaspoon to carefully drizzle the cookies. You might get a larger blob here and there, but who cares? 🙂
Tips
Use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients, especially the flour and butter.
If you have a convection oven (fan-forced), you can bake 2 trays of cranberry cookies together. If you use a conventional oven, bake one tray after another.
To make the workflow easier and quicker, you will need 2 baking trays. Place the first batch of cookies on a tray and put them in the oven. While the first batch bakes, use the time to form the second batch of cookies, which can go in the oven as soon as the second batch is baked.
Don't try to move the cookies as soon as they are baked, or they will crumble. Leave them to rest on the tray for 5 minutes. This will allow them to set nicely, so you will be able to transfer them to wire racks without any problems.
How to store the cookies?
Keep the cranberry walnut cookies in airtight containers. They will keep at room temperature for about a week.
Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Equipment
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- 2 Baking sheets
Ingredients
Cookies (Note 1):
- 5.5 oz white chocolate about ¾ cup, chopped, Note 2
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts Note 3
- ¼ cup dried cranberries Note 4
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter soft
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup oats not instant
Drizzle:
- ⅓ cup chopped white chocolate or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. If using a convection oven (fan-forced), preheat it to 320°F/ 160°C. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Chop the chocolate, walnuts, and cranberries. Set aside.5.5 oz white chocolate + ⅓ cup chopped walnuts + ¼ cup dried cranberries
- Cream the sugar and the soft butter for about 3 minutes. Add the egg and the vanilla extract, and cream again.1 cup granulated sugar + ½ cup unsalted butter + 1 large egg + 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Combine: Mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda in another bowl. Combine with the butter-egg mixture. Add the chopped ingredients and oats. Mix in with a spoon.1⅔ cup all-purpose flour + ½ teaspoon baking powder + ½ teaspoon baking soda + chopped ingredients + ½ cup oats
- Scoop small amounts of dough about the size of a walnut, and place them on the prepared baking trays leaving some space between them, as they will spread during baking. Press each one lightly with a spoon to make them flatter.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes until slightly golden. Leave to rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Drizzle:
- Melt the chocolate: Melt the chopped white chocolate au bain-marie (or microwave it) once the cookies are completely cool.⅓ cup chopped white chocolate or chocolate chips
- Drizzle onto the cookies. For easy drizzling, spoon the melted chocolate into a small zip lock bag. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate back and forth over each cookie.
- Leave until the chocolate is set.
Notes
- Measurements: Use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients when baking; it guarantees the best results (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
- Chocolate: You can use white chocolate chips and chop roughly if very large.
- Nuts: You could replace them with almonds, hazelnuts, pecan, or macadamia nuts.
- Substitute cranberries with raisins or other dried fruit of choice.
S. Cadwallader says
M
Recipe makes how many cookies?
Adina says
Hi. It says in the recipe card, about 50.
Jeff the Chef says
Nice alternative to raisins. I love cranberries. The Ginger Snap Cookies and Cornflake Cakes also sound good!