These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are perfectly soft and chewy with tons of texture thanks to the oats. With hints of brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract – plus tons of white chocolate chips and cranberries – this is a delicious, easy Christmas cookie!
**This post was updated December 8, 2022 with new photos, slightly updated recipe and new recipe tips**
Why You’ll Love this White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal cookies are such a classic. And these white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are the perfect variety for Christmas. What you’ll especially love about these oatmeal cookies is the soft and chewy texture. Sometimes oatmeal cookies are dry, too crunchy, or just kind of blah. But these cookies break all the stereotypes. They’re full of flavor thanks to brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a hint of molasses. The molasses also adds chewiness to the texture. Then they’re filled with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips to really take them to the next level.
If you’re looking for a Christmas cookie that tastes rustic, homey, and requires no fancy decorating skills – then this is the recipe for you. They’re delicious in their simplicity and the perfect cookie for snacking on while having a relaxing evening by a warm fire. 
The recipe is actually a slight adaptation of my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. For this version, I increased the amount of cinnamon. I also replaced the honey with molasses because the molasses adds a depth of flavor that makes them feel cozier for the holidays. Of course, the raisins are also substituted with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
Note: This recipe requires the dough to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before baking. Otherwise the cookies will spread too thin and not have the soft and chewy texture that we’re looking for.
For Large Cookies: I made my cookies with about 1.5-2 tablespoons of dough each. Over Christmas, I like to sample lots of cookies from my cookie tray and therefore prefer slightly smaller cookies as opposed to big, bakery-style cookies. If you’d like to make big cookies, form the dough into balls with about 3 tablespoons of dough each. They’ll bake for about 12-14 minutes.
Make Ahead Tips
Because you’ll need to chill the dough for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours, you can make the dough 1-2 days before you plan to bake the cookies. Simply cover the bowl and pop the dough in the fridge. Then when you’re ready to bake, you’ll preheat the oven, form the dough into balls and bake.
Cookie dough balls can also be frozen for up to 2 months in a freezer bag. When ready to bake, simply preheat the oven, line your cookie sheets and bake as directed. The cookies will need 1-2 extra minutes.
Baked and cooled cookies also freeze very well. I recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between each layer of cookies to avoid them sticking together.
These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies chewy, flavorful and taste deliciously rustic in the perfect way. They may not be the prettiest Christmas cookie, but you’ll love the combination of oats, warm cinnamon, white chocolate and dried cranberries. The dough comes together with very little effort and they’re the perfect cookie for snacking while wrapping presents, watching a Christmas movie or simply visiting with family and friends.
And if you’re looking for more cranberry recipes for Christmas, then be sure to try:
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies – if you’re not in the mood for oatmeal
- Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Cranberry Orange Loaf
White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams) softened to room temperature
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (105 grams) light or dark, I used dark
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 tablespoon molasses or honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups oatmeal (120 grams) old fashioned or large flake oats (not instant)
- ½ cup white chocolate chips (90 grams)
- ½ cup dried cranberries (50 grams)
Instructions
- In a large bowl beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy.
- Add in the egg, molasses and vanilla and continue beating until combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter. Start with the the mixer on a low speed and then gradually increase to a medium speed until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and beat in the oatmeal.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and chill in the fridge for 1 hour or up to 48 hours (this is necessary or the cookies will spread too thin).
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) or 325F (170C) on a convection oven (some ovens do this conversion automatically). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Form the dough into balls with about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of dough each. Place about 1.5-2 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
- Bake one tray at a time in the middle of the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops are just set. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Optionally, place a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
Notes
- Oats: I highly recommend using old-fashioned (sometimes called large rolled oats) for this recipe. Quick oats will work, but won't provide the same texture. Do not use instant oats or steel-cut oats.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months. Bake as directed - the cookies will likely need 1-2 extra minutes. Do not thaw dough balls before baking.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 20 uniform cookies.
Nutrition
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