Fresh Cranberry Cookies with White Chocolate Frosting
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These soft and chewy cookies are filled with fresh cranberries bursting with tart fruity flavor and topped with a smooth and creamy white chocolate frosting.
FRESH TART CRANBERRIES: AN UNDERRATED BAKING INGREDIENT
When it comes to baking or cooking with fresh cranberries, you’ve likely covered the basics: a solid cranberry sauce, maybe even some sugared cranberries, and hopefully you’ve made a festive sangria or cocktail with them, too.
If you’ve ever perused my recipe index, you’ll find that fresh cranberries have made their way into smooth and buttery cranberry curd, a drop dead gorgeous cranberry curd tart, and cranberry gingerbread. Try all of those recipes ASAP, mmkay?
While dried cranberries are quite common in baking, my personal opinion is that fresh cranberries don’t get nearly enough attention outside of the “regulars” I already mentioned, and in my monthly frosted cookies series, I was determined to use fresh cranberries in a way that would shine the spotlight on their tart flavor, punchy bite, and natural juices.
Baking cookies with fresh fruit is usually slightly difficult, due to the natural moisture in the fruit. To combat this moisture issue, there is a specific balance of ingredients in these fresh cranberry cookies alongside a coating of the cranberry pieces in flour. The flour will not only absorb a little of the moisture but to guarantee those cranberry chunks stay where we put them in the cookie dough and don’t all wind up baked to the bottom of the finished cookie.
Because cranberries pair so nicely with white chocolate, these tart cookies are topped off with a homemade white chocolate frosting making these fresh cranberry cookies rich, decadent, and the perfect treat to make as soon as those bags of cranberries show up in the grocery store.
While I urge you to use the frosting, if you don’t want to make it, you can always throw some white chocolate chips into the dough for a bit of added sweetness.
FROSTED CRANBERRY COOKIE INGREDIENTS
These fresh cranberry cookies with white chocolate frosting are super easy to whip up with pantry staples. The only thing you might not have on hand are cranberries, but here’s a tip: cranberries freeze really well! I always buy a couple extra bags at Thanksgiving time so that I have some to bake with year round.
SOFT AND CHEWY CRANBERRY COOKIES
The base for these chewy cookie recipe came from Everyday Delicious. One look at those cookies and I knew I had to use them as my starting place. I made a few tweaks to the original recipe, but I have to give credit where credit is due: these are some seriously delicious cranberry cookies.
For the cranberry cookie base, you will need:
• all-purpose flour
• baking soda
• salt
• cranberries
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• light brown sugar
• egg
• vanilla extract
CREAMY WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
This white chocolate frosting is ultra smooth and creamy. For best results, I recommend using a bar of white chocolate. White chocolate chips will work in a pinch, but the end result may not be as smooth as you’d like it to be.
For the white chocolate frosting, you will need:
• white chocolate
• unsalted butter
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• salt
• heavy cream
HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY COOKIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
One of my favorite things about these cookies are that we don’t need to chill the dough. While they cool, you can make the frosting, and then it’s just a matter of swiping that frosting on top. You’ll be taking your first glorious bite in no time.
MAKE THE CRANBERRY COOKIES
STEP #1
Whisk together the dry ingredients and then set this mixture aside.
STEP #2
Next, roughly chop the cranberries, making sure each is cut into 2-3 pieces, then place them in a small bowl. Add the remaining Tablespoon of flour, then toss to coat cranberries on all sides. Allow this flour mixture to absorb the moisture as you continue making the cookie dough.
STEP #3
Next, cream the butter and both the sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
STEP #4
To the creamed butter and sugar, add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat again until everything is combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
STEP #5
Reduce the mixer speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until dough is mostly combined. Add the chopped cranberries (don’t worry about any flour that remains in the bowl) and continue mixing until all of the cranberries are evenly distributed. The dough will be clumpy, but this is ok.
STEP #6
Gather a heaping scoop of cookie dough and drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to roll each scoop into a cohesive ball (this is mostly to ensure the cranberries are tucked into the cookie dough), then bake.
MAKE THE WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
STEP #7
Start by melting the white chocolate in a double boiler, on the stove, or in the microwave. My preferred method is in a small saucepan on the stove. Set the melted white chocolate aside to cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
STEP #8
Next, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar and allow it to start to come together.
STEP #9
Stir the cooled white chocolate so that it is smooth, and then add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until creamy and well-combined.
STEP #10
Reduce the mixer speed one more time to low, then add the vanilla extract and salt. Slowly add the cream and stop when you have reached the consistency you prefer.
ASSEMBLE AND GARNISH THE COOKIES
Use a small offset spatula to spread frosting onto each cookie, or use a piping bag to make it even easier. My preference is to garnish the cookies with with sugared cranberries and a sprig of fresh rosemary, but this is totally optional.
It does make a perfect addition to the ambiance of the cookie, though, and can you just imagine how gorgeous one of these would be on a holiday cookie tray? STRAIGHT UP GORG.
A standard bag of cranberries is about 12 ounces, and once you remove the cranberries you’ll need for these cookies, you’ll have just enough left to make a half batch of my sugared cranberries. They only take about 1 hour from start to finish, and nearly all of that is hands-off!
VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
CRANBERRIES: while you could technically use dried cranberries in this recipe, they wouldn’t taste the same at all. Generally, dried cranberries contain added sugar, which would make these cookies pretty sweet without the tart flavor that the fresh cranberries offer. I recommend using fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe.
GLUTEN FREE: you can definitely make gluten-free fresh cranberry cookies by substituting the all-purpose flour for a 1 to 1 gluten-free replacement flour.
FROSTING: the white chocolate frosting here goes really well with the fresh cranberry cookies, but you can omit it entirely and add white chocolate chunks or chips to the cookie dough instead. Or, you can make a vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting if you prefer!
CAN I USE FROZEN CRANBERRIES FOR THESE COOKIES?
Technically, yes, you can use frozen cranberries in these cranberry cookies. I recommend still chopping them and coating them in flour. Frozen cranberries tend to have more moisture in them, so keep an eye on them in the oven and add 1-2 additional minutes to the baking time if needed.
FROSTED CRANBERRY COOKIES RECIPE FAQs
Fresh Cranberry Cookies with White Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
CRANBERRY COOKIES
- 2 cups + 1 Tablespoon (248g) all-purpose flour divided; be sure to measure properly
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 and ½ cups (150g) fresh cranberries
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (135g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 4 ounces (113g) white chocolate1 coarsely chopped
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 and ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar
- 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons (30-45mL) heavy cream
Instructions
CRANBERRY COOKIES
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the flour, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the cranberries, making sure each is cut into 2-3 pieces, then place in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of flour to the cranberries then toss to coat cranberries on all sides. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium, then add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat again until everything is combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until dough is mostly combined. Add the chopped cranberries (don't worry about any flour that remains in the bowl) and continue mixing until cranberries are evenly distributed. Dough will be clumpy.
- Using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), gather a heaping scoop of cookie dough and drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to roll each scoop into a cohesive ball (this is mostly to insure the cranberries are tucked into the cookie dough).
- Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are set and turning golden brown. The middles may look underdone. This is ok. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, on the stove, or in the microwave2. My preferred method is a small saucepan on the stove. Set melted white chocolate aside to cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar and allow it to start to come together.
- Stir the cooled white chocolate so that it is smooth, and then add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until creamy and well-combined.
- Reduce the mixer speed one more time to low, then add the vanilla extract and salt. Slowly add the cream and stop when you have reached the consistency you prefer.
- Use a small offset spatula to spread frosting onto each cookie. Garnish with sugared cranberries and a sprig of fresh rosemary, if desired. Store leftovers covered tightly at room temperature up to 5 days. Cookies freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Notes
- White chocolate: you can use bar chocolate (chopped) or white chocolate chips (do not chop). Your frosting with be the smoothest with bar chocolate.
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave: place chopped white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (I usually use a glass liquid measuring cup), and microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds until completely smooth.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Hi Lynn –
How do I increase the amount of cookies from 20 to 48 or more.
Thank you.
Hi, Babs– I would suggest doubling the recipe and then rolling the balls a little smaller than suggested, that way you can get your 40+ cookies. Let me know how it works out!
These were both incredibly beautiful AND delicious! I will definitely make them again.
Thanks so much, Andrea! We LOVED these cookies at taste-test time!
The combination of tangy cranberries and creamy white chocolate icing in these festive cookies is just irresistible! I love your recipes.
Thanks, Eliza! This cookie was a huge hit with us and our friends, too!
Oh. my. GOODNESS!! These cookies were incredible! Thank you!!
So fun, right? Thanks, Laura!
I made these for a cookie exchange. They are so yummy!
Thank you, Janelle!
I made these cookies for Thanksgiving and a cookie exchange as well as gifts. They received impressive compliments each time and everyone loved the small rosemary garnish. So perfect with the sugared berries. I still have a bag of cranberries in the freezer and will make for Spring or Easter.
Thanks so much, Drea! 🙂