Soft and chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts - the combo of chewy, sweet, tart and crunchy makes this cookie one that all will love.
I have posted several cookie recipes over the years. They are all soft, chewy cookies because that's the way I like them.
It is very unlikely that you will find me munching on a dry, crunchy cookie. Actually, I can't think of a single scenario when this might happen. These Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts are no exception.
When I lived in Canada, cookies like these were always on mixed cookie trays that seemed to be a feature of any sort of catered event I might go to.
And I would always choose them over any others, which is unusual for me because my usual favorite cookie is chocolate chip. I guess it was because I didn't usually make these ones for myself that I would reach for them at the buffet line.
Well, here in Wisconsin, these cookies don't seem to be as common. Or perhaps it's because I no longer regularly attend catered conferences and workshops that I don't see these cookies anymore.
I was thinking about how I hadn't had them for so long, and how much my kids would probably love them (spoiler alert: they do) and I decided to make them for myself.
How to Make Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
When I was creating this recipe, I decided to make these cookies in a method that is similar to how I would make a standard chocolate chip cookie.
I browned and chilled half the butter (because browned butter is always better) while leaving the other half out to soften.
I used lots of vanilla for extra flavor to compliment the browned butter and white chocolate.
For the mix-ins, I used a good-quality white chocolate bar and chopped it and the cranberries and macadamia nuts coarsely (I like a chunky cookie).
Perhaps most importantly, I made sure to pull the cookies out of the oven while they were still very soft to avoid them getting overdone.
Success! And while I don't really consider these a traditional Christmas cookie, since cranberries, white chocolate, and nuts all have a Christmas-y feel to them, they will be perfectly at home on your Christmas baking tray.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter - use your favorite dairy-free butter substitute to make this recipe dairy-free
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour: Optional - use 1 ½ cups more all-purpose flour if you skip this ingredient
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla
- Large egg
- Dried cranberries
- Unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts
- White chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate: Make sure to use dairy-free white chocolate if you want to make these cookies dairy-free
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies Equipment:
- 2 Baking sheets - using two sheets and baking both at the same time speeds up the baking process, but it is possible to bake the cookies using one. Use a half-sheet size to fit more cookies on at once.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats: I prefer to bake cookies on parchment, but if you like you can use baking mats instead.
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer
Want more cookie recipes?
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts Cookies Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below assumes the recipe makes 24 cookies, with the calculations providing the nutrients for ONE cookie.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (use a dairy-free butter alternative to make these cookies dairy-free)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour (optional - use 1 ½ cups all purpose flour if you skip this ingredient)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup dried cranberries coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate (use dairy-free white chocolate to make these cookies dairy-free)
Instructions
- Melt 4 Tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until it has a nutty fragrance and is golden brown. Transfer to a heatproof container and place in fridge or freezer to cool quickly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Cream together the remaining 4 Tablespoons of the butter, the browned butter, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Add 1 large egg and 1 Tablespoon vanilla and continue to beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add 1 cup dried cranberries, ¾ cup unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts, and ½ cup white chocolate chips and continue to mix on low speed just until mixed. Wrap dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to 2 days.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Form the dough in to roughly 1 inch balls and space them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, just until barely beginning to brown at the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheets then store in an airtight container.
Natalie says
YUM! These cookies look so delicious and perfect for Christmas!
Carissa says
Thanks Natalie! Unfortunately my batch didn't make it to Christmas 😛 Will need to make more I guess!