These white chocolate cranberry orange cookies pair bright citrus with a balance of sweet and tart from dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. The cookies are chewy, flavorful, and perfect for holiday baking.
These cookies are a favorite around the holidays — they look festive with flecks of cranberry and have a bright, satisfying orange flavor throughout.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Fresh Orange Flavor: A little orange zest and juice give the cookies vibrant citrus notes.
- Manageable Batch Size: This recipe yields 14 cookies, and it can easily be doubled for larger gatherings.
- Texture & Sweetness: Dried cranberries and coconut add chew and a pleasant sweetness, while white chocolate brings creamy richness.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Orange: Use both the zest and a small amount of juice for the best flavor.
- Butter: Salted butter works well here; use room temperature so it creams easily.
- Cranberries: Dried cranberries provide tartness and chew—orange-flavored dried cranberries add extra brightness if available.
- White Chocolate: Good-quality white chocolate chips give a smoother, creamier bite.
- Coconut: Sweetened shredded coconut adds texture; omit if you prefer no coconut.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: In a stand mixer bowl combine the granulated and brown sugars with the orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugars with your fingertips for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and evenly distributed. Add the butter and beat until light and airy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and orange juice.
Step 2: Gradually add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour, mixing until just combined. Stop while there may still be a few streaks of flour on the sides — overmixing will make the cookies tough.
Step 3: Chop the dried cranberries if needed, then fold them into the dough along with the white chocolate chips and shredded coconut.
Step 4: portion the dough into large balls — a 3-tablespoon scoop works well. If you have time, chill the dough for 2–24 hours to help control spread and deepen flavor.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 6: Arrange six dough balls per sheet and bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges turn a light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Expert Baking Tips
- Rubbing orange zest into sugar releases essential oils and amplifies citrus aroma.
- If the cookies lose their round shape while baking, use a small spatula to reshape them immediately after they come out of the oven.
- Weights in grams are more accurate for baking. If you don’t have a scale, lightly spoon flour into measuring cups to avoid packing it down.
FAQ
Yes. Store-bought orange juice is fine, but be sure to include orange zest to preserve the most vibrant flavor.
Chilling is optional. Skipping it is fine, but the cookies may spread more and be slightly thinner.
Yes — swap lemon zest and juice in equal amounts for a lemon-cranberry variation.
Storing & Freezing
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. Prepared dough can be refrigerated for up to one week.
Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for 2–3 months. You can also freeze portioned dough balls and bake them straight from frozen when you want just a few fresh cookies at a time.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
-
Strawberry Snack Cake
-
Lemon Blueberry Sour Cream Cake
-
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
For more treats follow me on Instagram @thesaltedsweets. Tag and comment if you make these — I love hearing how they turn out!
White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Cookies
Brooke Homec
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest (about one medium orange)
- ½ cup (113.5 g) salted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ tsp orange juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (≈60 g) dried cranberries, chopped
- ½ cup (90 g) white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (67.5 g) sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine both sugars with orange zest. Rub with your fingers for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add butter and beat until light, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, vanilla, and orange juice.
- Slowly add salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Mix until just combined, leaving a few streaks of flour if needed.
- Fold in chopped dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and shredded coconut.
- Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon balls. Chill 2–24 hours if possible.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Place six dough balls per sheet and bake 11–13 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool on a rack.
Notes
Measurements are provided in both cups and grams. Weights are more precise for consistent results. If you don’t have a scale, spoon flour into measuring cups to avoid packing.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 35 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Sugar: 24 g
Sodium: 215 mg