These White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are the absolute butteriest and most delicious cookie ever! Studded with white chocolate chips and tart chunks of cranberry, they’re sure to be a hit at any gathering!
This recipe was originally published in December 2019 – I’ve since updated the photos and added additional blog content. Enjoy!
Shortbread cookies are my absolute weakness, y’all. I was first really introduced to shortbread during the Christmas season!
There would always be those tins of Danish butter cookies that were so deliciously buttery and yum that I could eat 5 in one sitting and not think twice about it.
Next, when we went to London for the first time, shortbread was just a way of life there. They even have plates of “biscuits” aka cookies with tea and coffee laid out after church. My type of people, y’all!
Ben and I even brought a bag of shortbread cookies back to the US! You know you’re a foodie when…
So, I knew that this holiday season on the blog, I wanted to make my own version of those delicious buttery cookies, and thus, the White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies were born.
Why These are the Perfect Cookies:
They are incredibly easy to make! It’s basically a throw it in a mixer and let it go recipe.
These are loaded with 2 sticks (yes, 2 sticks!) of salted butter. It makes them so rich, they literally melt in your mouth and I absolutely love the addition of the salt.
To make them extra festive for the holidays, I loaded them with white chocolate chips! I don’t often bake with white chocolate, because I usually prefer dark chocolate…but the white chocolate in these cookies is so decadent and delicious.
Another festive add? The cranberries! These are specifically dried cranberries made for baking. They add a delicious texture and tartness to the cookie that is needed to balance out the richness of the buttery goodness.
Did I mention that these happen to be slice and bake cookies!? YES! They are brushed with egg wash, rolled with turbinado sugar, chilled, and then sliced to perfection. I love the crunchy sugar on the edges of the cookie – it makes it SO extra yummy.
It all results in the most delicious cookie. It will be sure to put a smile on every person’s face that takes a bite of it! So let’s get into how to make it!
Ingredients You Need:
- salted butter
- white chocolate chips
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- dried cranberries
- vanilla extract
- flour
- egg wash
- turbinado sugar
Best Cookie Making Tips:
Preheat the oven to 350! Next, add 2 sticks of softened butter to a mixing bowl along with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Mix these (using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer) for about 3 minutes or it becomes light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and then slowly add the flour while the mixer is on.
Once the flour is mixed in, beat the white chocolate chips and cranberry pieces into the dough as well. It should look something like this:
The dough should be smooth and dry.
Divide the dough in half. Place one half on plastic wrap. Form the dough into a circular log and then roll it up in the plastic wrap. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Put the logs of cookie dough in the fridge and let them chill for at least 2 hours!
Once they are properly chilled, take them out. Remove from the plastic wrap. Lightly brush with a lightly beaten egg (aka egg wash) and then roll the dough in the turbinado sugar.
Use a super sharp knife to slice the cookies about 1/2 inch thick. Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.
You’ll know they are done when the edges are slightly brown. They might still look a little soft in the middle but that’s okay! Let them cool on a wire rack for a bit.
For a fun garnish, drizzle extra melted white chocolate on top of them! SO GOOD. Dip in milk and your life will be forever changed.
Enjoy every bite, my friends! Happy Christmas baking! XO – Haylie
Did you like this recipe? Here are a few others you might like:
Cranberry Orange Croissant Bread Pudding
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
- turbinado sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
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Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
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Add 2 sticks of softened butter to a mixing bowl along with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Mix these (using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer) for about 3 minutes or it becomes light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
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Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and then slowly add the flour while the mixer is on low.
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Once the flour is mixed in, beat the white chocolate chips and cranberry pieces into the dough as well. The dough should be smooth and dry.
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Divide the dough in half. Place one half on plastic wrap. Form the dough into a circular log and then roll it up in the plastic wrap. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
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Put the logs of cookie dough in the fridge and let them chill for at least 2 hours! When the 2 hours is nearly up, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Once they are properly chilled, take them out. Remove from the plastic wrap. Lightly brush with egg wash and then roll the dough in the turbinado sugar.
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Use a super sharp knife to slice the cookies - about 1/2 an inch thick. Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. You’ll know they are done when the edges are slightly brown. They might still look a little soft in the middle but that’s okay! Let them cool on a wire rack for a bit.
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If desired, drizzle melted white chocolate on top of the cookies. Enjoy!
Definitely making these for a Christmas gathering! Do you think making the dough a day in advance would go okay?
Absolutely, Joan! I left mine in the fridge for 3 days, even! 🙂 Enjoy!
My Girl Scout troop loved them!! I made them for our annual get together, and a few people even asked for the recipe. Very buttery and rich but not overly sweet 😊
Can’t beat a holiday shortbread cookie Haylie! And I totally love the cranberry white chocolate combination!
Thank you so much, Mary Ann! I love shortbread 🙂
My absolute fave type of holiday cookie! And who doesn’t love cranberry and white chocolate? I think I could eat 5 (or more) in one sitting too 😉 This and milk and I’m quite content! Happy holidays, my friend!
Yes!! Absolutely! Thank you, Dawn!
I’m going to need to make a batch of these for sure! Love cranberry and white chocolate together, and shortbread is a holiday staple!
I so agree, a total staple! Thanks Leanne!
So buttery and delicious! Love the white chocolate with cranberries! And the sugared edges are so pretty!
Thank you, my friend! I love the crunchy edges! 🙂
These are incredible! Really easy to make, so pretty to look at, and tasty to eat! (And apparently addicting, because since late last night my sibling has eaten a dozen of these. As I was writing this review, they came downstairs, took three from the cookie tin, and went back upstairs.)
Cranberry and white chocolate are a well-loved duo in my family, and this recipe gives it all the love! Every cookie is filled with them, and the shortbread isn’t overly sweet, doesn’t steal the show. This recipe is definitely being saved for future use – an immediate classic!
Kosette! Thank you so much for this kind review! I’m so so glad that your family loved them 🙂 Thank you for saying they’re a classic…*cries* Ha! Hope you and your family are staying safe! XO
Thank you Haylie for this wonderful recipe, these turned out delicious and I will be using this recipe again. A couple revisions are needed in your directions however: Preheating the oven in step 1 should not come before chilling the dough for two hours in step 6; and the vanilla extract was not mentioned in the directions, so I just added it after mixing the butter with the sugars.
I used unsalted butter and just added 1/2 tsp salt to the dry ingredients. I also chopped the cranberries up well before adding to avoid large chunks in the cookies.
For any amateurs like myself, it is CRUCIAL to chill the dough before baking or they will burn within minutes. I also double-lined the trays with parchment and baked the cookies in the upper rack of the oven, and the bottom edges still turned brown before the top (I’ll admit my oven bakes hotter than others). I took them out once the top outer edges of the cookies started to turn golden, and the soft middles set up perfectly after cooling.
Hi Carlene! Thank you SO much for baking these cookies! It truly made my day reading your review and I’m thankful for you letting me know about the steps that were wrong – whoops! Sometimes I type too fast for my own good 😉 I’ve since updated them in the recipe card 🙂 I’m so glad that you loved the cookies! Hope you and your family have a happy holiday season! Best – Haylie