Soft, chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts — a delightful balance of tender cookie, sweet white chocolate, tart cranberries, and crunchy macadamia nuts.
Over the years I’ve shared many cookie recipes here; they’re all soft and chewy because that’s how I prefer them. I rarely reach for a dry, crunchy cookie, and these Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts are no exception.
When I lived in Canada, cookies like these were a staple on mixed cookie trays at catered events. I often chose them over other varieties even though my usual favorite is chocolate chip. Now that I live in Wisconsin and attend fewer catered gatherings, I don’t see them as often, so I decided to make a batch at home — and my kids loved them.
I based the method on a classic chocolate chip cookie technique. I browned half the butter for its nutty depth, chilled it, and left the other half soft for creaming. I added extra vanilla to complement the browned butter and white chocolate. For mix-ins I coarsely chopped a quality white chocolate bar, dried cranberries, and macadamia nuts so the cookies stay chunky and satisfying.
How to Make Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
Key steps include browning and cooling part of the butter, creaming the remaining butter with the sugars, then adding the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients, then gently stir in the cranberries, chopped macadamia nuts, and white chocolate. Chill the dough to firm it up — at least two hours or up to two days — which helps the cookies hold their shape and develop better flavor.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) until the edges are just beginning to brown and the centers are still soft. Remove them from the oven while soft so they stay tender as they cool on the baking sheet. These cookies aren’t strictly seasonal, but the combination of cranberries, white chocolate, and nuts fits beautifully on a holiday baking tray.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter — use a dairy-free butter substitute to make this recipe dairy-free
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour (optional) — if omitting, use an extra 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour in total
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Light brown sugar, packed
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- Dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- Unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
- White chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate — substitute dairy-free white chocolate if needed
Equipment
- Two baking sheets (you can bake on one, but two sheet pans speed the process)
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Stand mixer or hand mixer for creaming
Method (summary)
- Brown 4 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it smells nutty and turns golden. Cool the browned butter in the fridge or freezer.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the remaining 4 tablespoons of soft butter with the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined. Fold in the cranberries, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate.
- Wrap the dough and chill for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Portion dough into roughly 1-inch balls, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake 12–15 minutes, until the edges barely brown and centers remain soft. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
Notes & Nutrition
This recipe yields about 24 cookies. Nutrition estimates are calculated per cookie and will vary based on exact ingredients and portion sizes. A typical estimate is approximately 155 calories per cookie. Using dairy-free butter and dairy-free white chocolate makes the cookies suitable for dairy-free diets.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
24 cookies
Equipment
- 2 Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened) — use a dairy-free alternative to make dairy-free
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour (optional — if omitted, use 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
- 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 macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
Instructions
- Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until it turns golden and smells nutty. Transfer to a heatproof container and cool in the fridge or freezer.
- Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Cream the remaining 4 Tablespoons of softened butter with the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture on low speed until just combined. Fold in cranberries, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Form dough into roughly 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake 12–15 minutes, until edges are just beginning to brown and centers remain soft. Cool completely on the baking sheets, then store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
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