Contrasting textures come together in these lovely holiday cookies! White chocolate cranberry cookies are filled with crunchy macadamia nuts, creamy white chocolate chunks, and chewy cranberries.
White Chocolate Cranberry Nut Cookies are ultra-chunky buttery cookies that will have you craving more! The perfect addition to holiday cookie tins.
Table of contents
Christmas Cookies with Nuts
Cranberries are the fruit of the winter holiday season, and these cranberry white chocolate cookies are sweet, tart, salty, and basically heavenly!
They are just as tasty as Pistachio Cherry Meltaways and Brazil Nut Snowball Cookies but there's something about macadamia nuts that just calls to me. In fact, if you love White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies you should add some Christmas cheer to them with cranberries.
Why You'll Love These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies With Macadamia Nuts
There are a ton of different reasons to love cranberry and white chocolate cookies. Adding cranberries to your cookies makes them chewier. The crunchy nuts actually make them taste a bit sweeter. Then, the soft and creamy white chocolate makes them taste richer. They are super delicious and perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Shortening
- Light brown sugar
- White granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- White chocolate chips - or break up a white chocolate bar for a chunkier cookie
- Macadamia nuts
- Dried cranberries (Craisins)
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
To make other cranberry white chocolate nut cookies, substitute the macadamia nuts with your favorite nut. Almond, pecan, pistachio, or walnut are all great choices for these buttery cookies.
To make gluten free cranberry white chocolate cookies, substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose baking flour.
You can also opt to drizzle these cookies with additional white chocolate. Melt a 3-4 ounces white chocolate bar in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between until smooth. Place in a plastic bag, snip the corner, and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Let set prior to storing.
How to Make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cranberry Cookies
- Place shortening and butter in large mixing bowl.
- Cream well.
- Add sugars gradually.
- Beat until well incorporated.
- Continue beating while adding egg and vanilla and almond extracts.
- Beat well.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
- Add to creamed mixture gradually.
- Beat until well mixed.
- Add cranberries, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate chips.
- Stir well to distribute throughout the dough.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 350 degrees. They will be just slightly golden when done.
- Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. At this time you can add a white chocolate drizzle for even more decadence.
Make Ahead
You can make these cookies in advance and either freeze the dough or the baked cookies.
To freeze cookie dough: Instead of baking these drop cookies, roll the dough portions into balls. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about an hour. Once frozen, transfer the frozen dough balls into a plastic freezer bag, squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and freeze.
To bake frozen cookie dough balls: Bake as directed in the recipe allowing a couple of extra minutes of baking time.
To freeze baked cookies: Allow them to cool completely, transfer them to a plastic zip-top freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and freeze. Thaw the cookies on the counter.
If you opt to drizzle the cookies with white chocolate, it's best to freeze them before drizzling. If they are drizzled, put parchment or wax paper between the layers.
How to Store and Freeze
Cool the cookies completely and transfer them to an airtight container or plastic zip-top bag. If they have white chocolate drizzle on top, put parchment or wax paper between layers.
Store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter or in the refrigerator.
More Nutty Holiday Deliciousness
- Almond Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Filling
- Chocolate Covered Toffee with Pecans
- Lebkuchen Cookies
- Orange Pistachio Biscotti
- Peanut Brittle Cookies
- Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust
- Shortbread Pecan Sandies
Find lots of easy Christmas cookie recipes here on 2CM!
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White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 oz. white chocolate chips or a white chocolate bar cut into chunks
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries (I used reduced sugar CranRaisins and it was perfect)
- 3-4 ounces white chocolate bar for drizzle (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
- In a large bowl, beat butter & shortening until creamy. .
- Gradually add sugars and beat until well incorporated.
- Continue beating while adding the egg, vanilla and almond extracts.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda & salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and continue beating until well mixed.
- Stir in white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, and cranberries.
- Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2" apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on cookie sheets then move to wire racks until cooled completely.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with new photos and step-by-step directions. It was first published on December 20, 2016.
