White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Bars
These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Bars are a brand new cookie recipe, inspired by our recent to trip to Orlando.
Have you ever been to Crumbl Cookie? Probably not if you have a nut allergy. But it’s a cookie bakery that creates giant gourmet cookies. They have their signature chocolate chip and the rest if the flavors change weekly. There’s always a few seasonal flavors, some traditional favorites (like salted caramel or lemon cream), and some downright crazy (Trix Cookies? #nothankyou).
My daughter is obsessed with the place and so when we travel she usually buys a cookie or six. My son is almost twenty and doesn’t care about such things anymore, but he always takes a peek at the flavors. And this time, the one he was wishing he could try was the cranberry white chocolate cookie. It was a moist shortbread cookie (is that an oxymoron?) with chunks of white chocolate and tart dried cranberries. And, I have to say, it was my favorite of the bunch.
So of course, I had to come home and recreate a safe version of the white chocolate cranberry cookie that my son, and you, could enjoy.
Why You’ll Love Them:
White chocolate cranberry cookie bars are delicious. They are perfectly balanced, rich, and decadent.
The white chocolate brings sweetness and the dried cranberries bring a little bite. And those flavors meld together for the perfect cookies,
White chocolate cranberry cookie bars are elegant enough for a dinner party, but simple enough for an after school snack.
In addition to being delicious, these cookies are so easy to make. As bar cookies there’s no rolling, cutting or even scooping and no chilling time. Simply mix up your cookie dough, spread it evenly into a pan, and you’re good to go. White chocolate cranberry cookie bars are perfect for last minute get togethers or when you are hankering for something sweet and sour.
How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Bars:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.. Line a 10 X 15 baking sheet with parchment paper, letting the edges extend past the rim by about 2 inches. I have had the best results with these white chocolate cranberry cookie bars using a slightly bigger pan, but you can use a 9 x 13 pan. Your bars will be a little bit thicker and will need extra cooking time.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat 1 cup butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese on medium speed until well blended and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then dd 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
Reduce mix speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Do not over mix.
Then stir in 2 cups white chocolate chips and 1 3/4 cups cranberries. I like to use the reduced sugar variety when I can find them.
Using a spatula, transfer the dough onto the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer. If dough is too sticky, lightly moisten fingers with water and pat down into an even layer. You want the dough to be the same thickness all through the pan.
Bake in a 350 degree oven just until the edges are starting to turn light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle has moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. (Do not overbake! The white chocolate cranberry bars should be quite moist, and almost slightly under baked in the middle.)
Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let the bars cool completely. When fully cooled, remove the bars from the pan using the overhanging parchment paper and slice into bars. I usually get 24 good-sized bars, but you could cut them smaller if you want. Smaller bars mean you can sample more cookies.
Enjoy!
I know you will love these white chocolate cranberry bars!
They make the perfect addition to your Christmas cookie platter, but these bars aren’t just for Christmas. We enjoy them from October through March. (And, if they’re your favorite, there’s no reason you can’t make them in July).
But I also love that the white chocolate cranberry bars and pretty with a sophisticated palate and make a great sand alone dessert. Having a last minute dinner party? Whip up a batch of these bars.
These bars freeze well. And ship well. If you want to send a little love to family or friends, white chocolate cranberry bars make a great choice!
More Nut Free cookies:
Want eve more great cookie recipes? Try these soft and delicious bakery style black and white cookies or chocolate chip snowball cookies.
Or, download a FREE Nut Free Cookie Guide. You’ll find simple recipes for 7 of my favorite cookies:
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Oreo Brookie Bars
- Sunflower Butter Cookie Cups
- Chocolate Heath Bar Cookies
- Cookie Butter Cookies
- Lemon Bars
Download your FREE Nut Free Cookie guide today!
Happy Eating!
White Chocolate Cranberry Bars
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks, softened butter
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1 3/4 cups dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10 X 15 baking sheet with parchment paper, letting the edges extend past the rim by about 2 inches.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1. cup butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese on medium speed until well blended and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- Reduce mix speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix just until blended.
- Stir in 2 cups white chocolate chips and 1 3/4 cups cranberries.
- Using a spatula, transfer the dough onto the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer. If dough is too sticky, lightly moisten fingers with water and pat down into an even layer.
- Bake in 350 degree oven just until the edges are starting to turn light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle has moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. (Do not overbake! The bars should be quite moist, and almost slightly underbaked in the middle.)
- Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let cool completely. When fully cooled, remove the bars from the pan using the overhanging parchment paper and slice into bars.
