Last updated on May 11th, 2025

Wet Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Mix-Ins
Dietary Substitutions
Storage
Related Recipes
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These Cranberry Oatmeal White Chip Cookies are an old-fashioned soft and chewy oatmeal cookie filled with tart dried cranberries, white chips, and warm spices. They are delicious anytime of year, but perfect for adding to a holiday cookie tray or packing up in a cute tin for an easy homemade gift.

Wet Ingredients

butter: American butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
brown sugar: Brown sugar is granulated sugar with molasses added, providing deep flavor and moisture to baked goods. Light brown sugar contains 3.5% molasses, while dark brown sugar has 6.5% giving a more robust flavor profile.
sugar: Sugar is derived from sugarcane and provides sweetness to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
eggs: Eggs are important in baking because their protein provides structure, they are a natural leavener trapping air that expands during baking, and they add moisture to baked goods
vanilla extract: Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Always use a high-quality, all-natural brand that is made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol. MAKE YOUR OWN! Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.

Dry Ingredients

flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour with 10-12% protein, such as King Arthur or Sir Galahad Artisan Flour (its bulk-purchased name) which has 11.7% protein. Avoid bread flour, as its higher protein content (11-14%), develops more gluten, which results in dense baked goods.
oats: Oats are a whole grain that is high in fiber and commonly used for cereal or baked goods. Quick oats are pre-cooked and come in smaller pieces, and add a light texture. Whole oats remain in their natural form and make baked goods hearty with a chewy texture. They are interchangeable in most recipes, so if you only have the old-fashioned you can pulse some of them up.
baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
baking soda: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (like lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas to make baked goods rise.
salt: Use a fine-ground pink salt which adds essential minerals and nutrients to baked goods.
ClearJel: Add Instant ClearJel to baked goods for a light and tender texture. If ClearJel is hard to find, cornstarch is a good substitute. To swap: If the recipe calls for 1 T. cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. If the recipe calls for 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel.

Mix-Ins

white chocolate chips: White chocolate chips are made from cocoa butter and milk solids, but do not contain cocoa solids like regular chocolate. For the best quality, avoid candy melts or chips with artificial ingredients and palm oil.
dried cranberries: Dried cranberries are tart dehydrated berries that lend natural sweetness and vibrant color to baked goods.
pecans: are a tree nut that grown on pecan trees in the United States and Mexico. They add texture and sweet nuttiness flavor to baked goods.

Baker’s Tips

For thick cookies: chill the batter and bake on Silpat baking mat and bake on Silpat baking mat to ensure less spread.
For thin and crispy cookies: scoop out cookie dough and put straight into the oven and use parchment paper and scoop cookie dough and put them right into the oven as it will create more spread.
Toast the nuts before adding to the cookies to incorporate more flavor. Rough chop them in mini food chopper. Place chopped nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for 5 minutes.
Use light-colored, aluminum cookie sheets to reflect even heat during the baking process. Dark cookie sheets conduct more heat off the surface, which may burn or darken on the edges before they are fully cooked through.
For even browning, place only 2 cookie sheets in the oven at the same time. Place the cookie sheet horizontally and rotate them halfway through the baking process. To rotate, spin the cookie sheets around 180° and swap the cookie sheets from top to bottom and vice versa.

Equipment

Recommended tools: (affiliate links)

stand mixer

mixing bowl

measuring cups and spoons

baking sheet

Silpat baking mat OR parchment paper

cookie scoop

Dietary Substitutions

For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE

Here are some tips for gluten free baking

Use a premium gluten-free flour blend. You can easily convert this recipe and your other favorite recipes using my premium gluten-free flour for proven, delicious results every time.
Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. After pulling the container from the freezer, bring to room temperature before opening the lid.

TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE

Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
Use dairy-free chips.

Storage

Pre-baked cookies:

You can make the batter and store until ready to bake.
Short-term, scoop the batter into cookie pucks/balls and place in storage container until use.
Long-term, place all of the mixed batter into a ziploc bag or storage container and let the batter come to room temperature before scooping into cookie pucks/balls.

Baked cookies:

Store baked cookies in airtight container on counter 1-2 days.
Seal in in freezer safe container for up to 6 months. Place cookies in layers lined with parchment paper. You can also individually heat seal cookies and place them in a larger container.
To thaw frozen cookies, allow them to come to room temperature before opening the container.