Rich, nutty, and sweet. Browned Butter White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies are the cookie recipe your baking repertoire is missing.
Article Summary:
In today's post we will be making Brown Butter White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. These cookies are like classic cranberry white chocolate chip cookies, but better thanks to brown butter. Read on to learn how to brown butter, check out recipe FAQs, and more.
Table of contents
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I know we're all about healthy recipes for active people here on Mae's Menu, but a big part of being healthy (physically, emotionally, mentally) is balance.
And by balance, I mean cookies.... and brownies. Always brownies.
Eat the whole foods, run the miles, go on adventures, and bake and enjoy the cookie.
And let's not enjoy those cookies because we "earned it" and let's not go on those adventures and runs to "burn off" our treats. Let's enjoy those cookies -- in particular, these oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies -- because we're discovering our satisfaction, honoring our minds as well as our bodies, and because when something isn't off limits we can finally come to a healthy relationship with it.
I could go more into the foundations of intuitive eating, but I'll let the experts do that.
But I do know that from personal experience, intuitive eating has changed my life. Once someone who was heavily influenced by the diet culture that was the late 90s/early 2000s, I ended up on dieting cycles that led me no where but to misery and an eating disorder.
But thanks to this journey with intuitive eating, I am redeveloping trust with my body, seeing said diet culture, fat stigma, and cultural food police for the farces that they are, and finally coming to peaceful terms with all foods.
Everything from a salad to a Dairy Queen blizzard has a place in my life. There's not guilt. No morality to food. And instead, a groundedness, peace, and joy.
Bet this write-up took a much different direction than you anticipated. You're not the only one. So let's get on to the cookies, shall we?
This browned butter cookie recipe is...
- Rich
- Nutty
- Buttery
- Tangy
- Sweet
Whether you whip these cookies up for weekend baking therapy or add them to your holiday cookie spread, they are sure to be a hit!
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar - pack the measuring cups with the sugar when measuring
- Granulated white sugar
- Large eggs
- All-purpose flour
- White chocolate chips
- Dried cranberries - sweetened dried cranberries like Ocean Spray Craisins are the best
- Old fashioned oats
- Pure vanilla extract - go for the pure extract if possible. It adds the best flavor
- Baking soda
- Salt
Substitutions:
- Butter - salted butter can replace the unsalted butter. Just decrease the salt in the rest of the recipe to ¼ teaspoon.
- White chocolate - a white chocolate bar, cut into small chunks or pieces can work in place of the white chocolate chips.
How to make brown butter..
- Heat a large, preferably lighter colored skillet over medium heat.
- Scatter 1 tablespoon-size chunks of butter evenly onto the skillet.
- Cook the butter, for 2 ½ - 4 minutes, stirring throughout cooking. The butter will first melt and then bubble and fizzle.
- Once the butter starts to form light brown flecks and starts to smell nutty, remove the skillet from the heat and immediately pour the butter into a cool mixing bowl.
- Let the butter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Browning Butter Pro tips:
- As soon as the butter forms the brown flecks and smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat. Any longer on the heat and the butter will start to burn.
- Cut the butter in uniform sizes. This helps it to melt and cook evenly.
- Use a light colored pan so you can clearly see when the butter starts to brown.
How to make brown butter cranberry white chocolate cookies..
- Brown the butter (according to the directions above). Let cool in a cool bowl at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the cooled butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and blend together until golden, thick, and syrupy. Note: it will look wet and that is fine.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and old fashioned oats to the mixing bowl. Blend together on a slow speed until no streaks of flour remain.
- Add the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips to the mixing bowl. Blend on low speed or stir in with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined.
- Scoop the cookies out in scant 2-tablespoon chunks 1 ½ - 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until the cookies are just golden on the bottom.
- Remove the cookie trays from the oven. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Move to wire cooling racks and cool until room temperature. Enjoy!
Recipe pro-tips:
- Let the brown butter cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before using in the recipe. If we add it to the recipe while it's still blazing hot, it will heat the eggs too much.
- Weigh the flour (if possible). If you don't have a food scale (they're only about $10 on Amazon), scoop the flour into the measuring cups and level off with a knife. Whatever you do, don't scoop the flour directly into the cups. It can add extra flour to the recipe, making the cookies dense, heavy, and not as flavorful.
- Mix-in options: stir in ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds if desired.
- Bake the cookies on parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheets. This helps the cookies to bake evenly and for them to release easily from the sheets.
- Use quality baking pans (if possible). A few years ago I was gifted some high quality baking sheets. They have been a game changer in my baking game. On them, cookies bake evenly, don't burn unnecessarily, and release so easily (when not using parchment paper). If you like asking for cooking tools and gadgets for birthdays or your holidays or simply feel like investing in your kitchen spread, I recommend Williams Sonoma Gold Touch Pro Cookie Sheets (not an affiliate link). I have, use, and love these baking sheets.
Recipe FAQs:
No, this cookie batter does not need to be refrigerated before baking. Simply scoop the batter into your pan and bake!
Neither the butter nor the eggs need to come to room temperature before making the cookies. If you want to bring the butter to room temperature before browning it, you can, but it is not essential.
Yes, white chocolate cranberry cookie dough can be be frozen. Freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. For best results, defrost the dough in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours, or until softened throughout. Then bake the cookies as directed.
Storage directions:
Leftover cookies keep covered in an airtight container for 2-3 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Large skillet
- Silicone spatula
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Heat proof spatula or turner
More cookie recipes:
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Banana Bread Cookies
- Confetti Cake Mix Cookies
- Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Andes Candies Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chewy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
- Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies
- Edible Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
If you made and liked this recipe, don't forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went for you in the comments! It always makes my day to hear from you!
Browned Butter White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Email FacebookIngredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter sliced into tablespoon-size chunks
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup 270g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 ⅓ cup sweetened dried cranberries
- 1 ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat a large, preferably lighter colored skillet over medium heat. Scatter the chunks of butter evenly onto the skillet. Cook the butter, for 2 ½ - 4 minutes, stirring throughout, or until it has browned. First the butter will melt and then it will bubble and fizzle. Once the butter starts to form light brown flecks and starts to smell nutty, remove the skillet from the heat and immediately pour the butter into a cool mixing bowl. Let the butter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the cooled butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and blend together until golden, thick, and syrupy. It will look wet; that is fine.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and old fashioned oats to the mixing bowl. Blend together on a slow speed until no streaks of flour remain. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and re-mix if needed.
- Add the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips to the mixing bowl. Blend on low speed or stir in with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined.
- Scoop the cookies out in scant 2-tablespoon chunks 1 ½ - 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pans throughout the cooking time if needed, or until the cookies are just golden on the bottom.
- Remove the cookie trays from the oven. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Move to wire cooling racks and cool until room temperature. Enjoy!
Michelle says
Is this recipe already adjusted to high altitude or do modifications need to be made. I’m at 4,000 altitude. Thanks!