Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pretty orange cranberry white chocolate cookies are sweet, tangy, citrusy and buttery. They’re perfect for holidays, Christmas cookie exchange parties, dessert, and snacking.

I especially love how easy this recipe is to make. Instead of rolling out dough and cutting cookies, these bars are baked in one big slab and cut in simple triangles.

If you’ve ever enjoyed the seasonal Cranberry Bliss Bars at Starbucks, you will love these homemade chewy blondies bars.

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The Sweetest Season Cookie Swap

This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Each December, a group of food bloggers share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.

This year we are raising money for Cookies 4 Kids’ Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.

About Cookies for Kids’ Cancer

Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these grants have stemmed 35+ treatments available to kids battling cancer today.

This year your donation goes twice as far, because Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is in a matching window with their friends at OXO who will match every dollar raised through the end of 2023, up to $100,000. Whatever money you donate will automatically double!

I hope you’ll consider giving to this important cause. Donate through our fundraising page.

More Delicious Cookie Recipes!

I cherish cookie recipes that are easy to make, pretty, AND (most important) delicious! Here are some more favorites:

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Coconut Almond Macaroons

Oatmeal Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Ingredients Notes

Here’s what you need to know about the ingredients for these cranberry orange white chocolate cookies:

In addition to staples like all-purpose flour and eggs, here are some notes about specific ingredients:

Unsalted butter – I like using unsalted because you have better control of the salt content in a recipe. If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the salt in the recipe.

Brown sugar – I used light brown sugar, but you can substitute dark brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand.

Fresh orange zest – An average orange yields about 1 tablespoon of zest, so you’ll need 2 oranges.

Ground ginger

2 eggs – large eggs work best in this recipe.

Orange juice

Vanilla extract

Baking powder – Make sure your baking powder is fresh for best results.

Salt – Fine table salt or sea salt dissolves best in the batter.

All purpose flour

White chocolate chips – Make sure the package says “white chocolate chips” and not “white baking chips,” which don’t contain any cocoa butter.

Chopped dried cranberries

Equipment Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to make the orange cranberry cookies recipe:

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Stand mixer with bowl or handheld electric mixer and bowl
• A second mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Cooling rack
• Zip-top plastic baggie

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1 | Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

STEP 2 | In a stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Beat for another minute or two until the mixture is smooth.

STEP 3 | In a separate bowl, whisk together flour with salt, ground ginger and baking powder. Add the mixture to the egg mixture in the bowl and mix just until well blended.

STEP 4 | Add orange juice, chopped cranberries, orange zest and white chocolate chips and stir by hand to incorporate. The dough will be thick and sticky.

STEP 5 | Scoop the dough onto the parchment-lined baking pan and use a spatula to spread it in a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Put in the oven and bake until dough is set and edges are just starting to barely brown, about 20 minutes.

STEP 6 | Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

STEP 7 | To make the Orange Vanilla Cream, beat the cream cheese with orange zest, orange juice, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.

STEP 8 | Spread the cookie bar with the cream glaze and sprinkle with chopped cranberries.

STEP 9 | Melt the white chocolate chips – it’s convenient to do this in the microwave in 30-second bursts (3-4 times). Scoop the chocolate into a small ziplock baggie and cut a tiny piece of the corner off. Drizzle the melted chocolate back and forth over the cookie bar. Let the chocolate set for 10-15 minutes.

STEP 10 | Cut the cookie bar into 6 squares, then cut each square on the diagonal to make triangles. Makes 12 cookies.

Storage Instructions

Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Flavors are best if eaten within 7 days.

Recipe Variations

Lemon Cranberry Bars – Substitute fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for the orange juice and orange zest.

Cherry Bliss Bars – Substitute dried cherries for the dried cranberries.

Printable Recipe Card

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Bar Cookies

Eliza Cross

This easy cranberry bars recipe features fresh orange zest, tangy dried cranberries, and a drizzle of melted white chocolate on chewy blondies bar cookies. Perfect for holidays, cookie exchanges and snacking!

5 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 371 kcal

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• stand mixer (or handheld electric mixer and bowl)
• mixing bowl
• Spatula
• cooling rack

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the cookie bars

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the Vanilla Orange Cream

• 1 cup cream cheese softened
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Garnish

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Beat for another minute or two until the mixture is smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour with salt, ground ginger and baking powder. Add the mixture to the egg mixture in the bowl and mix just until well blended.
• Add orange juice, chopped cranberries, orange zest and white chocolate chips and stir by hand to incorporate. The dough will be thick and sticky.
• Scoop the dough onto the parchment-lined baking pan and use a spatula to spread it in a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Put in the oven and bake until dough is set and edges are just starting to barely brown, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• To make the Orange Vanilla Cream, beat the cream cheese with orange zest, orange juice, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Spread the cake with cream and sprinkle with chopped cranberries.
• To melt the white chocolate chips, put them in a heatproof bowl and place in the microwave on High for 20 seconds. Stir, and repeat the process of heating in 20 second increments and stirring until the white chocolate is fully melted.
• Scoop the chocolate into a small zip-top baggie and cut a tiny piece off the corner. Use the baggie like a pastry bag to drizzle the melted chocolate back and forth over the cookie bar. Let the chocolate set for about 15 minutes.
• Cut the cookie bar into 6 squares, then cut each square on the diagonal to make triangles. Makes 12 cookies.

Notes

Storing directions: Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Quality is best if eaten within 7 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 169mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 556IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 1mg

Keyword bar cookies, cranberry bliss bars, dried cranberries, orange zest

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About Eliza Cross

Eliza Cross is the author of 17 books, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon. She shares ideas to simplify cooking, gardening, time and money. She is also the owner of Cross Media, Inc. and founder of the BENSA Bacon Lovers Society.

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