White chocolate chip cookies with cherries are a real treat! Loaded with oats, dried tart red cherries, crunchy pecans, and sweet chocolate chips for your new favorite treat.
Don’t you have a hard time turning away a cookie, or two, especially when they are freshly baked? Tell me it’s not just me! One of my sweet friends just had an adorable baby girl a month ago, so I wanted to drop off some treats for the happy and hungry parents.
The new mommy requested some white chocolate chip cookies, so I decided to give it a little summer twist. Enter this irresistible white chocolate cherry pecan cookie recipe. Yep, it’s a mouth full to say, but a delicious nibble of happiness in cookie form.
It’s all about the base! These cookies bake up crisp on the edges and a little dense, tender and soft in the center. It’s got all of the classic ingredients, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. The rolled oats incorporated into the batter makes these cookies more hearty and stay thicker once baked.
I chose some Dried tart red cherries because they would be a nice balance to the super sweet white chocolate chips. Oh and don’t forget the pecans! The nutty texture completes the crispy outside, soft center, and now crunchy cookie experience.
You know how sometimes once you roll your cookie dough, there aren’t enough of the mix-ins on the top? I like to add some extra fixings on the surface if needed so that the cookies are beautiful and have flavor KA-POW in each bite.
Doesn’t this picture of the stacked cookies just make you want to jump in the photograph and have an embarrassing cookie monster moment? It’s even worse when they are cooling on the rack in front of you, and you’re trying your hardest not to eat them all by yourself! You guys have to try these cookies, they are so cherry-licious.
I can’t wait to also make her some chocolate oatmeal lactation cookies next, they are so yummy and help boost milk supply. Show some love and bake up a batch of these white chocolate cherry cookies for the special people in your lives, you may even get some hugs.
Recipe Science
Why do some cookie recipes use different kinds of sugars?
Sugar not only brings sweetness to cookies, but it also plays a role in flavor and texture. For this recipe, equal amounts of brown sugar and granulated white sugar are used. The brown sugar adds a sweet caramelized flavor from the molasses in the ingredient and is also a humectant. The reason the center of the cookie stays soft and tender is that the brown sugar acts as a humectant that absorbs moisture and keeps the cookie moist. The granulated sugar helps the cookie slightly spread out when baked and also achieve the crispy texture on the outside.
White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup rolled oats, not instant
- 1 cup dried cherries, or cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Set wire rack in oven to the middle position and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. Stir in the egg and vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds until combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture over low speed for about 1 minute of until the flour mixture is just combined.
- Over low speed, or by hand, stir in the rolled oats. Then add the dried cherries, white chocolate chips, and pecans until just combined.
- Scoop out about 2-3 tablespoon-sized portions, shape into a ball, and place onto the baking sheet 2-inches apart and lightly flatten the tops. Add more chips, cherries or chopped pecans pressed into the surface of the cookies if you want more flavor with each bite.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the sheet.
- Remove from baking sheets finish cooling on wire racks.
Equipment
Notes
- If you shape and chill the dough to bake at a later time, allow the cookies to come to room temperature before baking (about 30 minutes), and flatten the tops to create an even height of each cookie. You may need 10-16 minutes of baking for the aged cookies because the dough is cooler in temperature.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Tina says
Love, love, love these cookies!! I do have a question though. I signed up to bake cookies for a fundraiser on July 4th. I decided to try these first to make sure they were good. Will they freeze well if I freeze the baked cookies until the day of or day before the sale?
Jessica Gavin says
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the cookies! Yes, they will freeze well. You could also protion and freeze the dough, then defrost the night before you plan to bake. Make sure you store the cookies away from any strong smelling foods in the freezer.
Heidi says
Hi Jessica,
I’m looking forward to baking these cookies but first I wanted to ask you if almond flour or a gluten free all purpose flour would work?
Jessica Gavin says
I think gluten-free flour would work. I haven’t tried with almond flour.
catherine says
I wonder could I use Freeze dried strawberries in place of cranberries?
I love the science behind baking.
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can substitute the cranberries for freeze-dried strawberries. Start with a 1/2 cup and increase from there. The strawberries tend to be larger in size.
Christie says
These cookies are delicious! Perfect in every way. I came to your website for the chewy chocolate chip cookies (which are also delicious) and yet, I think these will be my new go-tos. Thank you for sharing your passion with us, Jessica. Look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Denise says
Are these meant to be chewy?
I have tried using Splenda which seemed to require a much longer cooking time (20 minutes instead of 10-12) & a bit drier
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Denise- The cookies aren’t really chewy, more like a normal crisp edge and soft center. Sometimes the ingredients used in the sugarfree replacers will give a different texture. Sugar adds to the crispiness and attracts moisture, so I’m not surprised that it tasted more chewy with the splenda and dry.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Such perfect cookies Jessica! I don’t think you can ever go wrong with white chocolate and cherries together.. and the crunchy touch of pecan sounds wicked too.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks Thalia!