Cookies are by far my favorite dessert to make.  The possibilities of shape, flavor, and texture are endless.   Cookies can be a casual, rustic treat like the classic chocolate chip cookie or can be formal and refined like the Macaron or Palmier.  Any way you cut them, I just love homemade cookies.

Today I want to share a simple, rustic cookie, and one that comes together and bakes up in under 30 minutes.   Sheet pan meals are all the rage.  But using sheet pans to bake up cookie bars is nothing new.  I love to make cookie bars because of the sheer convenience of it.  Once you prepare your cookie dough, all you need to do is line a pan with parchment paper, spread the dough, and bake.  That’s it, and in 20 minutes, you’ve got cookies…lots of them.

This particular recipe has a lovely flavor combination.  White chocolate and dried cranberries compliment each other so well.  Truth be told:  white chocolate has never been my favorite (likely because it’s really not chocolate at all).  But when used in just the right recipe, it imparts a unique sweetness that regular, dark chocolate can’t do.

So, I hope you add these little treats to your list of recipes to try.  I think you’ll love’em!

Gluten Free Cranberry and White Chocolate Sheet Pan Cookie Bars

1 & 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 cups gluten free flour blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 )
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 & 1/2 cups dried, sweetened cranberries**
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 10″ x 15″ sheet pan with cooking spray.  Cut a piece of parchment paper so that paper hangs over each short side by 1″.   Press the paper into the pan; the cooking spray will help to anchor the paper.   Set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars for 2 minutes.  Add in the egg and mix until incorporated.

Gradually add in the flour and baking powder, mixing until just combined.

Fold in the dried cranberries and white baking chips.

Spread and/or press the dough into the prepared sheet pan.  Try to spread the dough across the sheet as evenly as possible.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Allow the cookies to sit in the pan for 15 minutes.  Using a pizza wheel slice the cookies into the desired size.  I typically create 18-24 cookie bars.

**There are a number of fruit juice infused dried cranberries on the market.  I tested this recipe using both regular cranberries and cherry-juice infused cranberries.   Any flavor would work very well!