Name: Orange Cranberry Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 9 min
Yield: 50
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: For the Cookies; 1 Cup Butter (softened to room temperature); 1 Cup Sugar; 1 Egg; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1 Tbsp Fresh Orange Juice; 1 Tbsp Fresh Orange Zest; 2 ½ Cups Flour; ½ tsp Baking Soda; ¼ tsp Baking Powder; ½ tsp Salt; 1 Cup Dried Cranberries; For the glaze-; 1 tsp Orange Zest (plus more for garnish if desired); 2 Tbsp Orange Juice; 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar

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These cranberry orange cookies are a soft buttery cookie that is bursting with orange flavor and tangy cranberries. They are the perfect cookie for the holiday season or any time of the year!

A stack of cranberry orange cookies. The top cookie is broken in half showing the cranberries inside.

I love the flavors of orange and cranberry together and these orange cranberry cookies combine those two flavors beautifully. The cookies are flavored with orange and filled with dried cranberries and then drizzled with a delicious tangy orange glaze. These cookies are great for the holidays and make a great addition to cookie trays, for a cookie exchange or they make an amazing gift for friends and neighbors, or they’re great for just whipping up a batch to enjoy! While they are great Christmas cookies they are also wonderful any time.

A stack of cranberry orange cookies on a white plate. In the background are oranges and a plate full of cookies.

FAQ & TIPS

Delicious add ins for these cookies-

These sweet cranberry orange cookies are delicious as they are but there are some delicious variations you can make. White chocolate chips or chopped nuts make an amazing addition. Walnuts or pecans are the best to add to these cookies. If you want to add in nuts or chips use about 1/2 a cup for best results.

Use fresh zest-

This recipe turns out best using fresh orange zest and orange juice. If you need to use bottled juice that will work, but you’ll want to use fresh zest. Dried zest doesn’t have as strong a flavor as zest from fresh orange peel. Use a fine grater for best results.

A stack of cranberry orange cookies drizzled with an orange glaze and sprinkled with orange zest.

Do not over bake the cookies-

These cookies are a delightful texture that is soft and almost cake like. You want to make sure not to overbake them or they can dry out. Keep an eye on the cookies and watch until they are a light golden brown so that you have nice soft cookies.

Here’s what you’ll need for these Cranberry Orange Cookies-

The ingredients for cranberry orange cookies on a white marble background. Flour, sugar, orange, egg, vanilla, butter, powdered sugar. dried cranberries, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

For the Cookies

1 Cup Butter (softened to room temperature)

1 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp Fresh Orange Juice

1 Tbsp Fresh Orange Zest

2 ½ Cups Flour

½ tsp Baking Soda

¼ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt

1 Cup Dried Cranberries

For the glaze-

1 tsp Orange Zest (plus more for garnish if desired)

2 Tbsp Orange Juice

1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar

A plate piled with orange cranberry cookies

Here’s how to make these Cranberry Orange Cookies

Pre heat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roughly chop the dried cranberries with a sharp knife.

In a medium bowl gently whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well mixed.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Add in egg, vanilla, orange juice and orange zest and continue mixing until well incorporated.

A collage of four pictures showing how to make cranberry orange cookies. In the first picture flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda have been combined in a small bowl. In the second butter and sugar have been creamed together in a mixing bowl and orange juice and zest have been added, in the third the dry ingredients have been added to the butter mixture, and in the final picture dried cranberries have been added to the cookie dough.

Gradually add in the dry ingredients mixing after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon fold in the dried chopped cranberries mixing until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Scoop the Dough out with a tablespoon size dough scoop onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Remove the cookies from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cooled you can make the glaze.

To make the glaze combine the orange zest, orange juice and powdered sugar in a medium size bowl. Mix until everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps.

A collage of four pictures showing how to make cranberry orange cookies and their glaze. In the first pictures balls of cookie dough have been placed on a parchment lined cookie sheet, in the second powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest are being whisked together in a glass mixing bowl, in the the third picture cooled cookies are on a wire rack with the glaze and orange zest next to it. In the final picture the cookies have been drizzled with glaze and sprinkled with orange zest.

You can glaze the cooled cookies on the cooling rack or place them on a baking sheet. Place parchment paper or wax paper under the cookies before glazing to catch any drips.

Using a spoon drizzle the glaze across each cookie.

Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with orange zest if desired.

Allow the glaze to dry before placing cookies in an airtight container to store. Store in a single layer or place wax paper between the layers.

Orange Cranberry Cookies

Yield: 50

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 9 minutes