Description
These Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies combine festive flavors of citrus and cranberry in a soft, chewy bite. Rolled in sugar before baking, they have a sparkling crisp edge and a fragrant orange-vanilla scent that fills your kitchen with holiday cheer.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg (large, room temperature)
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 2 cups dried cranberries (chopped if large)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1/2 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, orange juice, and zest until well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry mix to the wet ingredients, stirring until a dough forms.
- Fold in the dried cranberries by hand for even distribution. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing well.
- Bake 8–10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Let sit for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.
- While cookies cool, whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest until smooth. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies.
Notes
Use fresh orange zest for best flavor. Don’t overbake; centers should stay soft. Chill dough to prevent spreading. Store cookies in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze unglazed for up to 3 months. Optional mix-ins: white chocolate chips or pecans. Great for holiday gifting!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 65mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg