Cranberry Orange Cookies

4.97 from 30 votes

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A fresh new take on my Lemon Crinkle Cookies, these Cranberry Orange Cookies are a new holiday favorite! Simple to make in one bowl, soft baked to perfection with the perfect amount of tang and chewy sweet goodness. The perfect addition to your Christmas Cookie list.

cranberry orange cookies on white plate

Cranberry Orange Cookies | A Holiday Favorite

So happy to be sharing this new cookie recipe with you today! I love a classic chocolate chip cookie, but sometimes for the holidays, you need something a little more festive and these Cranberry Orange Cookies fit the bill.

These are a festive version of my famous Lemon Crinkle Cookies, just jazzed up with orange and cranberry. Super simple to throw together in only 1 bowl and they have the perfect amount of chewy-yet-tangy goodness. Lovely and light, just how I like my cookies.

cranberry orange cookie dough in bowl

Main Ingredients Needed

You don’t need a lot to make these tasty Cranberry Orange Cookies. Lot’s of simple cookie-making staples plus orange juice, zest and fresh cranberries! Here’s what you need:

  • Butter + Sugar – for flavor and to sweeten!
  • Vanilla – this goes great with the citrusy notes of the orange and the tartness of the cranberries.
  • Egg – this is used for structure and for texture.
  • Orange Zest + Juice – I used a navel orange to get the zest and fresh orange juice!
  • Baking Powder, Baking Soda + Salt – to help the cookies rise and create chewiness. Salt is used to balance all of the flavors.
  • Flour – this fills out the rest of the cookies.
  • Cranberries – chopped up, these little guys are tart but are perfectly festive for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
  • Powdered Sugar – this creates the ‘crinkled’ effect, plus adds a little more sweetness.
rolling cookie dough in powdered sugar

How to Make Cranberry Orange Cookies

Here’s the basic rundown, make the dough, roll it in powdered sugar, bake, cool, then devour! For full details on how to make Cranberry Orange Cookies, see the recipe card down below.

  1. Start by creaming butter and sugar together. I just made these by hand, but a stand mixer would be fine to use too.
  2. Next, stir in an egg, some vanilla, a whole lot of orange zest, and a little orange juice too. It might look a little funky, but this is totes normal.
  3. Now, stir in all your dry ingredients. This is just flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Voila! Cookie dough! I seriously could just stop here and eat this with a spoon. I LOVE COOKIE DOUGH.
  4. But, we need to resist and forge ahead. Grab some fresh cranberries. Give them a wash and chop them up pretty fine. Add them to your cookie dough and give another quick stir.
  5. Then you can scoop the dough into balls and roll in a pile of powdered sugar.
  6. Place the cookies onto your baking sheet and bake for a couple of minutes.
  7. You want them soft…..and crinkly. That was probably a given though. Let these cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Once they cool down enough, start shoveling these bad boys straight into your mouth. I love these because the cranberries are slightly tart and make the perfect addition to the orange.

cookie dough on baking sheet

Storing These Cookies

Because it’s the holidays and most of us are baking up a storm, we want to be able to store these sweet treats for as long as possible! Here are the best ways to store these Cranberry Orange Cookies to keep them fresh and chewy for as long as possible.

At Room Temperature

Once your cookies are cool, transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to two days with a slice of plain white bread. The bread helps keep the cookies moist and soft.

In the Refrigerator

To store your cookies in the fridge, transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. This can make the edges get a little too crispy for my liking. But! To enjoy, simply microwave briefly for a few seconds to get them warm and soft again.

In the Freezer

To store your cookies in the freezer, transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to three months. To enjoy, simply microwave briefly for a few seconds to get them warm and soft.

More Cranberry Recipes to Try!

Give these simple Cranberry Orange Cookies a whirl today! You will love these soft and chewy treats.

The printable recipe card is below, have a great day!

baked cranberry orange cookies on baking sheet

 

cranberry orange cookies on white plate
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4.97 from 30 votes

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies are simple to make and have the perfect amount of chewy-yet-tangy goodness. Perfect for Holiday baking!
servings 24 small cookies
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
    creamed butter and sugar
  • Whip in vanilla, egg, orange zest and juice.
    egg and orange zest in mixing bowl
  • Scrape sides and mix again.
    creamed butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla
  • Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar.
    adding dry ingredients into cookie dough
  • Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
    mixed cranberry orange cookie dough
  • Stir in chopped cranberries.
    chopped cranberries in cookie dough
  • Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a 2 teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.
    rolling cookie dough in powdered sugar
  • Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
    cookie dough on baking sheet
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
    baked cranberry orange cookies on baking sheet

Notes

*If using a nonstick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cranberry Orange Cookies
4.97 from 30 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




40 Responses
  1. A

    4 stars
    This is a good cookie recipe. Orange-cranberry can be tricky, but this recipe comes close to what I’m looking for. When I make these again, I’ll use less sugar in the batter, between 1/2-3/4 cup. I may use a bit more orange zest. I also recommend leaving them in the oven until the bottoms are golden. Still, a good recipe. Will make again.

  2. Canddy

    Hello! These cookies look amazing, but I have two questions. First, can you use almond flour? Second, which one is best, dried cranberries or natural for this recipe?

  3. Barbara

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! Also your lemon crinkle cookie recipe! I roll them in granulated sugar instead of the powdered sugar. I get so many compliments on your delicious recipe. Thank you so much!

  4. Cindy

    5 stars
    Absolutely a fantastic cookie. I used gluten free baking 1-1 flour, and they turned out great. They will be part of Christmas cookies every year. Thanks.

  5. Kathy

    5 stars
    Absolutely DELICIOUS! Just baked a pan of previously frozen dough balls and they are GREAT! Nice mixture of flavors, will be making these for next year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas treats.
    Thank you for a great new recipe.

  6. Lynne Thomas

    Hi Lauren:

    I was wondering if you can freeze the dough in a roll and slice and bake at a later date? The look awesome and low in Carbs!!!!

    Thanks in advance!!!!

    Lynne

  7. Anne

    5 stars
    I loved the tangy cranberries in the buttery orange cookie dough. Flavors popped! Next time I will thaw my frozen berries before adding to the mix. Highly recommend these.

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  9. Grace

    5 stars
    I had forgotten about these cookies (I make them every year during the holidays since you posted them…they’d have made it to my oven again eventually) and my 10yo asked yesterday when I’ll be making them since we have cranberries. Tells you how awesome they are!

  10. Nancy Huntington

    I am going to try this recipe tomorrow. Love cranberries. I plan to add nuts to half the dough and then compare the original and nut version.

  11. Adrienne

    5 stars
    Just made a lemon variation of these… and they’re to die for! I also replaced half a cup of flour with 1/2 of instant oats. came out amazing! I’ve tried a couple of orange/cranberry cookie recipes that came out too cakey. These were really good, chewy cookies! Thanks again!

  12. Lab lover

    5 stars
    My husband and I say in unison “these cookies rock!” This is new favorite cookie recipe. All others pale in comparison. My husband says they are better than chocolate chip (wow) Thank you for sharing.

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  14. Michelle

    5 stars
    These cookies are absolutely delicious! I brought them to a small cookie exchange I had with my bookclub and they were THE HIT! Everyone loved them and I have had to share the recipe with all of them. My husband demanded I make another batch so we could have some at home as well AND all three of my kiddos liked them. That is the sign of a true crowd pleaser!

  15. Elreen

    5 stars
    These little cookies are the best. I’ve also discovered yummy “Orange Crinkle Cookies”. I left out the cranberries on accident. I had already put a batch in the oven when I saw the chopped cranberries still sitting on the counter. Thanks for a great recipe!

  16. Denise

    5 stars
    I just finished these with dried cranberries (that’s what I had on hand) and they turned out great. Thanks for a “non-chocolate” yet festive and delicious cookie. They are sssooo good!

  17. Jennifer

    I was searching for a recipe like this and will be making for a local charity bake sale on Wednesday. Would these freeze well do you think?

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  19. Phi Kelnhofer

    5 stars
    Oh man, I made a version of these last night, and they were AMAZING! I think I have a new favorite cookie! And the crinkle is absolutely adorable, and they taste SO good!!!

  20. Carol Hanshew

    These look so delicious!!! I can’t wait to try them. I took CrossFit for 3 months and I absolutely loved every minute of it. There is no doubt about it – it is INTENSE but totally addictive. You accomplish things you never thought you could (like unassisted pull-ups!) and the results are incredible. All CrossFit boxes offer what they call “basic training” which is a 2-3 week training program that gets you ready for more challenging stuff. What I loved most was the community – when you join a CrossFit box you become family. Everyone encourages each other and supports each other. If you try it my only caution is not to overdo it. 🙂 Be sure and take rest days. Otherwise I say go for it!

  21. Karli

    I can’t wait to hear if you try out CrossFit! Gotta try these cookies…and maybe I should add CrossFit to my list too 🙂 Your recipes are delicious and dangerous!

  22. Marti

    These look great!! Could I please get an invite to your Pinterest board The Best Recipes on Pinterest!. You can find my Pinterest board at http://www.pinterest.com/martic/boards/.

    Thank you so much! Marti

  23. Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen

    I’ve got 3 bags of fresh cranberries in my fridge right now and I know I’ll have some left after the big day. Perfect timing on this one. They look great! I can’t comment on the CrossFit thing. I’m happy if I can get on my treadmill or over to the track 2 or 3x a week. I think it would kick my behind 🙂

  24. Emilee

    Your lemon crinkle cookies are my favorite cookie in the world. I’m going to a holiday cookie exchange and wanted to bring my favorite cookie, but also wanted to bring something festive. Problem solved! These look delicious.

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