If you are looking for a bright and cheerful cookie, these cranberry orange cookies are exactly what you need! They are small enough to be eaten in two bites and are not overly sweet. The chopped dried cranberries and orange zest adorn these humble cookies with the most deliciously balanced flavor. Cranberry orange cookies are versatile enough for a summer brunch as well as a Christmas cookie tray.
These little cranberry orange cookies are a Christmas tradition passed down from my grandmother. The smell of freshly zested oranges and sweet cranberries is one of those aromas that instantly takes me back to a cozy farm kitchen filled with cookies cooling on wire racks.
Why this recipe works
While cranberry orange cookies were always special to me, I think the moment I fully realized just how unique and delicious they were was when I shared them with my husband's family. We had been dating just shy of a year when he invited me to travel out of state with him to spend Thanksgiving with his extended family.
We were in college at the time and I had a small apartment with a very minimalist kitchen. I didn't want to arrive for the weekend empty handed, but I was struggling to come up with a food that would impress, always the overachiever, but travel well.
I didn't know it at the time, but Aaron's grandmother is one of the best bakers and makes the most fabulous spread of Christmas cookies. She had never had a cookie like these and *gasp* asked for my recipe. They have been on her Christmas cookie charcuterie ever since. If you know her, you would know that her seal of approval is only given to the best of the best. It's kind of a big deal!
I will be eternally grateful that I brought these cookies to the Austin family Thanksgiving in 2004 and they let me join their family. Kidding, sort of.
Jump to:
- Why this recipe works
- Ingredients for cranberry orange cookies
- How to make cranberry orange cookies
- How to make orange icing
- Can you freeze cranberry orange cookies?
- Video tutorial for making cranberry orange cookies!
- More cookies I know you will love!
- Recipe
- CAN YOU FREEZE CRANBERRY ORANGE COOKIES?
- More cranberry recipes you'll love
- Latest happenings on the homestead!
- Comments
Ingredients for cranberry orange cookies
- All-Purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Honey
- Vanilla
- Dried cranberries
- Orange
How to make cranberry orange cookies
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the honey and sour cream and beat for thirty seconds.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the chopped dried cranberries and two tablespoons of orange zest and stir until just combined.
- Form the cookies into 1 inch balls. I use a small dough scoop and drop them onto a lined baking sheet. Do not press or flatten the dough balls.
- Bake the cookies for seven minutes. The cookies are done when the top of the cookie changes from a glossy to matte finish and tiny popped bubbles are visible. The cookies will be very lightly browned but not dark.
- Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the pan, then remove them and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Once then cookies are fully cooled, they are ready to be iced. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
How to make orange icing
- Whisk together the powdered sugar with the room temperature butter. Add orange juice one tablespoon at a time to achieve a medium/thin consistency. Stir in the orange zest. Spoon icing onto cookie, spreading to cover.
- Let the icing firm for about three hours up before storing in an air tight container.
Can you freeze cranberry orange cookies?
These are the perfect cookie to make ahead of time and freeze for later. Let me tell you exactly how I freeze cranberry orange cookies.
- Let the cookie fully firm up after icing. This takes about three hours.
- Transfer the cookie to a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer and let them chill for an hour.
- Put the pre-chilled cookies in a vacuum seal bag or ziplock freezer bag. The goal is to remove as much air as possible!
- The cookies can be frozen for up to three months and then thawed on the counter for an hour before serving.
Video tutorial for making cranberry orange cookies!
More cookies I know you will love!
When the holidays roll around, have a tasty stash of Christmas cookies is a must! I have a few favorites that are slight twists on the old fashioned favorites. My Little Lemon Meringues are little bites of sunshine that are an unexpected but elegant surprise for a cookie platter. Snicker Doodles are good, but when they are made with browned butter they instantly become next level!
My gingerbread cookies are soft and have a molasses flavor that mellows out the ginger. It's perfect for a crowd that doesn't like the bolder original! They also have a soft and chewy texture, not the typical hard crispiness. Last but not least, a hidden gem on this little blog are my Sweet Cream Cookies. They can be shaped with festive cookie cutters to fit any celebration!
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
Recipe
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheets & parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- dough scoop
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter 8 tablespoons
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried cranberries finely chopped
- 2 oranges zested and juiced, divided
orange icing
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
cranberry orange drop cookies
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the honey and sour cream and beat for thirty seconds.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the chopped dried cranberries and two tablespoons of orange zest and stir until just combined.
- Form the cookies into 1 inch balls. I use a small dough scoop and drop them onto a lined baking sheet. Do not press or flatten the dough balls.
- Bake the cookies for seven minutes. The cookies are done when the top of the cookie changes from a glossy to matte finish and tiny popped bubbles are visible. The cookies will be very lightly browned but not dark.
- Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the pan, then remove them and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Once then cookies are fully cooled, they are ready to be iced. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
orange icing
- Whisk together the powdered sugar with the room temperature butter. Add orange juice one tablespoon at a time to achieve a medium/thin consistency. Stir in the orange zest. Spoon icing onto cookie, spreading to cover.
Notes
CAN YOU FREEZE CRANBERRY ORANGE COOKIES?
These are the perfect cookie to make ahead of time and freeze for later. Let me tell you exactly how I freeze cranberry orange cookies.- Let the cookie fully firm up after icing. This takes about three hours.
- Transfer the cookie to a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer and let them chill for an hour.
- Put the pre-chilled cookies in a vacuum seal bag or ziplock freezer bag. The goal is to remove as much air as possible!
- The cookies can be frozen for up to three months and then thawed on the counter for an hour before serving.
Christina
Can these cookies be froze with the icing on?
Meg
Hello Christina! Thanks for your question. I do freeze these cookies after I have iced them. I actually just froze a few dozen after Christmas that we didn't quite get through. I put them in a single layer in vacuum seal bags and removed as much air as I could without squishing the cookies. When I'm ready to serve them, I will set them on the counter at room temperature and let them warm up on their own. The icing might be a little sticky and messy, but I've never had anyone complain about it. If you try these cookies, please let me know what you think! Have a wonderful day. Meg