Cranberry Orange Cookies are tasty sugar cookies that are perfect for the holidays.
Made with fresh cranberries and orange zest in the cookie dough and in the filling, these cookies are bursting with flavor.
I started baking these cookies several years ago and they make it on my baking list every holiday season. There are so many things to love about these cookies!
- First, they look great and often get oohs and aahs!
- There is orange peel added in the dough and in the filling. Talk about flavor!
- You can make the dough and freeze it and then bake it when you need fresh cookies!
- Finally, these may look complicated, but they are fairly easy to make!
These cranberry orange cookies are a delicious little cookie that I make every year during the holidays!
Are you ready for holiday baking? For me, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is baking season. I love to bake and I love to bake holiday cookies!!!
Cranberry Orange Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- Cranberries - For these cookies, I use fresh cranberries. You could also use frozen cranberries.
- Orange - You'll need at least two medium sized oranges for the zest. There is zest in the dough and in the filling
- All purpose flour - Just regular flour, nothing fancy
- Granulated sugar - Added to the dough and the cranberry filling
How to make Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Make dough by first combining butter and sugar.
- Mix in vanilla, eggs and orange peel
- Add flour, salt and baking powder and combine
- Divide dough in two and shape each half into a flat round.
- Cover each half with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour
6. Just before you are ready to roll out the cookie dough, place cranberries, sugar and remaining orange peel in food processor. Process until finely chopped
7. Roll out one disk at a time into a rectangle
8. Spoon half the cranberry mixture on the rolled cookie dough
9. Roll dough up forming a log - roll beginning with long edge so the log is longer rather than wide
10. Wrap each log with plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet
11. Refrigerate for at least two hours
12. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees
13. Remove logs from the refrigerator and unwrap
14. Slice each log into ¼" - ½" slices
15. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes
Make ahead before baking
You can completely prepare these cookies ahead of time and bake just when you're ready for freshly baked cookies
Cranberry Orange Cookie Recipe Tips
Cookies can be frozen once baked and cooled.
Plan ahead - these cookies need to be fully chilled twice. The dough will be too sticky without proper chilling
Prepare the cranberry filling just before using. If you make too early, the cranberry mixture will become too juicy. If this happens, try to strain off the excess liquid prior to adding to dough.
No need to pinch the seam of the logs. Just roll into plastic wrap and chill. The dough will hold its shape once fully chilled.
Bake in a preheated oven.
Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to five days.
Storing Orange Cranberry Cookies
Store rolled and wrapped cookie dough logs in the refrigerator for up to three days before baking. Make certain dough is on a flat surface while being refrigerated.
Store in freezer
Once the cookie dough is filled and rolled, it can be stored in the freezer. Double wrap logs with plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet or a flat surface and place in freezer for up to four weeks.
To bake, pull dough from freezer 12 hours ahead of time. Place dough in refrigerator to thaw. Dough needs to thaw but still be well chilled before cutting. Slice and bake according to directions.
- Bow Tie Cookies
- Shortbread Christmas Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
- Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Toffee Chip Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my holiday recipes!
Orange Cranberry Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Zester
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cookie Sheet
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange peel (fresh, zested)
- 3 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Filling
- 1 cup cranberries (fresh)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange peel (fresh, zested)
Instructions
For the Dough
- In a mixing bowl add butter and sugar and mix until fluffy.1 cup butter, 1 ½ cup sugar
- Mix in vanilla, eggs, and orange peel.½ teaspoon vanilla, 2 whole eggs, 1 tablespoon orange peel
- Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix.3 cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- When dough is well mixed, remove from bowl and form into two rounds.
- Wrap each round in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
For the Filling
- In a food processor add cranberries, sugar and orange peel. Process until finely chopped.1 cup cranberries, ¼ cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon orange peel
Rolling the Dough
- Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10 x 14" rectangle.
- Add half the filling mixture on top of the dough leaving a ½" border.
- Carefully roll dough into a log.
- Place log on a piece of plastic wrap wrap tightly. Place log on a baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Slicing and Baking
- Remove logs from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap.
- Slice dough about ½ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet or on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from baking sheet and cool on a baking rack.
Notes
- This recipe yields between 40-50 cookies depending on the size of your logs.
- Plan ahead - these cookies need to be fully chilled twice. The dough will be too sticky without proper chilling.
- Be careful when measuring your flour. Use the fluff and scoop method so the flour isn't compacted which can make your dough too dry.
- When rolling out the dough, press the edges back together if they form any small cracks.
- Prepare the cranberry filling just before using it. If you make it too early, the cranberry mixture will become too juicy. If this happens, try to strain off the excess liquid prior to adding to the dough.
- No need to pinch the seam of the logs. Just roll it into plastic wrap and chill. The dough will hold its shape once fully chilled.
- When you slice the cookies, give each cookie a slight reshaping around the edges so the cookies are round and not flat on one side.
- Bake in a fully preheated oven.
- Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to five days.
- Cookies can be frozen once baked and cooled.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in December 2016.
Karla says
Hi Kathy ! Thank you for your recipe ! Can I use dried cranberries? 🙂
Kathy says
Hi Karla,
I have only made these cookies with fresh cranberries. However, I think dried should work too. Let me know how they turn out!
Kathy
Lessa says
Delicious! Followed the recipe for the dough and used leftover homemade cranberry sauce and they turned out wonderful! I cut about 1/2 inch cookies which yielded about 35-40 cookies. Thank you for sharing 😋
Kathy says
Hi Lessa,
Thanks so much! Leftover cranberry sauce sounds like a great substitute for the filling! Thanks for sharing your idea! 🙂
Kathy
Annette says
Hi Kathy,
Can I keep the assembled cookie dough WiTH the filling in the refrigerator overnight or only 2 hours?
Do you think it will become watery after the filling has been spread on the refrigerated dough?
Kathy says
Overnight is fine! Enjoy 🙂
Bre says
How many cookies does this usually yield?
Kathy says
This recipe makes about 50 cookies.
Theresa says
I agree, dough crumbles but I rolled onto parchment and ended up nice. BUT this only yields about 1 dozen cookies!!!! I guess yours were bite size, LOL
Kathy says
Hi Theresa,
If your dough is too dry and crumbly, you may have added too much flour. Be careful when measuring and use the fluff and scoop method. I'm not certain how you could have ended up with just 13 cookies. Mine average in about 2 inches in diameter and many 2 1/2 inches. The yield can often vary depending how big you rolled both of your logs of dough, but not by that great of an amount. If you ended up with only 12 cookies, I'm wondering if you used my recipe or adapted your own.
Kathy
Mario says
This was a disaster lol. Unfortunately the recipe does not yield a workable dough. Turned into a brick after an hour in the fridge, then rolling it out it broke into pieces....very bad texture, definitely too much flour or not enough liquid to make this a workable dough!
Kathy says
Hi Mario,
I'm sorry these didn't work out for you. This recipe has been tested multiple times with favorable results by many people. It does sound like too much flour was added to your dough. Be careful when measuring your flour or you can pack your measuring cups with additional flour. Be certain to fluff the flour first and then use a large spoon to scoop it lightly into your cup.Then use the back of a butter knife to level off the flour.
I hope you give these a try again. They really are a delicious cookie!
Kathy 🙂
Valentina says
Such a fun holiday cookie. I a big fan of cranberry with orange and these are so pretty! 🙂 Valentina
Kathy says
Cranberry and orange are such a great pairing!
Nicole says
Hi, I have made these before and are delicious. This time I have lots of frozen cranberries. Can I use them instead of fresh?
Kathy says
Hi Nicole,
Yes, you can use frozen cranberries. Puree them while they are still frozen. If the mixture seems really liquidy, just drain it off.
Enjoy! 🙂
Anissa says
These are so yummy , living in idaho I pick huckleberries in the summer and freezes them , today I used frozen huckleberries and lemon zest and they were to die for !! Thank you for your inspiration ❤️
Kathy says
Hi Anissa,
What a great idea! I have a freezer full of huckleberries, so I am definitely going to have to try that.
Thank you for your inspiration!!! 🙂
Kathy
Tiffany Hoover says
Can the dough be frozen before baking?
Kathy says
Yes! You can freeze this dough before baking. Once the cookie dough is filled and rolled, it can be stored in the freezer. Double wrap logs with plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet or a flat surface and place in freezer for up to four weeks.
To bake, pull dough from freezer 12 hours ahead of time. Place dough in refrigerator to thaw. Dough need to thaw, but still be well chilled before cutting. Slice and bake according to directions.
Enjoy!
Katelyn says
I see you can fill the dough and then freeze, but can you fill and leave in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, or will the dough get soggy from the filling after two hours?
I look forward to making these this week!
Kathy says
Hi Katelyn,
You can refrigerate 24-48 hours before baking. It's a great way to make ahead of time and then have freshly baked cookies!
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Mandy says
This recipe has become our new favorite! I make them weekly & share them with friends.i don't have fresh cranberries so I used 1/2 cup of dry cranberries & covered them with boiling water. I leave them to soak for about 30mins or longer then drain. I also added 1/2c of defrosted, drained blueberries with the cranberries. Soo good!
Kathy says
Hi Mandy,
Thanks so much! I appreciate your tips for using dried cranberries! Great idea. The addition of blueberries sounds delicious too!
Kathy 🙂
Carolyn H. says
These turned out great! My husband said they were his new favorite cookie :0)
Kathy says
Yay!!! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Jolie says
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this wonderful recipe. I discovered it last year and every time I made these cookies, everyone was left wanting more. I even sent them overseas to friends and relatives! Kicked myself all year for not purchasing and freezing cranberries to be able to enjoy these cookies year-round. Didn't make that mistake this year 😉 Thanks again for sharing.
Kathy says
Thanks, Jolie!!! I love hearing how much everyone loves them and I also think it's so great that you share them with so many people!
~Kathy 🙂
MJ Morrison says
My third year making these for Christmas. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe, it’s a keeper!
Kathy says
Wow!!! This just made my whole day! Thanks so much for your lovely comment! 🙂 It's a recipe I make year after year and I love knowing that others love it too!