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.
Fresh cranberry orange cookies
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 to 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 sure the 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.
More delicious cookie recipes
- 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
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.
Katie says
My coworkers loved these so much that they asked me to make a second batch and fought over them! Honestly a rather easy cookie. I recommend rolling the dough flat before the first chill. Also needs to be thinner than you initially think. Super cute n festive!
Kathy says
Thanks so much! I'll need to try your tip! 🙂