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These Cranberry Orange Cookies are soft sugar cookies filled with a sweet-tart cranberry and orange filling. Rolled into a log and sliced, they bake into beautiful pinwheel cookies with a festive cranberry swirl.
Made with fresh cranberries and orange zest, these cookies are perfect for holiday cookie trays and Christmas baking. You can even prepare the dough ahead of time and bake the cookies when you're ready!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
These are THE Favorite in our house. I’ve been making numerous batches around the holidays each year. Lots of requests from family (my son is very picky, but loves them) and great feedback from coworkers. ~ Alison
Fresh cranberry orange cookies
I've been making these cranberry orange cookies for years, and they're always on my holiday baking list. They're one of those cookies that look impressive but are surprisingly easy to make!
- Beautiful cranberry swirls: The colorful cranberry filling creates a pretty pinwheel design in every cookie.
- Fresh cranberry and orange flavor: Orange zest is added to both the cookie dough and the cranberry filling for plenty of citrus flavor.
- Perfect for making ahead: Prepare the dough in advance, refrigerate or freeze the logs, and slice and bake when you're ready.
- Great for holiday baking: These festive cookies make a beautiful addition to Christmas cookie trays and cookie exchanges.
If you enjoy making cookies ahead of time, try my slice and bake Christmas sugar cookies and my pecan icebox cookies. They're rolled in colorful holiday sprinkles and don't require any cookie cutters.
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
Recipe Tips
- Plan for chilling time: The dough needs to chill twice. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour before rolling, then chill the filled cookie logs for another two hours before slicing.
- Measure the flour correctly: Use the fluff and scoop method to avoid adding too much flour, which can make the dough dry.
- Make the filling just before using: Combine the fresh cranberries, sugar, and orange zest in a food processor just before rolling the cookies. If the mixture sits too long, it can become juicy. Strain off any excess liquid before spreading it over the dough.
- Keep the dough together: If small cracks form while rolling out the dough, gently press the edges back together.
- Chill the rolled logs: There's no need to pinch the seams closed. Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
- Reshape after slicing: If the cookies flatten slightly on one side when sliced, gently reshape them into rounds before baking.
Make ahead and storage tips
- Storing baked cookies: Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Baked cookies can also be frozen after cooling.
- Refrigerating cookie dough: The filled and rolled cookie dough logs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet or flat surface to help maintain its shape.
- Freezing cookie dough: To freeze the unbaked cookies, double-wrap the filled dough logs in plastic wrap. Place them on a baking sheet or flat surface in the freezer. Freeze for up to 4 weeks.
- Baking frozen cookie dough: Transfer the frozen logs to the refrigerator about 12 hours before baking. Allow the dough to thaw while remaining well chilled. Slice and bake according to the recipe instructions.
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!
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Video
Equipment
- 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 into ¼ - 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, or you can freeze the unbaked cookie logs and bake later.
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.
Alison says
These are THE Favorite in our house. I’ve been making numerous batches around the holidays each year. Lots of requests from family (my son is very picky, but loves them) and great feedback from coworkers. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Kathy says
Thanks so much!
Cynthia says
Are these a soft cookie? Are they like shortbread or more like a sugar cookie?
Kathy says
Hi Cynthia,
They are soft, with slightly crispy edges. To me, they are more of a sugar cookie than a shortbread cookie.
Kathy
nancy oakes says
I put in my e-mail address and it will not let me print rhat was a bust. Sounded like a good recipe.
Kathy says
Hi Nancy,
I'm sorry this didn't work. I will email you a link so you can print directly.
Thank you,
Kathy
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! 🙂