Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies are a tasty sugar cookie 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 when you need fresh cookies!
- Finally, these may look complicated, but they are fairly easy to make!
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!!!
Key ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and measurements can be found below. Just scroll to the bottom!
- Cranberries - For these cookies, I use fresh cranberries. You could also use frozen cranberries.
- Orange - You'll need a t least two medium sized oranges for the zest. There is zest in the dough and in the filling
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
Instructions
A complete list of instructions is available below! Just scroll to the bottom!
- 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
- 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
- Roll out one disk at a time into a rectangle
- Spoon half the cranberry mixture on the rolled cookie dough
- Roll dough up forming a log - roll beginning with long edge so the log is longer rather than wide
- Wrap each log with plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet
- Refrigerate for at least two hours
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Remove logs from refrigerator and unwrap
- Slice each log into ¼" - ½" slices
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes
Make ahead before baking
You can completely prepare these cookie ahead of time and bake just when you're ready for freshly baked cookies
Store in refrigerator
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 need to thaw, but still be well chilled before cutting. Slice and bake according to directions.
- 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 cranberries 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.
- Cookies can be frozen once baked and cooled.
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 Swirl Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange peel (fresh)
- 3 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Filling
- 1 cup cranberries (fresh)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange peel (fresh)
Instructions
For the Dough
- In a mixing bowl add butter and sugar and mix until fluffy.
- Mix in vanilla, eggs, and orange peel.
- Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix.
- 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.
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.
- Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from baking sheet and cool on a baking rack.
Notes
- 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 cranberries 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.
- Cookies can be frozen once baked and cooled.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in December 2016.
Katie says
I just wanted you to know how much we enjoy these cookies. I've made them twice and they turn out perfectly and have so much flavor. I gave some to my neighbor and she's raving about them too!
Kathy says
Hi Katie,
Thanks so much! I really do love everything cranberries this time of year. Lucky neighbor to receive such lovely cookies!
Kathy
Marj says
Can the dough be made ahead of time & put in the freezer? If so, for how long? TIA
Kathy says
Yes, the dough can be made ahead of time, filled and rolled up and then frozen. You can keep it in the freezer for one month (maybe longer but I've tested it with good results for up to a month!) To use just pull out and thaw and then slice and bake.
Enjoy!
Amanda says
Definitely off on timing ! 10 minutes mine were burnt 🙁 followed your measurements to a T. Would definitely check at 7 and pull at 8 minutes
Kathy says
Hi Amanda,
I'm sorry these were overcooked for you. Sometimes ovens can range in temperature. Make certain the dough is fully chilled before slicing and baking and your oven is fully preheated.
Thank you,
Kathy
Julie Parker says
Have you ever used this recipe but, rather than rolling/swirling, made them into bowtie cookies? Do you think it would work that way?
Kathy says
I have not tried making them other than written in the recipe. I do have a delicious recipe for bowtie cookies - https://www.beyondthechickencoop.com/raspberry-bow-tie-cookies/
I'm not sure how these cranberry cookies would work turning into a bowtie cookie.
Kathy 🙂
Lorraine says
I can't buy fresh cranberries where I live. Do you have a good recipe using dried cranberries? Many thanks.
Kathy says
Hi Lorraine,
I have a recipe for oatmeal cookies that uses dried cranberries. It's quite delicious! https://www.beyondthechickencoop.com/oatmeal-cranberry-cookies/
Kathy 🙂
Kristine says
Since its a very soft dough, I find freezing the dough the night before works great for neat slices. I also brushed the tube with egg white and rolled it in sugar crystals for a little crunchy edge before slicing. Lovely having this in the cookie line up for Christmas Wish I could pic - they're lovely! Merry Christmas!
Kathy says
Thank you for the tip! I love the idea of rolling in sugar for a little extra crunch! Merry Christmas!
Tracy says
These turned out awful!! Very tasteless-more like flour and incredibly cakey. The dough was way too sticky so it was impossible to roll and definitely did not turn out like picture. The cookies just melted into itself. Very flat. All I could taste was orange and cranberry. I tossed them. Sorry
Kathy says
I'm sorry these didn't turn out for you. The dough needs to be chilled twice - once when it's first made or it will be too sticky and once before they are slice and baked or they will flatten and spread.
Mira McLennan says
Love these! My family love how they look and taste too. Yum!
Kathy says
Thanks, Mira! Thanks for letting me know how much you loved them! 🙂
Mary says
Is it literally just the peel of an orange? Not candied or anything?
Kathy says
Yes, just the orange peel from a fresh orange. You want to just get the very outside of the peel and not the white pith. I use a very fine grater to zest the orange.
Danielle says
I just got them started tonight. Will it be okay to do the first chill overnight then complete them tomorrow?
Kathy says
Yes, you can chill the dough overnight and bake tomorrow. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Makenna says
I'm a 17 year old senior in highschool and with stressful distance learning in these hard times I just need a break, so I decided to try these out! I just tossed both rounds into the fridge for the first chilling and I'm so excited 🙂
Kathy says
Hi Makenna,
Baking is a great way to take a break and destress! These are hard times, but we can keep making the best of it! Enjoy the cookies 🙂
Kathy
Valentina says
These absolutely go my "oohs and aahs" when they jumped out at me earlier today on Instagram. They're beautiful and that filling is amazing! I'm in! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy says
Time to get baking! Then once you bite into these cookies there will even be more oohs and aahs!