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Orange cookies are like a creamsicle in cookie form! Buttery and delicious, these orange cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and are filled with white chocolate chips for the perfect orange and vanilla combo.
I actually have always hated creamsicles. I don’t know what it is because I I love both flavors on their own, but together in ice cream, something weird happens.
Then I made these cookies and my world changed forever LOL. If you aren’t a huge creamsicle person either, try these and I bet they will change your mind!
As a pastry school graduate, I love to talk about why flavors work together. For these cookies, the bright citrus flavor contrasted with the sweet creamy vanilla is a dreamy combo. I learned to love the chocolate and orange combo from the flavors in my Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookie. I also happen to love anything citrusy, like these lemon shortbread cookies, or these cranberry orange shortbread cookies.
These vanilla and orange flavors work so much better for me in cookie form and now I cant get enough of them. Plus, they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside – everything I want in a perfect cookie!
If you want to take them over the top- make this orange buttercream frosting, and sandwich it between two cookies! Best pick-me-up treat!
Why you’ll love this cookie
- They are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside
- They are bursting with fresh orange flavor
- These are so easy to make!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter- You need softened butter to cream with the sugar. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Brown sugar– Using brown sugar makes this cookie more moist.
- Fresh Orange: You’ll need one fresh orange for this recipe. Using both the juice and the zest really gives the strong orange flavor you need for this cookie. However, you can substitute orange extract but only use 1 tsp.
- Egg and Extra Egg Yolk– Eggs provide structure to the cookie.
- Vanilla extract- For flavor,
- All purpose flour– This is the bulk of the cookie.
- Baking soda– Acts as a leavening agent.
- Baking powder– Another leavening agent.
- Kosher salt– Brings out the flavor.
- White Chocolate Chips: This is where the creamsicle flavor really comes in! In addition to the vanilla extract, the white chocolate chips add that extra flavor and texture.
How to Make Orange Cookies
- Cream: Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a mixer. Zest the orange on top of the sugar. And cream for 1 minuts. Next add in the egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract, and orange juice. Mix to combine with hand or stand mixer.
- Add dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix: Combine the batter and add in the white chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed.
- Scoop: Use a small cookie scoop (or tablespoon), scoop dough onto a cookie sheet, and press additional white chocolate chips if desired. Chill for two hours on sheet.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 and bake cookies in batches, 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet for 13-14 minutes.
How to get the best orange flavor
To get the best orange flavor, zest the orange over the sugar. This way you don’t lose out on any oils that you would by zesting the orange into a different bowl. Then when the sugar and butter cream with the zest on top, it will infuse more orange flavor into the cookies.
This trick really works for anything citrus that you need to zest. Always zest on top of sugar!
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storing: Place the cookies in an airtight container a room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing: These cookies freeze really well. You can make ahead and bake-off cookies whenever you need a quick cookie fix or you can freeze ready made cookies in an airtight freezer safe zip top bag for up to 3 months.
Recipe tips for success
- Any type of orange will work fine here. But if you don’t have a fresh orange, or prefer to use orange extract, adjust the recipe to 1 tsp of extract to replace the juice and zest.
- Use a small cookie scoop , which is approximately 1 tablespoon. Or of course, you can just eyeball it with a spoon!
- When scooping the cookies and preparing for the freezer before baking, you can scoop them close together to save space.
- Be sure to space them out 2 inches before baking! (You will need to bake in batches.)
Recipe FAQ
What keeps these cookies moist and chewy? The brown sugar used in the recipe makes a moist and chewy cookie.
Can I use bottled orange juice? I havent tried it but I dont see why not! Go for it!
How do I zest the orange? I use a microplane to zest all my citrus easily.
Can I make these cookies ahead of time? Absolutely! Once the cookie dough is made, scoop dough onto balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Then, put frozen cookie dough balls into a ziplock bag for up to 2 months. When you are ready to bake, space out cookies 2 inches apart and bake them for 13-14 minutes.
Love Citrusy Cookies? More recipes below!
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Chewy Lemon Coconut Cookies
- Raspberry Lemon Linzer Cookies
Crispy and Chewy Orange Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp orange juice fresh
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.You can make this by hand or in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on low- medium speed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the 1 cup butter, the 1 cup brown sugar, and 2 tsp zest. Cream for 1 minute until fluffy. Add in the 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp orange juice and zest. Mix on low speed for 1 minutes to combine.
- Add in the 2.5 cups flour, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ kosher salt. Mix until incorporated. Add in the white chocolate chips and mix together until they are mixed evenly throughout.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon kitchen spoon, scoop out the dough onto the cookie sheet. Press more white chocolate chips into the cookie dough if you want! The cookies can be spaced close together right now while they are chilling. Chill the cookies in the freezer for 30 mins.
- Bake the cookies 2 inches apart on separate cookie sheets for 13-14 minutes. You will need to bake the cookies in batches. Cool on a cookie rack and enjoy!
I love finding a cookie recipe that is a little different from all the traditional cookies out there (although I love those, too!). These orange cookies were exactly as described – crispy around the edges, chewy in the middle with lots of bright, orange flavor. Mine baked in 13 minutes and I swapped cookie sheets half-way through. Delicious!
Wohoo Kristin! Im so glad you loved these! Thanks so much for letting me know and for your 5 star rating!