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.

orange cookies with white chocolate chips on a gray surface

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

Ingredients

Ingredients for orange cookies

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!

How to Make Em

Wet cookie batter in a stainless steel bowl
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.
Cookie batter on a white spatula
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. add in the white chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed.
orange cookie dough balls on a parchment lined sheet
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.

Orange cookies in a bowl on a beige surface.

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.)
orange cookies with white chocolate chips on a gray surface
5 stars (2 ratings)

Crispy and Chewy Orange Cookie Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 14 minutes
chilling: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 24 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
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.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar
  • 2 tsp (2 tsp) orange zest
  • 1 large (1 large) egg
  • 1 large (1 large) egg yolk
  • 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp (2 tsp) orange juice, fresh
  • 2.5 cups (312.5 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cup (270 g) 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!

Notes

By zesting the orange on top of the sugar, you get the most orange flavor possible.
You can substitute orange extract for the juice but only use 1 tsp. 
These cookies freeze really well.

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.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 224kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 56mg, Potassium: 19mg, Sugar: 18g, Calcium: 150mg
Course: Cookies
Author: Sam Adler
Cuisine: American
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