Crispy and buttery, these Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies are loaded with fresh orange flavor and yummy Craisins in every bite! They're the perfect addition to your holiday cookie trays, or for a twist on the traditional shortbread for your cookie exchanges!
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies have the rich, buttery flavor of shortbread, the tartness of cranberries, and the sweet, citrusy zest of orange, all in one!
With very little prep time and effort, these cookies shape up to be the perfect treat for the holidays, celebrations, or even as a lovely addition to your afternoon tea.
These melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies have a deliciously inviting crunch to them, with a classic cranberry and orange combination that is irresistible!
They're the perfect cookie to add to your holiday cookie platter or for your next cookie exchange.
Making these cookies will fill your kitchen with the most heavenly aroma and your cookie jars will be filled with treats that'll be gone before you know it!
For more delicious holiday cookie recipes, try my Soft Almond Sugar Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Fresh Cranberry Bars, or these Chocolate Dipped Holiday Butter Cookies!
Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Cookies
Wet Ingredients. Butter, Egg Yolk
Dry Ingredients. All-Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Salt
Fruit. Orange Juice, Fresh Orange Zest, Dried Cranberries (Craisins)
How to Make Easy Shortbread Cookies with Cranberry and Orange
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the softened Butter and Granulated Sugar in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure you're including all the ingredients.
- Add Orange Juice and Egg Yolk to the butter mixture and continue to cream for an additional 2–3 minutes. Gradually, add the All-Purpose Flour, Salt, Dried Cranberries, and Orange Zest to the butter mixture until combined.
- The shortbread dough will be thick. Work and roll into a log shape or a flat rectangle shape, as shown here.
- Cover it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Optional: Roll the log into Coarse Sugar and Orange Zest before wrapping and chilling it. The extra sugar and zest give a bright flavor and crunchy texture to the cookies when baked!
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and slice it into ¼-inch slices.
- Place the slices of cookie dough on a prepared baking sheet, making sure there are at least 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading.
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional: Garnish with additional Orange Zest or drizzle a simple orange glaze on top.
FAQs
Chilling the dough until firm and using a sharp knife will help you cut even slices. Weighing each portion with a kitchen scale can also ensure each cookie is the same weight for uniform baking.
Shortbread cookies aren't supposed to spread much. If you want them a little thinner, press them down slightly before baking.
They should be lightly golden around the edges but still pale on top. They'll continue to firm up as they cool.
Storage & Freezing
Store: Store your Cranberry Orange Cookies once they have completely cooled to room temperature in an airtight container on the counter. These cookies will stay fresh for up to a week but are best enjoyed within 3–4 days.
Freeze: You can make these cookies ahead of time and freeze them for up to 3 months in a sealed container or freezer bag. Place parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking. Alternatively, if you're preparing ahead for the busy holiday season, you can make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it to bake a batch of fresh cookies just as you need them. Allow the cookie dough roll to thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and baking the cookies, or freeze the cookie dough slices, then bake from frozen for an extended bake time of 10–12 minutes.
Substitutions & Variations
- Orange Extract. If you're out of fresh oranges for the zest and juice, orange extract can be used in a pinch. Start with a small amount and increase it as needed, as it's much more concentrated.
- Use fresh cranberries. Fresh cranberries can be used in place of dried ones, but they should be chopped and drained of excess moisture to avoid adding too much liquid to the dough.
- Try a different flavor. For a different twist, lemon zest can replace orange zest for a more tangy flavor profile. You can also use vanilla extract or almond extract in the cookie dough to add in other complimenting flavors. Or why not try a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to bring those warming Christmas flavors in?
Pro Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great-quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time here are some pro tips.
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Butter.
I always use salted butter to make cookies, as it enhances the flavors of the cookies in every single bite. If you only have unsalted butter, you'll need to add ⅛ teaspoon of Salt to the cookie dough mixture. You can even add some Sea Salt Flakes on top of the cookies once they are freshly baked for a little extra crunch and flavor!
Cookie Scoop.
Using a cookie scoop keeps each ball of cookie dough the same size, which is essential for ensuring even baking.
Baking Sheets.
You can use an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. I like to use Parchment Paper to line baking sheets or a Silicone Mat for easy cleanup.
Baking Time.
Every oven heats a little differently. I recommend doing a test batch of 1-3 cookies to test the baking time for a perfectly baked cookie before baking the remaining dough.
Cookies.
Cookies are perfectly baked when the edges are set and the centers are no longer glossy.
Cooling Rack.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Equipment.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring, and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking.
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least two cooling racks.
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take two batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with a silicone spatula, are all helpful.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Have you tried this buttery Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookie recipe?
Let me know what you think of this recipe! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these cookies. It really does help!
More Festive Holiday Cookie Recipes
- Black Forest Cookies
- Chirstmas Ornament Cookies
- Candy Cane Christmas Magic Brownie Bars
- Caramel Snickerdoodles with Browned Butter
- Grinch Snow Globe Cookies
- Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
- Andes Mint Chocolate Cookie Recipe
- Candy Cane Blossom Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Pie Bars
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- ½ cup Butter
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100g
- 1⅓ cups All Purpose Flour 160g
- 1 tablespoon Orange Extract *or Orange Juice
- 1 Egg Yolk
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Orange Zest About ½ an orange zested
- ⅓ cup Dried Cranberries (Craisins) Finely Chopped
Orange Infused Sugar
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Zest About ½ an orange zested
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the softened Butter and Granulated Sugar in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure you're including all the ingredients.
- Add Orange Juice and Egg Yolk to the butter mixture and continue to cream for an additional 2–3 minutes. Gradually add the All-Purpose Flour, Salt, Dried Cranberries and Orange Zest to the butter mixture until combined.
- The shortbread dough will be thick. Work and roll into a log shape or a flat rectangle shape, as shown here.
- Cover it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Optional: Roll the log into Coarse Sugar and Orange Zest before wrapping and chilling it. The extra sugar and zest give a bright flavor and crunchy texture to the cookies when baked!
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and slice it into ¼-inch slices.
- Place the slices of cookie dough on a prepared baking sheet, making sure there are at least 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading.
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional: Garnish with additional Orange Zest or drizzle a simple orange glaze on top.
Notes
- Store: Store your Cranberry Orange Cookies once they have completely cooled to room temperature in an airtight container on the counter. These cookies will stay fresh for up to a week but are best enjoyed within 3–4 days.
- Freeze: You can make these cookies ahead of time and freeze them for up to 3 months in a sealed container or freezer bag. Place parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking. Alternatively, if you're preparing ahead for the busy holiday season, you can make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it to bake a batch of fresh cookies just as you need them. Allow the cookie dough roll to thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and baking the cookies, or freeze the cookie dough slices, then bake from frozen for an extended bake time of 10–12 minutes.
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