These cranberry orange shortbread cookies combine a buttery shortbread cookie with orange zest and sweet cranberries for a flavorful Christmas cookie that can be sliced and baked as needed!
I love to bake all types of cookie recipes during the holiday season including ginger molasses cookies, spritz cookies and white chocolate cranberry cookies.
Table of Contents
Buttery Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
I’m so excited to share these adorable and delicious cranberry orange shortbread cookies with you today! They’re crisp with a buttery texture, studded with dried cranberries, and have the perfect hint of orange citrus zest. They take the traditional melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies up a notch!
These cranberry shortbread cookies are the ultimate Christmas cookies and are a fun addition to any cookie exchange or Christmas dessert board. They also make a great gift for friendly, family and neighbors!
Cookie Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted butter softened to room temperature.
- Powdered sugar: Adds melt-in-your mouth sweet taste.
- Orange zest: You will need the zest from one orange.
- Extract: Both vanilla extract and orange extract are used in this cookie to enhance the taste. Almond extract could be used instead of orange for a different taste.
- Flour: All-purpose flour adds structure to the cookie.
- Salt: I used fine sea salt to balance and enhance taste.
- Dried cranberries: Unsweetened dried cranberries add the perfect chewy texture.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Shortbread
- Make the dough. Beat butter and powdered sugar together in a large bowl until fluffy. Add orange zest, vanilla and orange extract and mix until combined. Then add the flour, salt and dried cranberries and stir to form a thick dough.
- Shape and chill. Form dough into a log shape that’s about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.
- Slice and bake. Near the end of chilling time, preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut cookie dough into 1/4 inch slices and place 1/4 inch apart baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges.
FAQs
Dipping them in white chocolate is optional, but it adds a sweet and creamy taste and makes these cookies extra fancy. Use melted white chocolate wafers or almond bark and dip about half of each cookie into the chocolate. Then let cool on a baking sheet. You could even drizzle them with white chocolate, too!
You can prepare the dough in advance, wrap it in plastic wrap and then store the dough in the fridge for up to 1 week. Then just slice and bake when ready.
Once baked, the cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container or bag for up to 1 week. These also freeze really well and will keep in the freezer in a freezer bag for about 3 months.
One great thing about these cookies is that they are pretty sturdy, so they would be perfect for shipping to friends or family far away. They’re also perfect cookie to bake neighbor gifts, cookie trays, and holiday parties!
Other seasonal recipes with cranberries that we love to make include cranberry banana bread, cranberry orange bread and oatmeal cranberry cookies!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
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Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter , at room temperature
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- zest of one orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- white chocolate candy melts or white almond bark , optional
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together 1 cup softened butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon orange extract, and mix until combined. Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 cup cranberries. Mix to form a thick dough.
- Chill dough. Shape the dough into a log that is approximately 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Slice cookies. Near the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or silicone. Slice the cookie dough into 1/4 inch slices, and place 1/4 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Dip in white chocolate. If desired, melt the candy melts according to the package directions. Dip each cookie into the candy melts and place on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe contributed by Alicia from The Baker Upstairs.
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Fruit Desserts, Holiday Cookies, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, White Chocolate Cookies
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes definitely :)
Can you substitute lemon zest and lemon extract for the orange?
I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not! Let me know how it goes if you give it a shot :)
Thank you for this recipe!!! It can out perfectly. The orange zest was right there, not fading in the background. I didn’t change a thing! I have to say this will be the #1 pick for Christmas! All the ingredients were right on hand. Christmas is a bit away-so they will likely be made several times.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them! Thank you for your kind comment and review. :)
I put some pistacios in it aswell and candied orange peel for more of an orange flavour and it was amazing, thanks to your recipe for dough :D thank you!!
Sounds delicious! Thanks for your comment!
A new family favourite! Delicious and easy to make!
I’m so glad to hear! Thanks for your comment Mary. :)
I made these lovely cookies. I just love the flavor of orange and cranberry together. It is so good any time of year but I especially like them around Christmas time. Can I say just one little thing here? I have used orange drink mix in my cookie dough, in fact I used 1 TBSP of it instead of the orange extract. WOW what a difference this has made. Thecookies are really full of the orange flavor now and with the tart cranberries what a hit. I do dip them in the white chocolate too. Please give this a try and see if you like them as much as me.
Thank you
Thank you for sharing! I am going to give it a try. So glad you enjoyed these cookies! :)
Can I use fresh cranberries?
Hi Sonia! I think the fresh cranberries would bring too much moisture to the cookies unfortunately.
Dear Jaimelyn,
Your recipe looks delish, and I can’t wait to try it. I’m wondering if there is an omission from the directions? I can’t see the instruction for chopping or adding the dried cranberries into the mix. Do I add them with the zest, or do I add them after the flour is mixed in?
Kind regards,
Carol
Hi Carol, You’ll want to add the cranberries along with the flour.
Found this recipe by accident, but had to try it based on the ingredient list. Wow, phenomenal AND easy! My work devoured them in an hour. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad they were a hit! Thanks so much for your comment Liz!
At no point do you say to add the cranberries. I can figure it out but others might not
LOVE shortbread cookies, and these are so perfect for this tome of year. Thanks for another great recipe!
These would disappear in our house! My family gonna love these!
These are definitely being added to my holiday baking list! Love the white chocolate dip on them!
Oh my gosh these are amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!
Wow these cookies are so unique and look amazing!
This looks delicious …my one question would be ..if you add the cranberries before or after you add the dry ingredients?
After you add the dry ingredients!
Love this idea! Looks so good!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy! :)