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This cranberry orange shortbread cookie recipe contains all the irresistible flavors of fall. These cookies are a variation on my shortbread cookie recipe. They're a delicious combination of sweet and tart, perfectly balancing the tanginess of cranberries with the zesty sweetness of oranges, all encased in a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust. Baked to golden perfection, the edges are delicately crisp from the turbinado sugar, and their centers are soft and tender.
If it’s true that we eat with our eyes then you’re going to gobble these cranberry orange cookies right up, so make a double batch to ensure you have enough for friends and family. The fresh tangy cranberries are perfect in this cookie. The cookie is tart, sweet, salty, and melt-in-your-mouth good. You won’t be able to stop at just one. And this is why I think this is the best cranberry orange cookie you will ever have.
Why This Recipe Tastes So Good
Orange zest is rubbed into the sugar to release the oils in the orange zest and give the cookie a strong orange flavor. The egg yolk helps tenderize the cookie and the final cookie is buttery and soft. The cookies are unbelievably delicious and they'll elicit oohs and aahs from your family and friends.
If you love shortbread cookies or the bright tart flavor of these cookies try my Strawberry Shortbread Cookies and my Chocolate Orange Cookies.
Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Here is what you’ll need for these amazing cranberry orange cookies:
- Fresh Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are the star of this cookie. The cranberries add a nice tart flavor that goes well with the sweetness of the cookie. Plus they add beautiful jewel tones to the cookie. If you don't have fresh or frozen cranberries this recipe can be made with the same amount of dried cranberries. Just make sure to chop them before adding them to the cookie dough.
- Fresh Orange Zest: Orange and cranberry are one of the best combinations. The sweetness of the orange pairs so well with the tartness of the cranberries. The orange zest is rubbed into the sugar to give the cookies a beautiful floral orange flavor in every bite
How to Make Cranberry Orange Cookies
During the holiday season, cranberries are one of my favorite holiday flavors which is why I think you'll love this cranberry orange cookie. And if you like the cranberry-orange combination too try these Cranberry Linzer Cookies.
Place the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and zest the orange directly onto the sugar until it looks like you have about 2 teaspoons. You may need two oranges depending on their size.
Rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingers. This step further releases the citrus oils into the sugar and will help create a really fragrant orange cookie. Put the cranberries in a mini food processor and process for about 5 seconds. The cranberries should be a combination of large and small pieces.
Add all the butter and with the paddle attachment mix on medium speed until the batter is creamy about 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Next, add the egg yolk and mix on medium speed until the egg is thoroughly incorporated.
Add the flour and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture starts to come together and forms large clumps. Add the chopped cranberries and mix on low speed until the cranberries are distributed throughout the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead the dough until it comes together. Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll them into 1-1/2 inch logs that are about 7 inches long each.
Wrap each one in wax paper or plastic wrap that is at least 7 inches longer than the log. Roll the dough log back and forth a few times to even it out and make it rough.
Chill the cookie dough logs for at least one (1) hour and up to two days. You can also freeze the cookie logs for up to 2 months. When ready to make the cookies set them on the counter to thaw out for 30 minutes before slicing.
How to Prep and Bake the Cookies
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you only have one cookie sheet, make sure the cookie sheet is completely cooled before baking the next batch of cookies.
Place one (1) egg white in a small bowl. Unwrap the cookie log and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Brush the entire log with the egg white and then sprinkle the log with the turbinado sugar, rotating it to ensure you cover the entire log. Rotate the log a couple of times making sure to cover the entire log. Look for empty spots. You will need about two tablespoons per cookie log.
When the dough is completely covered slice the dough into 1/2-inch rounds. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet 1-1/2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes. The bottoms of the cookie will be a light golden brown so check the bottom of one of the cookies after 16 minutes. Since every oven is different I recommend doing a test bake of one cookie to see how long it takes to bake in your oven.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. These cookies are so good. They have a soft delightful texture and the sweet-tart combination tastes amazing. These cookies will make a nice addition to your holiday cookie tray
How to Store the Cookies
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks. You can also freeze the baked or unbaked cookies for up to 2 months.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use oranges that look fresh for the orange zest. Do not use oranges that look dry or shriveled, you will not be able to get much zest or orange oil.
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh your flour. Too much flour will produce a dry cookie and too little flour will produce a cookie that won't hold its shape.
- Use room-temperature unsalted butter so that it easily mixes with the other ingredients
- Since butter is the prominent flavor use good quality butter. I recommend Tillamook or Kerrygold butter.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the cookie dough. Do not use a serrated knife.
Did you make cranberry orange cookies? If you made this recipe please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Cranberry Orange Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (114 grams) granulated sugar
- 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large (50 grams) egg separated
- 12 ounces (340 grams) Bob's Red Mill unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting the work surface
- 2 ounces fresh cranberries roughly chopped
- 1 large egg white
- 1/3 cup demerara sugar
Instructions
- Roughly chop the fresh cranberries in food processor or a by hand with a sharp knife. Separate the egg and place the egg yolk into one bowl and the egg white into another bowl. Refrigerate the egg white until ready to bake the cookies.
- Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the orange on top of the sugar until you have about 2 teaspoons. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. Add the kosher salt and the butter. With the paddle attachment beat the sugar, salt and butter on medium speed until it is well combined and looks creamy, 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the egg yolk and mix on medium speed until the egg yolk is fully incorporated. Add all the flour and mix on medium-low speed just until the dough starts to come together and forms large clumps. Add the chopped cranberries and mix on low until the cranberries are dispersed throughout the dough. The dough will still be large clumps and have streaks of red.
- Turn out the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently gather the dough together into a disk by gently pressing the dough together and shaping it into a round disk. Divide the dough into two pieces, weighing about 370 grams each.
- Shape each dough half into a 7-inch long, 1-1/2 diameter log, by forming it into a short cylinder and then rolling it back and form with open hands. Move your hands from the center to the outside edges and back again to maintain even thickness. Add additional flour to surface as needed.
- Wrap the parchment paper around your dough log, lengthwise. Then twist each end of the paper into pigtails in opposite directions (one towards you and one away from you) to form a locking mechanism. With each twist, the dough will compress and becomes smoothed out (think of it like a sausage in a casing). Roll from the center outward until you feel that you have a smooth, cylindrical log.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hours and up to 2 days.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Remove one of the logs of cookie dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Brush the entire cookie dough log with egg white and then sprinkle the dough with the demerara (turbinado) sugar. Press the sugar into the dough as you rotate the log.
- Slice the log with a sharp knife into 1/2-inch rounds and place them on a cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. Bake the cookies for about 15-17 minutes. The bottom of the cookie will be light golden brown. If the cookies are brown on top reduce the baking time by 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then use a spatula to move them to a wire rack.
Storage
- Store the cookies in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. The cookies taste even better on the second day.
Sandy says
Is there any reason you couldn't you roll out and use a cookie cutter with this recipe as you do with your cranberry/pistachio and plain shortbread cookies? Thanks!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sandy
Yes, you can roll out the cookie dough and use a cookie cutter. One of the reasons I roll and slice the dough is because it's easier to add the sugar coating.
Sandy says
Thanks, so much! I'm going tomgive these a try for Christmas!
Sandy says
Thanks, so much! I'm going to give these a try for Christmas!
Jean says
Can I use gluten free flour instead of regular?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jean
I haven't tested these with gluten free flour so I can't say how they will turn out with a GF flour substitution. I'm currently working on a GF shortbread cookie, but haven't nailed it yet.
In the meantime, the Loopy Whisk has a gluten free website and she has a lot of cookie recipes, one of which might work for you.
Parrish says
Hi Cheryl, I've made these with King Arthur GF flour and they turned out incredible. I've made them with Unbleached flour as well and I couldn't tell the difference. Your site is great. Your hard work shows. Thank you.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Parrish
Thank you so much for the compliments on this cookie and the site. I'm glad that you enjoyed these cookies. I love the combination of the tart cranberries and orange zest. I love baking and do my best to present the best possible recipe. If you ever have a question about a recipe please reach out.
Maureen Frye says
Happy Holidays,
I had a problem with the dough being too dry. It would not come together after mixing it for a long time. I suspect It was because I used KAF all-purpose which has a higher gluten content. I used the weights you suggested. I added another egg yolk and that seemed to solve the problem. Haven't baked them yet. Hope the end result is good.Others may have the same problem?
Sadie J says
Just made my second batch in two weeks. These are my family’s new favorite cookie, and my friends raved about them. I will make these regularly, they are simply amazing! I am ready to try the chocolate orange shortbread and cranberry pistachio but noticed that these don’t call for an egg yolk like the orange cranberry shortbread and lemon shortbread. I am curious as to why. I may want to try some of my own flavors and would like to understand when to use yolk. Also, I read the comments for the chocolate orange and cranberry pistachio. Some say they had trouble with the dough coming together. The yolk would help.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sadie
Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving a comment. I'm so glad that you and your family enjoy this cookie and it is now a family favorite.
With regard to the other cookie recipes, I'm not sure why others have trouble with bringing the dough together since I haven't had that problem. I'm going to start with reviewing how the recipe is written and go from there.
Rose says
These are fantastic! I made as directed the first time and the second time added some chopped white chocolate (about 2 oz/ 60 g) when mixing in the cranberries. A big hit with my Christmas cookie box recipients.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Rose
Thank you for trying this recipe, I'm so glad you enjoyed these cookies and that they were a big hit for you. The white chocolate is a good idea and I plan to try that.😁
Audrey says
I’ve never made shortbread cookies before. Your recipe was easy to execute and the results were great! The jewel tone color of the cranberries and the sparkle of the sugar edges made for a pretty presentation. Perfect for the holidays. The cookie wasn’t overly sweet or overly crumbly - - just right. Now I’ll have to try all your other flavor variations!
Jim Hull says
I had the same problem with the dough being way too dry… it wouldn’t come together. I’ll add another yoke as mentioned below and see what happens.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jim
I'm not sure why the dough would be to dry for it to come together. Is it possible that you had too much flour? I would love to troubleshoot this with you to figure out why the dough wouldn't come together.
James F Hull says
Hi, thanks for the reply! I weighed my flour (12 oz/340 grams)so I don’t think that was it. The only thing I can think of was moisture content of the fresh cranberries. When I chopped them, they were pretty dry. I added a second yoke and two tablespoons of water, and still barely got the dough to hold as a disk. That said, after a day in the fridge wrapped in the parchment, it was solid, but when I made the slices, I had to be very careful or the slice would fall apart (2 slices did). I LOVE the cookie.. so I’m gonna try frozen cranberries (obviously after thawing) and see if that’s the issue. That’s really the only other moisture being added other than the butter (8oz) and the yoke…that’s why I’m leaning that way. The only variation from the recipe is I used all purpose flour vs. unbleached all purpose, but don’t think that is it.
I’ll follow up again after I make the next batch.
Thanks again!
Jim