Here in Arizona, our citrus (especially our orange trees) are ripe and ready to pick in the winter, typically in December and January. We juice a ton and freeze orange juice to last us all year long, but we also use it in some scrumptious desserts like today’s orange cookies.
The result? A super soft, citrus-y, delicious cookie that melts in your mouth and is absolutely addicting!
These cookies are just as sweet and citrusy as our Frosted Lemon Cookies, but with a bright orange flavor like our Orange Brownies. If you love fruit-flavored cookies and oranges, you’ll love this sweet treat!
Why we think you’ll love them:
- Quick. Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish to whip these up. Easy peasy!
- Flavor. These orange cookies are one recipe that really packs a citrus-y punch. They are bright and tasty.
- Glaze. The glaze is absolutely heavenly! The cookies are good on their own, but the glaze really completes them.
Orange Cookies Ingredients
- Sugar (¾ cup): Sweetens the dough and helps the cookies spread slightly while staying soft.
- Butter, softened, not melted (½ cup): Creams with sugar for a tender crumb and rich flavor.
- Butter flavored shortening (2 tablespoons): Adds structure and keeps the cookies soft for days.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon): Balances sweetness and boosts the citrus notes.
- Egg (1): Binds the dough and adds moisture for a soft, cakey bite.
- Light corn syrup (1 tablespoon): Promotes softness and a smooth, tender texture.
- Orange zest (2 teaspoons): Packs concentrated citrus oils for bright, natural orange flavor. Wash the outside of the orange and dry it. Then use a microplane grater, citrus zester, or the small side of a box grater to rub the orange peel all over.
- Orange juice (2 teaspoons): Adds fresh tang and a little extra moisture. You will only need one medium orange to produce the needed 2 ½ teaspoons of orange juice.
- all-purpose flour
- All-purpose flour (2 cups): Provides structure for soft, thick cookies.
- Baking powder (1 teaspoon): Lifts the dough for a light, tender crumb.
- Baking soda (½ teaspoon): Helps browning and softness, reacting with the citrus.
- Powdered sugar, sifted (1 cup): Base of the glaze for a smooth, glossy finish.
- Milk (1-2 tablespoons): Thins the glaze to drizzle or spreadable consistency.
- Orange juice (½ tablespoon): Infuses the glaze with bright citrus flavor.
- Orange zest (½ teaspoon): Adds specks of zest and extra aroma on top.
How to Make Orange Cookies
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
WET INGREDIENTS. In a stand mixer, cream sugar, butter, shortening, and salt until light and fluffy. Add egg, corn syrup, orange zest, and orange juice and beat until well mixed.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients.
BAKE. Scoop (I use the medium cookie scoop tool) and roll into balls. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool until warm.
GLAZE. Mix powdered sugar, milk, orange juice, and zest until desired consistency. Drizzle frosting over warm cookies.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Cream well, beat butter, shortening, sugar, and salt until very light to ensure soft cookies.
- Using a cookie scoop will help you form evenly sized cookie dough balls which is important so that they all bake at the same rate.
- Bake just until set, pull at 8 to 9 minutes, the centers should look soft, they finish on the sheet.
- Glaze while warm, the drizzle melts slightly and adheres for a shiny finish.
- Variations. Easily adjust these orange cookies recipe with any of these tasty tips:
- Instead of an orange glaze for cookies, use orange extract or orange zest to flavor vanilla buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting to pipe on top of the orange cookies.Chocolate orange combo: whip up a batch of orange-flavored chocolate frosting. You can also mix some mini chocolate chips directly into the dough.
- Mix in white chocolate chips.
Orange Cookies Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened (not melted)
- 2 tablespoons butter flavored shortening
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoons orange juice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ½ tablespoon orange juice
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, cream sugar, butter, shortening, and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, corn syrup, orange zest, and orange juice and beat until well mixed.
- In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients.
- Scoop (I use the medium cookie scoop tool) and roll into balls. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool until warm.
- Make glaze: Mix powdered sugar, milk, orange juice, and zest until desired consistency.
- Drizzle frosting over warm cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
DOUGH: Refrigerate covered for 2–3 days, or scoop into balls and freeze. Once firm, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes.
BAKED: Cool completely before storing to prevent sogginess. Store airtight at room temp up to 5 days, layering with parchment/wax paper. Freeze (layered) in a freezer-safe container up to 3 months.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Be sure to separate layers with wax or parchment paper so that they don’t stick together.
To freeze, place the cookies in a freezer-safe container separating the layers with wax paper and freeze for up to 3 months.
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This recipe was first shared January, 2024.
These orange cookies are so tasty and full of citrus flavor. We love oranges so these cookies were a huge hit with us!
The orange glaze adds the perfect sweet touch. Soft and delicious, they vanished within minutes. A new favorite!