If you’re looking for a festive cookie for the holiday season, these Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies are the perfect solution! They’re buttery, crumbly, and infused with fresh orange zest and tart dried cranberries. Perfect for a Christmas party, or paired with a cup of tea!
These Cranberry Orange Shortbread cookies embody the flavors of the Christmas season, but because they’re made with dried cranberries you can enjoy them all year long! They’re perfect for your cookie trays, or an afternoon snack.
If you love shortbread cookies, like I do – you’ll also love our Coconut Shortbread Cookies, or Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies.
Why you’ll love these cookies
- Melt in your Mouth Texture: These cookies are so buttery, and crumbly they practically melt in your mouth with every bite!
- Simple Ingredients: These cookies use pantry staples, just a couple extras with fresh orange zest and dried cranraisins, mean you can whip these cookies up any time, and day of the year.
- Festive Flavors: The combination of dried cranberries, and orange zest is such a fresh and vibrant, wintery combo! Perfect for this time of year. You might also love these Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- unsalted butter – or use salted butter and remove the added salt
- powdered sugar – also can be called confectioners’ sugar
- all purpose flour – this gives the cookies their structure, and crumbly texture
- cornstarch – helps the cookies to melt in your mouth
- salt – balances out the sweetness
- vanilla extract – adds a nice flavor, try adding almond extract for a nice complimentary flavor, or coconut extract for an even stronger coconut flavor
- dried cranberries – these add a nice tart, chewy texture to the cookies. Chop them up to spread the pieces farther into every bite of the cookie. Do not substitute fresh cranberries for this recipe as they’ll add extra moisture to the cookie.
- fresh orange zest – gives a vibrant citrus flavor to the cookies
How to make Shortbread Cookies with Orange and Cranberries
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl (the bowl of a stand mixer works great) and beat for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and mix it into the mixture.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the freshly grated orange zest, and chopped dried cranberries to the dough and carefully fold it into the mixture until evenly mixed.
Step 3: Shape into logs. Divide the dough into two equal sections and form them each into a log about 8 inches long. The log shape can be square or a round shape on the edges, depending what shape you want your cookies. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for at least two hours.
Step 4: Bake the cookies. Cut each log into cookies about 1/4 inch thick with a sharp knife and dip each cookie into a small bowl of granulated sugar. Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake until the tops are set and the edges and bottom of the cookies are slightly golden brown. Once cooled top cookies with melted white chocolate, if desired.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t Overmix – If you overmix the dough your cookies may be tough. After you add the dry ingredients, only mix until combined. The dough may be crumbly at first, so mix until it all comes together.
- Chill the Dough! – Do not skip chilling the dough. Because of the butter, and softness of this cookie dough, the dough needs to be chilled before baking to hold the shape of the cookies.
- Experiment with Flavors – You can substitute lemon zest for the orange zest, or use other fried fruits like cherries, or dried figs, etc.
Storage Instructions
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature once cooled for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Thaw them at room temperature, then enjoy!
These Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies will be such a great addition to your cookie platters. They have such a nice combination of buttery flavor, crumbly texture, zesty citrus, and tart cranberries that makes the cookies beautiful, and loaded with a nice festive flavor.
More Cookie Recipes
If you try these Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries (chopped)
- 1 TBS orange zest (fresh zested)
- 1/4 cup additional granulated sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat them together for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl down as needed. 1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup powdered sugar1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- Add the vanilla extract and mix it into the dough until combined. 1 tsp vanilla extract1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the flour, cornstarch and salt to the dough and mix it together just until combined. Mix with your hands if needed to mix in the last bits of the flour. 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch , 1/2 tsp salt1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- Add the dried cranberry, and orange zest, and fold it into the dough until evenly mixed. 2/3 cup dried cranberries, 1 TBS orange zest
- Separate the dough into 2 equal portions.
- Shape each section into a log, about 8inches long. The edges of the log can be round, or squared off.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and place the logs into the fridge for 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove one log at a time and cut the dough into slices about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick.
- Dip cookies into additional granulated sugar.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned, and the tops are no longer shiny.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Can I freeze the dough to thaw and bake later?
It should freeze fine. I’d freeze it in the logs, then thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake.
Can this recipe be doubled or tripled?
It should work fine being doubled, or tripled if your mixer can handle it. I think mine would only be able to do double.