Introduction

These Best Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies combine tangy dried cranberries with bright orange flavors in a soft, buttery cookie. Perfect for holiday gatherings, they’re finished with a sweet orange glaze that adds a festive touch. Easy to make and impossible to resist, these cookies are sure to become a seasonal favorite.

The image shows six soft cookies on a cooling rack, each cookie having a light golden color with bits of red fruit mixed in. They are drizzled with white icing lines that run from side to side. The rack is placed on a white cloth with a red striped pattern on a white marbled surface. In the background, there is a clear glass bowl filled with dark red berries and a glass bottle of milk with a red label. The overall scene is bright and clean with a fresh look. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, orange juice, and orange zest, mixing until fully combined.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a cookie dough forms.
Step 3: Chop the dried cranberries if desired, then fold them evenly into the dough by hand. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing them to allow for spreading.
Step 4: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let them rest on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
Step 5: While the cookies cool, mix the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle this icing over the cooled cookies.
Step 6: Allow the icing to harden completely. To speed this up, you can chill the cookies briefly in the freezer. Once set, store the cookies in an airtight container.

Tips & Variations

For a more intense orange flavor, add a little extra zest to the dough or icing.
If you prefer a softer cookie, reduce the baking time by a minute or two.
Swap dried cranberries for dried cherries or raisins for a different fruity twist.
Use fresh-squeezed orange juice for the best natural flavor in the dough and icing.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. The icing maintains its texture well but if desired, refrigeration will keep them fresh longer—just bring them to room temperature before serving. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies without icing in a sealed container and glaze them after thawing.

How to Serve

A stack of three round cookies sits in the center, with the top cookie broken in half showing a soft, light yellow inside dotted with bits of red fruit. The cookies have a light golden-brown color mixed with bright red fruit pieces and are covered with thin white icing drizzled over the top in random lines. Around the stack are more cookies spread out, all showing similar texture and icing. Some whole red berries are scattered nearby on the white marbled surface. To the right edge, part of a white cup and saucer with brown coffee are visible. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?

Fresh cranberries contain more moisture and may affect the cookie texture, making them softer or more crumbly. For the best results, stick with dried cranberries or briefly toss fresh ones in flour to reduce moisture before adding.

How do I prevent cookies from spreading too much?

Chilling the dough before baking helps control spreading. Also, make sure your baking soda is fresh and measure flour accurately to maintain proper dough consistency.