Have you been surprised by unexpected holiday guests in the past? Prepare these cookies in advance and bake them up in a hurry whenever needed. Straight from the fridge to the oven, Orange Cranberry Cookies are delicious and gorgeous! As an added bonus, they will help keep you looking like the baking genius you are!
I used to think that shortbread was shortbread, but little did I know years ago that there are many variations and flavours of shortbread. These Orange Cranberry Cookies are indeed prepared with a shortbread dough, but they have a slight citrus flavour, paired with the tartness of fresh cranberries. They are absolutely delicious!
The most common shortbreads are rolled and cut with cookie cutters and then decorated with royal icing. I’m not good with decorating cookies and cakes, so I take a simpler route. For instance, Stamped Shortbread Cookies are beautiful and no decorating skills are needed at all! Then there’s my Whipped Shortbread recipe. You don’t need to roll those at all. In fact, they’re so good that they are one of my most popular Christmas recipes.
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Of course, we can’t forget about flavoured shortbreads too. I love these Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies and I can’t get enough of these Chocolate Drizzled Espresso Shortbread. Did you know there are also shortbread recipes that allow you to stuff them with candied fruits and cherries? Oh, yes, Dear Reader! I have just the recipe to prove it right here! Now, finally, I’m showing you a different type. And, to be honest, in terms of ease, I think these just might be my favourite type to prepare!
Looking For More Christmas Confections?
Lord Byron’s Kitchen has more than enough to satisfy your sweet tooth! Click on the links below to see a countdown series of holiday recipes from that category!
‘TIS A HARD LIFE, BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT!
Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September!
We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipes need to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.
Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 100+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! Luckily, here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, so I was able to get my hands on the cranberries used in these cookies!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THESE COOKIES
- Butter – I’m using salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt when you add in the flour. It is imperative that your butter is softened.
- Sugar – These cookies are not super sweet, despite there being 1/2 cup of sugar present.
- Cranberries – You will need chopped cranberries – you can do that in a food processor to speed things up!
- Orange Zest – One orange will give you plenty enough zest.
- Flour – I always use all-purpose flour, unless otherwise stated. I have not tested this recipe with other flour alternatives.
TIPS & TRICKS: I’m going to advocate that fresh cranberries are best for this recipe, however, you can use frozen cranberries too. Frozen cranberries will add a pink hue to the cookie dough. To lessen the amount of pink. thaw the cranberries fully. Spread them out on paper towels and gently press them dry with a top layer of paper towel before chopping them.
HOW TO MAKE ORANGE CRANBERRY COOKIES:
I love to make these cookies, not only because they are easy, but because they’re also fun to make. Why is it that rolling cookie dough into a log is so satisfying? I think it stems from a love of playing with food when I was a kid! And, as you know, I love anything with citrus zest, so that’s always a bonus. Making these could not be easier. Let me tell you how to do it!
In a mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat together the butter and sugar. Beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next, add the flour. If you used unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt now too. With your beater on a low setting, beat the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined. Finally, add in the chopped cranberries and orange zest.
Finally, turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Form the dough into a long log, about 45 centimetres or 18 inches in length. Roll the log in the parchment paper and then into plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Next, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone liner or with parchment paper and set it aside.
Remove the plastic wrap and parchment paper from the cookie log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into one centimetre (3/8 inch) slices. Lay the slices onto the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom edge of the cookies has browned. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Lord Byron’s Annual Christmas Cookie Series
Did you know that Lord Byron’s Kitchen has been sharing a 24 Cookies of Christmas Series for the past several years? Click on the links below to see all of the recipes from each series on one page!
STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING
When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!
If you plan to freeze your Orange Cranberry Cookies, you certainly can! Once they are completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!
You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out onto a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.
QUESTIONS?
If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!
Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 100 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!
Do You Like This Recipe?
You should consider trying these other delicious recipes too!
Orange Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups fresh whole cranberries, chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat together the butter and sugar. Beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Next, add the flour. If you used unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt now too. With your beater on a low setting, beat the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
- Finally, add in the orange zest and chopped cranberries. Use a wooden spoon to mix the zest and berries into the cookie batter.
- Finally, turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Form the dough into a long log, about 45 centimeters or 18 inches in length.
- Roll the log in the parchment paper and then into plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Next, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone liner or with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Remove the plastic wrap and parchment paper from the cookie log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into one centimeter or 3/8 inch slices.
- Lay the slices onto the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom edge of the cookies have browned. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sue says
Cranberries and orange would be a great flavour combo, but I was wondering if you had tried using dried cranberries and if so, how did they turn out?
Rosa says
I always use dry cranberries, and it’s very very good
Jane Lausch says
I used dried cranberries and they worked!
T Geo says
Did you chill the dried cranberries?
Anne Marie says
Can I use Margarine instead of Butter ?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
No, margarine should never be substituted for butter. These will not work well with margarine.
TJ Marek says
I made these with Earth Balance vegan butter and they turned out perfectly. Highly recommend
Beth Kane says
The recipe says it makes 30 cookies, but if I roll the dough into an 18 inch log and slice it into 1/4 inch slices, won’t I get 72 cookies?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Beth – that was my error! I’ve updated the recipe card and post with more specific measurements. Thank you! 🙂
Donna says
Thanks for a colourful, yummy recipe that makes more than a dozen cookies. (why even get the kitchen dirty for 12? LOL) I was looking for something different to add to my cookie boxes this year and this hits the spot.
As for the plastic wrap to seal the containers, I’ve always done it, but with wax paper and never thought about why except that I saw my grandmother and my mother do it and I just followed suit. Now I know why!
Glad I found your site and I will be checking out the rest of your recipes.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Donna. So glad you enjoyed the cookies! Yes, please stick around; I’ve got lots of recipes here to consider. 🙂
kathleen m morse says
Can I use dried cranberries ?
Cynthia E Francois says
Can you freeze sliced rounds prior to baking? Just pull out what you want to bake?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Cynthia – yes, you can freeze the rounds. 🙂
Patricia Lajko says
These cookies are great!! Sweet, tart, buttery and beautiful! Delicious! Will definitely be making these again. Thank you for this recipe, it’s a keeper!! 🙂
Lynn says
Hi, could I use dried cranberries instead of fresh?
Margaret says
Can dry cranberry be used??
Amy Fass says
Can you add in white chocolate chips?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes and no. Chocolate chips will prevent you from getting nice, clean slices because your knife will not pass through them easily. I would rather dip the baked cookies in melted white chocolate rather than add white chocolate chips to the cookie dough.
Lorna Perry says
can i use dried cranberries in this recipe ? if so 1.5 cups ?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I have not tried the recipe with dried cranberries. Dry cranberries are sweeter and not tart like fresh cranberries. If using dry, I would cut it back to 3/4 cup. Please keep in mind that the flavour of this cookie will not be the same with dried cranberries.
Diane says
I only have a stand mixer. Are there adjustments I should make to use it instead of a hand held mixer?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer without any adjustments.
Diane says
Sorry , I made a mistake in my address. It should be Diane.t.crowley@gmail.com.
Kate says
Should I use a rolling pin to form a log with the dough?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
No, there is no rolling pin needed for this recipe.
Sandy says
Hi, do you defrost frozen dough before slicing and cooking or if you freeze already sliced portions would you cook them from frozen ?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
If you freeze the log whole, you will need to defrost a room temperature for at least 5-10 minutes to make it easier to slice through the dough. If you freeze sliced dough, you do not need to defrost, but may need to add another minute or two of baking time. 🙂
Clee says
I am assuming cranberries are measured before chopping. Correct?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes, that is correct. 🙂
Renee says
Oops , I just made these and I chopped mine in a chopper and measured them after I chopped them …. Oh well they look pretty … just waiting for the hour is up to cook them.
Kristin says
Will make this week… I know it’s going to be a winner!!!!!
Alma T says
Do you cook the fresh cranberries first?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
No, do not cook them first.
Tammy says
I can’t wait to try these. Did I read that right? Cut them 1/4” thick? Thanks so much!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Tammy. That was an error. I have updated the post with clearer instructions on measurements. 🙂
Lynn says
These look great. I think I’d also like to try with lime zest in place of orange for some of the cookies. Would the amount be the same as for the orange zest?
Michael McLaughlin says
Help!!!! I have made the dough and it has turned pink. I chopped the cranberries in my cuisinart and spooned into my kitchenaid mixer. The dough has turned pink . What have I done wrong? I think I followed directions and am a pretty good amateur baker.
Sarah says
Maybe it’s that you used frozen? Or maybe you just had really juicy cranberries. But I think pink cookies wouldn’t be a bad thing. Lean into it and say it was supposed to happen!
Lorry says
As a cranberry grower’s wife, I’m always watching for new cranberry recipes to try. Looking forward to trying this recipe. For those of you asking about substituting dried cranberries for fresh ones, the two are pretty different. It would be like using raisins in a recipe calling for fresh grapes. You should be seeing fresh cranberries in stores now (at least here in the U.S.). They do freeze well for up to a year.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Amen!
Margaret says
Can dry cranberries be used??
Anne says
I am looking to veganize this recipe by using Vegan butter. Shortbread is really all about the butter though, so have you tried? Do you think they will turn out ok?
TJ says
I made these last night using Earth Balance vegan butter and they turned out perfectly. I highly recommend that option. Do not use the whipped version otherwise your proportions will be off.
Jessie says
Can’t wait to try these! Can you decorate these after they are cooled?
Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm says
these look wonderful! Your time confuses me…prep time 15 minutes, bake time 10 minutes yet you say 1 hour 25 minutes total….?? Please, what did I miss?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
The dough needs to be rolled and refrigerated for one hour before baking.
Christopher says
Can you buy sugar cookie dough roll and toss in the cranberries and orange zest or do you need to make your own cookie dough
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I would most certainly recommend you make your own. Store-bought sugar cookie dough is not at all like this shortbread-type cookie.
Bethany says
I’m so sad. My cookies spread very badly and fell apart. I made sure the cranberries were dry before chopping and refrigerated the dough overnight. Any suggestions?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
That’s so unfortunate, Bethany. The only other person that has happened to used margarine instead of butter. Was that the case here?
Stella says
These are awesome! Fresh is always best and does make a difference. I’ve used fresh, dried, (fine, but different flavor) and fresh-frozen (my batter also turned a cool pink ~ I loved it!)
These are great for the holidays! A real crowd please and adds nice color to a cookie tray.
Regarding cookie spread;
Sometimes, if the butter is too warm the cookies will spread. Sorry that happened.
Would highly recommend this recipe!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Stella. Based on the messages and emails I get about this cookie, most people go wrong by either using frozen cranberries or by using margarine and not real butter.
Andrea Carandang says
Same here. I used butter
Marilyn says
Made these last night and my kitchen smelled so wonderful for hours!!! The flavour combination is a real winner. My husband, who is not much of a sweet eater, loves them. I made them for a giveaway but must make another batch today for us. Please note: I used half butter and half hard margarine but. although they tasted wonderful, they spread really thinly and didn’t look nice like Byron’s. So – heed what he says and use real butter. When I make another batch today I will definitely use only butter and these will be the ones I give away. You have to try them – so yummy!!!
Marilyn Eidbo says
How did you make a perfect roll? Mine are somewhat misshapen.
Vickie says
Do you have to use plastic wrap if you are not going to freeze the dough?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
They need to be refrigerated for one hour before slicing. Wrapping in plastic wrap makes it easier to keep them in a log.
Crystal says
Can this recipe be used without zest? I want to make some with zest and without.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes, but the flavour will be very muted.
Tracy says
These are lovely. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Lisa says
Added these to my Christmas cookie trays this year because I wanted something different. They are fantastic nothing but great comments on them. I did add a white chocolate drizzle to finish. Definitely making these every year now
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Lisa. I think the white chocolate drizzle is a great idea!
Diane Hardy says
Thank you for changing you recipe online to read “1 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries, chopped”. I went with the recipe as originally written “1 1/1 cups chopped cranberries”. That recipe was a fail. I went back repeatedly to check. I print out the recipe after I take a pic. I have vision issue and have to write out the recipe by hand. Needless to say, my cookies were a little limp. Left them out over night on racks to see if they improved. I thought about taking them to mother school I retired from. Teachers are funny, they will eat almost anything from the teacher’s lunchroom table. They might have dried in a few more weeks, I will try again.
Adonica says
I tried these for the first time and they are yummy!!! I actually rolled them out 3/8 thick before I refrigerated them because I wanted to do cut out cookies. They did pretty good, a little bit of spread but not much. It is a fragile cookie like that so be careful taking it off the cookie sheet.
Kaitlin says
These look delicious! My 4 year old would like to know if rolling this dough to cut shapes would ruin the recipe. He’d like to try using these to make a stacked cookie Christmas tree (blame GBBS). He specifically wants to use a cranberry cookie and loves the look of your recipe. I told him these are designed to be circles, but that I would ask for your thoughts.
Susan Palladino says
I’ve been baking for many years and can’t figure out why my cookies spread and did not rise. They don’t have any leaving in them which I thought was the issue but you received many favorable reviews. My butter was at room temp and I used Trader Joe’s butter which has been the butter I’ve been using with all my cookies and have not had a problem. Any suggestions?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Susan – these cookies are short-bread-like and are not supposed to rise.
Julie says
Made a double batch for Christmas- they went so fast we made another double batch Christmas Eve for all to enjoy. Used dried cranberries and used half what the recipe calls for over fresh as recommended. Absolutely delicious!
Jean Boyer says
Cranberries and orange zest…perfect in my eyes anytime…and so I am so excited to try out your recipe(s) Lord Byron from Lady Jayne in BC, Canada
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Ha! Thank you, Lady Jayne. 🙂
Sarah says
Has anyone tried these using gluten-free flour? I love the cranberry and oran zesty vibe, but need GF. I’d also like to try it with coconut sugar instead of white, though I know it will alter the flavor profile. Any thoughts?
Amelie says
I made these with GF all-purpose flour and they turned out great.
Heather H. says
Can you use almond flour?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Heather – I have not tested these with almond flour.
PAT FOSTY says
Loved these! Tart with an underlying sweetness – perfect with tea. Going forward, for personal taste, I will use slightly fewer cranberries.
Frances Donohue says
I was wondering if I could freeze the roll for 3 months, remove it, let it sit at room temp until I can cut the log and then cook the cookies. Or should I cook first and then freeze.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Either way would work, but if you freeze them, thaw and bake later, the cookies will be more fresh.
Debra Still says
By far the best of all of the orange zest cranberry cookies I’ve seen. Very easy to produce and nice and simple ingredient list.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Debra. 🙂
Karen Dietrich says
These cookies were a hit! Used frozen cranberries, that I defrosted, & chopped in mini food processor. Cookies turned out pink but looked pretty. This was a nice light cookie with tart cranberry flavor, perfect with the orange zest. I would even go a little heavier with the zest next time. Will definitely be making these again.
Cindy says
Awesome
Karen M says
Absolutely delish! I have a question. Any tips on how to roll into log. Such a simple task and I cannot get the log even.
Thanks.
Elissa Ray Pederson says
I just made these and they are fabulous. I did double the zest amount as I like mine with lots of citrus punch. Mine took much longer to bake – approx 15 min plus 5 to rest . I would like to look at adding a light glaze next time, but this was a great new cookie recipe to add to my XMas repertoire!
Tania Youngson says
Could I use dates instead of cranberries?
And I’ve been making your whipped shortbread cookies for years. Delish! Thanks!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Tania – I can’t see why not! Chop the dates finely before adding them to the dough. And, I’m so glad you like my whipped shortbread! 🙂