Go Back

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Soft, chewy cookies with brown butter, tart dried cranberries, bright orange zest, and melty white chocolate chips — finished with a thin orange glaze. The festive cookie that works for Thanksgiving and Christmas alike.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 192 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cookies

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170 g)
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150 g)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
  • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest from 1 large orange
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (120 g), roughly chopped
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips (170 g)

For the orange glaze (optional)

  • 1 cup powdered sugar (120 g)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until it foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into a large bowl (including the brown bits) and let it cool 10 minutes.
  • Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the warm brown butter until smooth. Whisk in the egg and yolk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla until glossy.
  • Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips.
  • Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes. This keeps the cookies thick and chewy instead of spreading flat.
  • Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 2-tablespoon balls of dough (about 24) and space them 2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look soft and puffy. Do not wait for the centers to brown.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. If glazing, whisk the powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cookies.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Brown butter is the upgrade: it adds a nutty, caramelized depth that makes these taste like a bakery cookie instead of a plain drop cookie. Watch it closely — it goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
 
Do not skip the chill: 30 minutes firms the brown butter dough so the cookies bake thick and chewy. Warm dough spreads into thin, crisp cookies.
 
Chop the cranberries: halving the big ones spreads the tart pops evenly through every bite and keeps the dough balls from falling apart.
 
Orange zest, not juice, flavors the dough: zest gives bright citrus without adding liquid that would make the cookies cakey. Save the juice for the glaze.
 
Make ahead: scoop the dough balls, freeze solid on a sheet pan, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F for 13 to 14 minutes.