12 Days of Sugar – Day 7
These Cranberry Orange Cookies are perfect for holiday baking and will be the star of your holiday cookie platter. Soft, chewy and coated with a delicious sugary coating! They’re amazing!

Day 7 of my 12 Days of Sugar brings these fabulous cranberry orange cookies. Now you might be thinking the last thing you need is another holiday cookie recipe to add to your collection, but I promise you that you absolutely need this one!
I absolutely love the combination of orange and cranberry. I think it is a perfect holiday flavor! These cookies are light and crunchy with a light, delicious sweet citrus flavor. The orange sugar coating on the outside gives it an extra pop of orange and makes these cookies truly sparkle.
These are a no-fuss recipe that makes the tastiest and prettiest cookies every single time. y look so pretty on a cookie plate!

Why You’ll Love Cranberry Orange Cookies
- The perfect holiday flavor
- Soft, tender and chewy with a delicious sugary coating
- No chill time – super fast to make.
A FEW TIPS:
- Don’t over mix your dough. Over mixing will cause the cookies to be a little tough.
- Be sure and use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies.
- I love to give these cookies an extra sprinkling of the sugar mixture after these come out of the oven.
- I love these cookies to be on the thicker side, but if you like your cookies to be a little flatter, then gently press them down with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass before baking them.

Can I use fresh cranberries instead?
I have never tried using fresh cranberries in these cookies, but I’m guessing you could easily swap our dried cranberries for fresh. I would roughly chop them and use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup measured first then chopped.
How should I store these cookies?
These cookies can stored at room temperature in an airtight container two to three days. You could also store in them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.
You can also freeze these cookies! Put them in a freezer ziploc bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.

Honestly, these are pretty much the perfect holiday cookie. They will be a fantastic addition to your Christmas cookie exchange. The orange and cranberry is such a wonderful holiday flavor combination.
Print
Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 dozen cookies 1x
Description
These Cranberry Orange Cookies are perfect for holiday baking and will be the star of your holiday cookie platter. Soft, chewy and coated with a delicious sugary coating.♡
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries chopped
Sugar Mixture:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
Instructions
COOKIES:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the sugar, butter, egg and orange zest in large bowl and mix on medium speed until creamy.
- Add flour, baking powder and baking soda; beat at low speed until almost combined. Add the dried cranberries and continue mix just until combined.
- Shape cookies into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned (do not over bake). Sprinkle with a little more of the sugar mixture, if desired. Cool 1 to 2 minutes and remove from cookie sheet and place on a cooling rack.
SUGAR MIXTURE:
- Combine all sugar mixture ingredients in small bowl.
- Stir until well mixed. Set aside
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from Land O’ Lakes
These are absolutely delicious! I love the combination of cranberries and oranges. This is my new favorite cookie! They are so soft!
★★★★★
I am so happy you’ve already made these and love them Jennifer! I agree they’re absolutely delicious!