Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies are sweet, buttery, and citrusy with a crumbly texture and a pleasant burst of tartness from the dried cranberries. They are a slice-and-bake cookie, easy to make, and a recipe that you want to add to your list of Christmas cookies! For another buttery cookie, try my tried and true Shortbread Cookies, too! I saw these cookies on my friend Mom on Timeout’s blog and knew I wanted to try them!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: One of the key ingredients in shortbread cookies is butter! You will need 2 sticks of unsalted butter for these cookies.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Using confectioners’ sugar in the cookie dough resulted in a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture to the baked cookies.
Orange Zest: For the citrusy orange flavor, you will need 1 teaspoon of orange zest. You could substitute lemon zest if that is what you have on hand. It will still give you the citrusy flavor and complement the cranberries.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch kept the cookies together, but still soft. You could also use 1/2 cup rice flour in place of cornstarch.
Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries provide a sweet-tart flavor that contrasts well with the buttery base of the cookies.
Can I Make The Cookies Without Chilling The Dough?
I do not recommend making cranberry orange shortbread cookies without chilling the dough. Chilling the dough is an important step because it solidifies the fat (in this case, the butter). This helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking, resulting in a better shape and texture. Plus, it’s a great way to get a head start on these cookies; you can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before cutting and baking the cookies!
What’s the Best Stand Mixer?
I use a stand mixer a lot in my kitchen and recommend my 5-quart Kenmore Elite mixer which comes with a whisk attachment, a beater, and a dough hook. The bowl also has a lid to help contain any splatters. It is an investment though, and sells for around $400 at Walmart. If you’re on a budget, another good option is the 5.3-quart Beautiful by Drew Barrymore stand mixer, which costs around $100.
How To Store Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Store Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to a week.
Can I Freeze Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies?
Yes, you can actually freeze the baked cookies or freeze the dough.
To Freeze The Dough: Wrap the log of dough into a few layers of plastic wrap. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake the cookies, let the dough thaw in the refrigerator a bit before cutting.
To Freeze Baked Cookies: If the cookies have been baked, first, let them cool completely. Then, store them in a freezer-safe container. They will last up to 3 months.
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer I recommend this stand mixer!
- Large baking sheets These ones from Nordic Ware work great!
- Kitchen scale (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (64 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (65 g) dried cranberries, chopped
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and confectioners' sugar. Beat on medium speed until creamy.
- Add vanilla and orange zest. Mix until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, add in flour mixture, one cup at a time.
- Gently fold in cranberries.
- Add dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 6-inch log, about 3 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and seal the ends. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour, or until firm.
- When ready, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it onto a cutting board.
- Slice into ¼-inch cookies and place cookies onto a lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
The combination of cranberry and orange is so good in this melt-in-your-mouth cookie. Its an easy one to prepare and you can definitely make this one in advance!
Elizabeth
Both the orange and cranberry flavors really stood out in each bite of these soft cookies! They just kind of crumble in your mouth (which is a good thing)!
Rachael
These are really delicious tender shortbread cookies. The orange really comes through with the zest and the cranberry is a perfect match with the orange.
Bella
These cookies almost melt in your mouth! Cranberry and orange go well together. It has a sweet and tangy flavor.
Annabelle
These are so flavorful! I love the combination of orange and cranberry and these cookies are so soft!
Selena
These melt in your mouth! They have loads of flavor as well with all the cranberry and orange. Perfect for the holidays!
These cookies look perfect. Can’t wait to try them out.
These cookies looks so yummy, I have to try to bake them. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Can the recipe be doubled?
I have to be gluten free. So, can I create your recipes with gluten free 1 to 1 flour. I will be trying to make them but wanted to see if any of your followers are gluten free and have tried to make them. Thank you.
Any chance these could be made with leftover fresh cranberries from thanksgiving? I make fresh cramberry sauce, but never finish the Costco sized bag.
Fresh are quite tart. So you might want to consider sugaring them
Could you used chopped fresh cranberries?
Fresh cranberries are quite bitter, so that would change the flavor profile of this cookie.
Classic flavor combo simplified and unbeatable !
Could I reverse cream them so they don’t spread or would it make them too dense?
These don’t spread. I do recommend trying a recipe as-is and then making any adjustments you feel necessary.
Can I use unsweetened dried cranberries? Recipe does not specify. Thank you!
The standard of dried cranberries is sweetened. You can certainly use unsweetened! It will change the flavor profile – they are not a terribly sweet cookie to begin with.
Absolutely wonderful cookies
I make a very similar recipe. Add some chopped pistachio nuts. You get red and green Christmas cookies.