Orange Creamsicle Cookies are my Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies made with orange zest and added food coloring to remind you of an orange creamsicle treat. Although creamsicles are officially frozen popsicles, you can find everything from orange creamsicle pie to orange creamsicle mousse. There are even orange creamsicle cocktails, but I will stick to the cookies in this recipe.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Room Temperature Ingredients: For best results, be sure the ingredients, specifically butter, cream cheese, and egg, are at room temperature before mixing. Most refrigerated ingredients can get to room temperature in about 30 minutes, and they allow for more even baking and fewer lumps! Check out my egg substitutes if you don’t have any eggs on hand.
Extract: This recipe requires both vanilla extract and orange extract. While vanilla extract is a common ingredient in most kitchens, the orange extract may not be readily available. If you don’t have orange extract, you can try using orange juice as a substitute. I’ll cover this substitution in more detail shortly.
Food Coloring: You may notice I use red and yellow food coloring; that is because those are easy to find and together, they make the color orange.
Orange Extract vs. Fresh Orange Juice
Orange extract is a highly concentrated flavoring that gives recipes in cooking and baking a strong orange flavor. However, if you don’t have any on hand, don’t give up on this recipe. Since you are also using the zest of an orange, go ahead and substitute freshly squeezed orange juice for the extract. Here are a couple of guidelines if you need to make substitutions for orange extract.
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice = 1/2 teaspoon orange extract (Use about 2 tablespoons of juice for this recipe, adjusting to taste.)
You could also substitute orange zest for the extract.
- 1 teaspoon orange zest = 1 teaspoon orange extract
How to Store Orange Creamsicle Cookies
To store Orange Creamsicle Cookies, place them in an airtight container. They will last 3-4 days at room temperature or up to 6 days in the refrigerator.
Freezing Butter Cookies
Freezing the Dough: The very best way to freeze these cookies is to freeze the dough. Scoop out individual cookies, place them on a baking sheet, and then place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Once they are chilled through, transfer them to an airtight bag. Label them with the cookie name and date, as well as the baking instructions.
Freezing Baked Cookies: If you want to freeze the cookies after they are baked, allow them to cool completely. Then, lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer. Once the cookies are frozen, store them in a freezer-safe zipped bag, labeled and dated. They will keep for up to four weeks.
More Creamsicle Desserts
Orange Creamsicle Cookies
Ingredients
Creamsicle Cookie Recipe
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract, starting with ½ teaspoon and taste testing the dough
- 1 drop red food coloring, or more depending on how dark you want the orange to be
- 2 drops yellow food coloring, or more depending on how dark you want the orange to be
- 2 ¼ cups (282 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (126 g) confectioners' sugar, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, orange zest, and granulated sugar until blended.
- Add in egg, vanilla, orange extract, and the red and yellow food coloring.
- Add in flour, baking powder, and ½ cup confectioners' sugar. With the mixer on low, gradually beat into a creamed mixture.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, create balls and roll them in the remaining confectioners' sugar.
- Place the balls of dough onto the lined baking sheet. Using your hands or the bottom of a drinking glass flatten balls into rounds. Place approximately 6 dough balls on each sheet.
- Bake until they no longer appear wet on top, 8-11 minutes. After about 5 minutes cooling on the pan (they will be soft), place on cooling racks to cool completely.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Looks so yummy.
These are yummy and my son Loves them. Do they need to be stored in refrigerator since they have cream cheese? Thanks.
Nope, they do not need to be refrigerated. 🙂
How many calories per cookie?
Hi, Jeannette! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Each cookie is about 175 calories. Have a great day!
How many carbs????
Are you suppose to freeze them before putting them in the oven? Mine is creamy but I can’t really fold it
Hi, Kiz! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. There is no need to chill this dough before baking. The cookies actually tasted less ooey-gooey when the dough was chilled, so we opted to use the dough immediately after preparing. I hope this helps, and have a great day!
I have made these and the dough is so soft I can not begin to roll them, trying a bake of 6 cookies that I just plopped down on the cookie sheet to see how they come out
Hmmmmm
hi. must you use orange extract? can you use a bit of orange juice or will it not be strong enough?
If you don’t have orange extract, you can use fresh orange juice. Here is a simple equivalency:
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice = 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon orange zest = 1 teaspoon orange extract
I agree with you Amanda Rettle, Thr dough needs to be refrigerated. Much easier to roll into balls. They are delicious. And they look just like the picture. Will definitely add this to my cookie recipes.
My batter was too creamy to roll so I refrigerated until the dough firmed up. Also got 12 to a sheet no problem. They needed 15+ min. Baking time for sure in my gas oven. I used all the zest of my large orange and stuck with just the 1 t. Orange extract.After all these adjustments came out lovely! And yummy!
Ours turned out well, but not as “orangey” as I expected. I made my own glaze with melted butter, icing sugar, vanilla, orange extract, and orange zest. Mixed it in small amounts until it was like a thickened glaze that is just runny enough to spread on the cookies. Really made them taste like creamsicles, especially when refrigerated!