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.
This question is about this recipe and the lemon cookie recipe, can you taste the cream cheese in either of them? or do you only taste the lemon or orange flavor?
You can’t taste the cream cheese.
Like her simple reciepe … wish someday do rebake this. Thanks for sharing.
I don’t like the way extract tastes, can I use orange juice instead?
Hi, Pennie! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Swapping out for fresh orange juice should be ok. (We have not tested it; we thought this cookie was amazing as-is.) For this recipe specifically, you would use 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice instead of orange extract, which is about 1 orange. Have a great day!
THIS IS MY FAVORITE ICE CREAM. I MUST TRY THESE COOKIES. GLAD I SUBSCRIBED TO YOU CAUSE EVERYTHING YOU BAKE LOOKS DELICIOUS THANK YOU.
These are amazing. My cookies were not flat at all. They were light and fluffy. They had that excellent crisp as you bit them yet were chewy. I made these for my son in law and I had never made or heard of these prior. These WILL be in my Christmas cookie list forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you
Everybody loved these cookies! Very easy to make and very delicious. I used gluten-free flour since my wife has celiac and the cookies turned out looking exactly like the pictures.
I am a disabled veteran, wheelchair-bound, yet had no problem making this recipe. Definitely going on my must-make list. Thank you for this recipe. Mark
Thank you for your service, Mark! So glad you and the family we able to enjoy them.
Can you make the creamsicle without the food coloring
Hi, Gail! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Yes, you can leave out the food coloring. Have a wonderful day!
Excellent! The consistency and taste is lovely. The only thing that I would change is the amount of food coloring. It was a lovely, soft orange prior to baking but faded out dramatically. Next time, I’ll double the coloring. Otherwise; perfection!
Your recipes look delicious and not difficult to follow
Do these have to be refrigerated after baking due to the cream cheese?
They are delicious!!
Hi, Denise! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. No, these cookies do not have to be refrigerated. I am glad you liked them! Have a wonderful day!