Coated in orange sugar and filled with crunchy macadamia nuts and chewy dried cranberries, these Cranberry Orange Cookies will become a holiday staple. They are also perfect for gifting!

Cranberry Orange Cookies

If there is one flavor combination I’m drawn to more than any other over the holiday season, it is the combination of cranberry and orange. The tanginess of the cranberries, the brightness of the orange – it really is just the perfect combination of flavors.

And what says “holiday” more than cookies?

I’ve been working hard on revamping my cookies recipes here, and these Cranberry Orange Cookies have been at the top of my list for awhile because they are so delicious. Soft cookies filled with dried cranberries and macadamia nuts, then all rolled in a sweet orange sugar.

If these don’t say holiday, I don’t know what does!

What You’ll Need

You’ll need some cookie basics for this recipe along with a few extras. Here’s what you’ll need:

Sugar – you only need regular granulated sugar for these cookies.
Orange Zest – I use a microplane to zest my oranges. You’ll just want the zest pretty fine. Sometimes my orange zest is really wet compared to how dry lemon zest is, but it still totally works!
Butter – I use unsalted. If you use salted butter, just cut back on the added salt by about a half.
Egg – one large egg is all you’ll need.
Flour – I always use unbleached white flour.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder
Salt
Dried Cranberries – For some reason these are always hard for me to locate at the grocery store, but they will usually be near the raisins.
Macadamia Nuts – I’ve also used pistachios in this recipe and they are delicious, too. Or if you need to, you can leave the nuts out.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Cookies

If you’ve made cookies before, you’ll know how to make these – they are super easy!

Start by making your orange sugar. Take 1/3 cup of the sugar and add in 1 teaspoon of the orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the orange zest into the sugar. The sugar will become super fragrant as the oils are released from the zest. Set this aside.
Make your cookie dough by combining the remaining sugar and the butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat them together until creamy.
Add the egg and the remaining orange zest and beat again until combined.
Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until mostly combined.
Add the dried cranberries and the nuts and mix just until the dough comes together.
Scoop the dough into balls. I like to use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop.
Roll the dough into a ball, if needed, then roll the dough in the orange sugar. Press the sugar into the cookie, if needed.
Place the cookies on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a silpat liner or parchment paper, at least 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies just until they are golden around the edges, being careful to not overbake.
Cool the cookies on a baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring off of the cookie sheet to cool.

Tips and Tricks

Start with your ingredients at room temperature. This is especially important for the butter. You don’t want it totally soft, but you do want it to give a little when you press it with your finger.

Orange zest tends to be a little wetter than lemon zest or lime zest. Don’t be alarmed! It will still work just fine. It may stick together a bit, so just be aware and make sure it is mixed in completely.

Chop your nuts into pieces about the same size as the cranberries or smaller. That way they are evenly dispersed through the dough.

The orange sugar will get packed down after rolling a few cookies in it. I just keep a small spoon nearby and stir it to fluff it back up as needed.

Do not overbake the cookies. They should just barely be browning around the edges when you remove them from the oven.

Store the cookies in an airtight container for maximum freshness. These cookies can also be frozen, either before baking or after. If you freeze them before baking, I’d roll them in the orange sugar just before baking. You can also check out my guide on how to freeze cookie dough for more information.

Here Are Some More Cranberry Orange Recipes!

Cranberry Orange Bread
Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
Cranberry Orange Baked French Toast Casserole
Cranberry Orange Cupcakes

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