Cranberry Orange Meltaway Cookies are soft, tart and sweet! The texture is fantastic and the fresh orange zest and glaze makes these cookies irresistible!
So let me tell you. I am OBSESSED with these cookies. I don’t even know. I mean, I can’t explain. They look pretty innocent…and might I even say a little boring? BUT THEY AREN’T. They are so freaking good!
The soft meltaway cookie texture, with the brightness of the orange zest and combination with the cranberries makes these cookies perfect for the holidays!
But today we have buttery, soft, CRAZY yummy Cranberry Orange Meltaways. They might be my favorite cookie of all 12. I mean, I’ll probably change my mind tomorrow…but TODAY they’re my favorite.
These cookies come together in a just a few quick steps.
First, for these cookies, because I wanted an ultra soft texture, I soaked the dried cranberries in water for just a few minutes before baking. I wanted to plump them up just a bit, so they would be soft, like the cookie!
The cookie dough itself is just a few ingredients…
- dried cranberries, like Craisins
- room temperature butter
- granulated sugar
- orange zest
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- baking soda
- flour
- powdered sugar
- orange juice
I used a medium cookie scoop, so they would all be the same shape and size…
When they’re baked, they will look pretty perfect…
But I’ve never been one to say no to a little sweet glaze. And this one is made with powdered sugar and fresh orange juice to add a little tartness!
Trust me on these…you will LOVE them! They are the perfect winter cookie!
Orange Cranberry Meltaway Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Cranberry Orange Meltaway Cookies are soft, tart and sweet! The texture is fantastic and the fresh orange zest and glaze makes these cookies irresistible!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover with water. Allow them to soak for 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the zest, egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix for 1 minutes until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and mix in the flour until just combined.
- Drain the cranberries and pat dry. Add the into the dough and stir until evenly incorporated.
- Using a medium (2- tablespoon) cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden, being careful not to over bake.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the glaze onto each cookie and allow the glaze to set.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 212
- Sugar: 23.7 g
- Sodium: 44.1 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.4 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 28.1 mg
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My granddaughter made these cookies twice . The first time, she followed the recipe. The second time, I asked, “What happens if we substitute half of the sugar with brown sugar?” What happens when you substitute 1/2 cup brown sugar for 1/2 cup white sugar, is that your cookie is more cake-like and more moist. We decided we liked them better with just white sugar. I think they are fine without the glaze.
Made exactly like recipe states. Were delicious! Can they be frozen? Thanks.
Sorry just to clarify can you freeze the dough?
sure!
Definitely love these cookies!!!! I didn’t like the glaze as much so next time I might try a drizzle of melted white chocolate.
These were scrumptious! I would make them a little smaller next time and have more cookies. They were great without the glaze but I added it. The glaze was a bit too sweet and the recipe made too much but ultimately a nice addition for the end result. I already have people asking for the recipe.
These were incredibly good. I didn’t have orange zest and they still turned out amazing. Can’t wait to try again with the zest!
Thank you for the recipe!
Excellent. Added chopped pistachio. Didn’t make the drizzle. Followed Lisa’s suggestion and soaked the cranberries in grand marnier . Boiled till the marnier evaporated. A keeper!
Good question from Sharon…how many cookies does it make??
It makes approx 30 cookies!
Hello! I don’t have a stand mixer. Do you recommend hand mixing or beaters?
You could use a hand mixer 🙂
I haven’t made these yet – they sound wonderful. I think I am going to warm some Grand Marnier and soak the cranberries in that – instead of water! Grand Marnier is a nice orange liquor, so it may complement the cookie nicely. Will see how they come out.
That would be fantastic! You could also use orange juice!
Shelly, how many cookies does this recipe yield? Thank you in advance.
30 🙂
Hi there! This recipe looks yummy! Can Craisins be used for the dried cranberries?
Yes, that’s what I used!