Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies take the classic, minimal ingredient shortbread base—just butter, sugar, flour, and salt—and layer in holiday flavors by folding in finely chopped dried cranberries and lots of fresh orange zest. The butter gives them a rich, tender, sandy crumb, while the cranberries add little chewy, tart pops and the orange zest perfumes every bite with citrus aroma. Because shortbread is mixed gently and contains little to no leavening, these cookies bake up flat, neat, and well‑defined, which makes them ideal for stacking in tins, arranging on cookie trays, and shipping as holiday gifts.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl and a hand mixer, stand mixer, or sturdy spatula for creaming the dough.
- Microplane or fine grater for removing the orange zest without the bitter white pith.
- Sharp knife (often serrated) or bench scraper for chopping dried cranberries and slicing the chilled dough logs.
- Baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and promote even browning.
- Plastic wrap or baking parchment for rolling and chilling slice‑and‑bake logs.
- Wire cooling rack for cooling baked cookies to keep their texture crisp yet tender.
Ingredients
Most recipes follow a similar shortbread template with added fruit and citrus:
- Unsalted butter, softened so it creams smoothly and gives a tender crumb.
- Sugar: usually granulated, powdered, or a combination—powdered sugar gives a more melt‑in‑your‑mouth texture.
- All‑purpose flour as the main structure of the cookie.
- Salt to balance sweetness and enhance the butter and citrus notes.
- Vanilla extract for a warm, round background flavor; some bakers also add a drop of almond extract.
- Fresh orange zest, often from 1 medium orange, for bright citrus aroma throughout the dough.
- Dried cranberries, finely chopped so they distribute and slice cleanly without tearing the dough.
Common optional add‑ins and finishes:
- Cornstarch, added to the flour for an extra tender, sandy, shortbread‑shop texture.
- Finely chopped nuts (like almonds or pecans) for an additional crunch and nutty depth.
- Coarse sugar or turbinado sugar to roll the outside of the chilled log in before slicing for a crunchy, sparkly edge.
- White chocolate (chips or bars) for melting and drizzling or dipping one half of each cooled cookie.
- A simple orange glaze made from powdered sugar and orange juice for a sweet, citrusy finish instead of chocolate.
Instructions and steps
The basic flow is: flavor the sugar, cream, bring the dough together, chill, slice, and bake. Some bakers start by combining the sugar and orange zest together, rubbing them with fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and slightly tinted from the oils; this step helps intensify the orange flavor before the butter even goes in.
Cream the butter and sugar until just smooth and cohesive, but not whipped and fluffy like a cake batter; shortbread benefits from minimal aeration so it stays dense and doesn’t puff or spread. Beat in the vanilla (and almond extract, if using) along with the orange zest until the mixture smells strongly of citrus and the zest appears evenly speckled throughout.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cornstarch if your recipe includes it. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two or three additions, mixing on low just until the dough is mostly combined and starts clumping.
The dough will look slightly crumbly, but should hold together when pressed between your fingers. Over‑mixing at this stage can over‑develop gluten, leading to a tougher, less delicate shortbread.
Fold in the finely chopped dried cranberries with a spatula or your hands, distributing them evenly so every slice has some fruit without over‑working the dough. For slice‑and‑bake cookies, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a log, aiming for a fairly even cylinder about 2–3 inches in diameter.
If you want a sugared edge, some recipes suggest rolling the formed log in coarse or turbinado sugar now, pressing lightly so it sticks to the surface.
Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap or parchment, smoothing and firming the shape as you wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1–2 hours; several recipes note that you can chill it overnight or even a couple of days, or freeze it for longer storage. Chilling solidifies the butter, helping the cookies keep sharp edges, and makes slicing much cleaner.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven—most sources recommend between 325°F and 350°F (about 165–180°C)—and line your baking sheets with parchment.
Use a sharp, thin knife to slice the chilled log into even rounds about ¼–⅓ inch thick; a gentle sawing motion helps cut through the cranberries without cracking the dough. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between them; they don’t spread much, so you can fit quite a few per tray.
Bake until the cookies are set and just barely starting to turn golden at the edges while remaining pale on top, generally 10–15 minutes depending on your oven and cookie thickness. *
Pulling them at this stage keeps the centers tender and short, not crunchy all the way through. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up, then transfer them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you’re finishing with white chocolate, melt white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate in short bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler until smooth. Dip one end or half of each cooled cookie into the chocolate or drizzle it over in thin zig‑zags, then set the cookies back on parchment to let the chocolate firm up. You can sprinkle the wet chocolate with finely chopped dried cranberries, orange zest, or sparkling sugar for an extra festive touch.
Tips and tricks
Several bakers recommend chopping the dried cranberries quite small so they don’t dominate the dough or create jagged edges when you slice the chilled logs. If the cranberries are very dry, soaking them briefly in a bit of orange juice and then patting them dry before adding can plump them up without introducing too much moisture.
To boost citrus flavor, a common trick is to rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar becomes fragrant and slightly colored before adding the butter. This helps release the oils from the zest and infuses the dough more evenly. Using fresh zest rather than bottled flavoring gives the brightest, most natural orange note.
Chilling time is non‑negotiable for the best shape and texture. If you find the dough crumbling when slicing, let the log sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly, then try again; conversely, if slices flatten too much in the oven, the dough may not have been chilled long enough. Avoid over‑baking—pull them when they are set and just starting to color for that signature tender shortbread bite.
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies keep very well, which is a big part of their holiday appeal. Most sources note that they stay fresh for several days in an airtight container at cool room temperature, and the flavors often improve as they sit and the citrus and cranberry meld with the butter.
You can also freeze the dough logs or the baked cookies; thaw dough in the fridge before slicing and baking, or let baked cookies come to room temperature before serving.
Variations
Once you have the basic cranberry orange shortbread down, there are lots of subtle twists you can make while keeping the core profile intact. Some recipes add finely chopped toasted almonds, pecans, or pistachios to the dough for extra crunch and a nutty counterpoint to the bright cranberry.
Others lean into the citrus by adding a splash of orange extract in addition to zest, or glazing the cooled cookies with a simple orange icing made from powdered sugar and fresh orange juice.
Bar and wedge styles offer an alternative format: instead of shaping logs, the dough is pressed evenly into a square or round pan, docked or scored, baked, and then cut into bars or triangles while still warm.
This approach is especially handy when you need a lot of cookies quickly and don’t want to slice individual rounds, and it gives a rustic shortbread‑slice look that still showcases the cranberries and orange flecks.
Decoration can shift the vibe from casual to dressed‑up. Dipping or drizzling with white chocolate and topping with a pinch of dried cranberry or orange zest creates a red‑and‑white‑and‑orange palette that feels very Christmassy.
Rolling the logs in sparkling sugar gives a jewel‑like edge that catches the light on cookie trays. You can even swap a portion of the cranberries for other dried fruit, like cherries or apricots, for a different fruity twist while keeping the same shortbread base.
All of these small changes rest on the same foundation: a simple, rich shortbread dough flavored with orange zest and cranberries, shaped, chilled, sliced, and baked into elegant little cookies that feel special enough for holiday gifting but are easy enough for any cozy winter baking session.
