These orange cranberry shortbread cookies bring a bright, citrusy contrast to a classic buttery shortbread, and the whole dough comes together in a food processor in about 20 minutes. A little chilling time and a short bake, and you have a holiday cookie that looks like more effort than it actually took. Great any time of the year.
Why You Will Love These Orange Cranberry Shortbread
- Bright, Holiday Ready Flavor. Tart dried cranberries and fresh orange zest cut through the richness of a classic buttery shortbread.
- Food Processor Easy. The entire dough comes together in one processor bowl, no stand mixer required.
- Make Ahead Friendly. The dough keeps in the fridge for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months, so it is easy to fit into a busy holiday baking schedule.
- Customizable Shape. A round or square cutter both work, so you can match the shape to whatever holiday spread you are building.
- Classic Shortbread Texture. Weighing the butter, sugar, and flour instead of scooping keeps the texture consistent every time you make it.
Ingredients for the Best Orange Cranberry Shortbread
- Butter gives the shortbread its rich flavor and classic, tender crumb.
- Sugar sweetens the dough without overwhelming the tartness of the cranberries.
- Flour provides the structure that holds the dough together once chilled and rolled.
- Dried cranberries add tart, chewy pockets of flavor throughout the cookie. Fresh cranberries can be substituted, though they release more moisture into the dough, so dried is the more reliable choice here.
- Vanilla extract rounds out the flavor and keeps the dough from tasting one note.
- Orange zest brings the bright, citrus flavor that pairs against the tart cranberries and rich butter.
Making the Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Place the butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, cranberries, vanilla, and orange zest, and pulse until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, kneading in any loose flour by hand. Shape it into a disk, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 25 minutes, or up to three days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll the chilled dough out to somewhere between an eighth and a quarter inch thick, depending on how thick you prefer the finished cookie.
- Cut the dough into rounds or squares with a 2.5 to 3 inch cutter.
- Place the cut pieces in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking, then bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.
- Once baked, let the shortbread rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Tips on Making the Food Processor Cranberry Orange Cookie Dough
- Weigh the flour, sugar, and butter rather than scooping, especially for this recipe. An inexpensive kitchen scale makes a real difference in how consistently the dough comes together.
- Stick with dried cranberries over fresh. Fresh cranberries release more moisture into the dough and can throw off the texture.
- For a dressed up version, dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate and let it set on parchment paper before serving or gifting.
Troubleshooting the Orange Cranberry Shortbread
- Dough will not come together in the food processor. Pulse a bit longer and scrape down the sides more often, since flour or butter stuck to the bowl walls will not fully incorporate.
- Cookies spread out of shape while baking. The cut pieces likely were not cold enough going in. Chill them a few extra minutes if your kitchen runs warm.
- Cookies turned out dry instead of tender. This usually means the flour was scooped rather than weighed, which can add more flour than the recipe intends. Weighing the flour helps this consistently.
Try my pumpkin spice shortbread, my chai shortbread, or ghraybeh cookies for another quick cookie recipe.
If you like my orange shortbread recipe, Please visit my cookies page for more ideas!
FAQ's:
This recipe gets its unique flavor from a blend of orange zest and dried cranberries, giving the cookies a warm, sweet, and slightly tart taste.
Yes, the dough can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the fridge. For longer storage, you can freeze the dough for up to three months.
Chilling the dough is crucial because it helps the butter solidify, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking and results in a better texture.
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A great tip is to use guides when rolling out the dough. Two ¼ inch square dowels (or similar sticks) placed on either side of the dough will ensure an even thickness as you roll.
The shortbread should bake for about 10-13 minutes. It will be a light golden brown color on the edges and firm to the touch when done.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies keep well for about a week. The baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months, layered with parchment paper in a freezer safe container, and thaw at room temperature before serving.
This orange cranberry shortbread earns a spot on the holiday cookie platter precisely because it is not another gingerbread or sugar cookie repeat. The tart cranberries and bright orange zest give it a flavor that stands out, and the make ahead dough means it fits into a busy holiday baking schedule without much stress. Whether you keep them plain or dip half of each one in chocolate, this is a shortbread that holds its own against anything else on the tray.
Recipe
Buttery Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ⅔ cup of flour
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Zest of two oranges
Equipment
- 2 ¼ inch square dowels For rolling out the dough to ¼ inch thickness.
- 1 Parchment paper So the dough does not stick to the rolling surface and to line the baking sheet.
- 1 Food processor To blend cookie dough, pasta dough, mix sauces, and chop other ingredients.
- 1 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter i have found that this is the best size for the cookies.
- 1 Baking sheet Aluminum baking sheets work best for controlling browning ore than darker baking sheets.
Method
- Place butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add flour, cranberries, vanilla, and zest and pulse until combined. Try not to overmix.
- Place dough on a piece of plastic wrap. Knead in any flour that did not get mixed in with the dough. Wrap and flatten out dough into a disk. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes or up to three days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to somewhere between an ⅛ of an inch and ¼ of an inch. Depending on your taste.
- Cut out the shortbread with a 2-3 inch round or square cutter.
- Place in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 10-13 minutes or golden brown on the edges.
- After taking the shortbread out of the oven, let rest 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
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