Chocolate orange cookies are soft, chewy cookies dunked in white chocolate. This easy no-chill Christmas cookie recipe will be a big hit at holiday cookie exchanges!
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If you’re a fan of chocolate and orange, these orange chocolate chip cookies are for you! From start to finish, you can whip these up in under 30 minutes.
Chocolate chip and orange cookies are similar to my cocoa blossom cookies. They’re super chocolatey and full of fresh orange flavor! You definitely need to make this recipe for your holiday cookie exchanges.
For more delicious chocolate and orange treats, try my chocolate gingerbread cake and chocolate orange cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You just need pantry friendly ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make these cookies. No need to chill the dough or roll it out.
- Chocolate fans will love these fudgy cookies. They’re made with cocoa powder and chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. For another chocolatey Christmas cookie recipe, make my Christmas cookies with sprinkles!
- White chocolate orange cookies are so delicious. White chocolate makes a yummy and easy finishing touch!
- These will be a hit at holiday cookie exchanges! I love them year round too just like these chocolate chip and pecan cookies!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some useful notes on the ingredients for this recipe for chocolate chip and orange cookies.
- Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder. Try my chocolate crinkle cookies for another yummy cocoa based cookie!
- Chocolate: Use chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars from the baking aisle or chocolate chips. For another chocolatey holiday treat, try my chocolate and peanut butter balls recipe.
- Cinnamon: These cookies don’t have a strong cinnamon flavor, but cinnamon adds a hint of warm flavor. If you love cinnamon in cookies, try my chocolate chip snickerdoodles!
- Brown sugar: This recipe uses mostly brown sugar. Brown sugar gives these cookies a nice chewy texture. Use fresh light or dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar: In addition to being an ingredient in the cookie dough, the cookie dough balls are rolled in granulated sugar. The sugar adds a little sparkle and extra sweetness.
- Orange zest: You’ll need 1 or 2 medium oranges for this recipe. Use the zest of 1 orange for the dough. I add a few teaspoons of orange zest to the sugar coating too, but that’s optional. For more delicious orange flavored recipes, try my orange donuts, orange chocolate chip scones and pinwheel date cookies recipe.
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk: Use one large, room temperature egg and 1 egg yolk. The egg binds the ingredients together.
- White chocolate: Once cooled, drizzle or dredge the cookies in melted white chocolate. I use chopped white chocolate. It melts better than white chocolate chips.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions And Variations
- For more sparkle, roll cookie dough balls in sanding sugar instead of granulated sugar.
- Dredge the cookies in melted semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate in place of white chocolate.
- Use mini or regular chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolate in the cookie dough.
How to Make Chocolate Orange Cookies
Quick Video Recap
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Instructions
Step 1: (Photo 1 above) Add the sugars and orange zest to a mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugars or mix them with an electric mixer.
Step 2: (Photo 2 above) Add the butter to the sugars. Beat with a mixer til light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk one at a time until incorporated.
Step 3: (Photo 3 above) Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 4: (Photo 4 above) Scoop dough using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon. Rub extra orange zest into a bowl of granulated sugar (optional). Roll dough balls in granulated sugar.
Step 5: (Photo 5 above) Place dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten gently with fingertips. Top with extra chopped chocolate. Bake 7-9 minutes.
Step 6: (Photo 6 above) Transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. Dunk in melted white chocolate. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. If you dredge the measuring cup into the flour, the flour will become compact. This can lead to dry cookies.
- Top with extra chocolate chips or chopped chocolate before or just after baking. Chopped chocolate will melt better and give you the bigger pools of melted chocoalte.
- Melted white chocolate makes the easiest topping.
- Zest some orange over the white chocolate right after dunking. The zest will stick to the white chocolate and look extra pretty!
Recipe FAQs
The cookies will puff up and cracks will start to form when the cookies have finished baking. I usually take mine out of the oven at 8 minutes.
Use a microplane to grate the orange part of the peel. Do not grate the white pith part of the peel.
Store these orange zest chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze in an airtight for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
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Chocolate Orange Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 medium orange
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (116.67 g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chopped, divided
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar for rolling
- 2 teaspoons orange zest to add to rolling sugar, optional
Topping
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) white chocolate melted
- orange zest optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated and orange zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugars. (Instead of your fingers, use mixer to combine). This helps to bring out the orange flavor.
- Beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk one at a time until incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in most of the chopped chocolate til just combined. Leave a little extra chocolate out so that you can top the cookies with it.
- Pour 1/4 cup granulated sugar to a shallow bowl. Add 2-3 teaspoons of orange zest (optional) and rub it into the sugar with your fingertips.
- Scoop dough using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon. Roll cookie dough balls in granulated sugar until coated.
- Place cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart. Press a couple of extra pieces of chopped chocolate into the dough balls. Lightly press the dough balls down with your fingertips. Bake 7-9 minutes.
- Leave cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely
- Once cookies have cooled completely, melt the white chocolate. Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl. Microwave in twenty second bursts, stirring well in between each burst til chocolate has melted.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies or dunk/dredge half the cookies or the top of the cookies in the melted chocolate.
- Zest extra orange over the cookies while the white chocolate is still wet, if desired. Set cookies on the cookie rack to allow white chocolate to set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Chris
I just made these!!! PHENOMENAL
DEFINITELY A KEEPER. EVERYONE LOVED THEM. THANKYOU
Natalie
Aww love to hear that! Thank you so much for making these cookies Chris. So happy they were a hit! Happy holidays!