Soft and fluffy, these glazed orange cookies are such a delightful sweet treat. They are perfectly infused with bright orange flavors and then generously topped with a zesty orange icing. These citrusy cookies are so easy to make; they’re great for when guests stop by or for serving at any upcoming holidays.
These cookies are excellent for brightening your day with some sunny citrus flavors. They don’t require any special ingredients and the cookie dough comes together quickly with a mixer. Light and refreshing, you’ll want to eat cookie after cookie. If you’ve got extra fresh oranges to use up, then try my cranberry orange bread recipe, orange cake recipe, or my cranberry orange muffins.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Baking powder — make sure to use fresh baking powder as it helps the cookies spread up and out. Baking powder also helps give the orange cookies a more cake-like texture.
Butter — plan ahead by taking the butter out of the fridge to soften to room temperature. Room temperature creams more smoothly. Also, double-check it is unsalted butter as there is already salt added to the recipe.
Orange — since this orange cookie recipe needs orange zest, you might as well juice the orange afterward! Fresh orange zest adds a ton of citrusy, tangy flavor as the peels have more oil in them than juice, so it’s more flavorful than just fresh orange juice.
Powdered sugar — the sugar sweetens and thickens the glaze. If you do not have any on hand, see my post on how to make powdered sugar at home.
How to Make Orange Cookies
1. Use a microplane grater and zest the oranges.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and zest together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the egg to the mixture, and beat until well combined.
4. Whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture.
5. Alternate the flour with the orange juice until fully combined.
6. Scoop the orange cookie dough into 1 tablespoon cookie dough balls onto the lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10 minutes, or the centers appear dry and firm.
7. In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and melted butter until smooth.
8. Spread the glaze over the top of each one of the cooled orange cookies. Let cookies stand until the glaze has set, about 20 minutes.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Rub the orange zest and the sugar together with your fingers for stronger orange flavors. This allows the zest (and its oils) to absorb more into the sugar for more flavor.
- I highly recommend using a cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop ensures that all the orange cookies are the same size so that they bake evenly on the baking sheet. If you bake cookies regularly, it’s worth purchasing!
- Room temperature butter and egg will mix more evenly into each other. Place your egg into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge beforehand.
- Adding too much flour will lead to the cookies being dense. The best and easiest way to measure the flour is using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store leftovers?
You can store leftover orange cookies frosted or unfrosted in a tightly sealed airtight container for 5 days. Let the glaze harden completely before storing, or they’ll stick together. I recommend placing sheets of wax paper or parchment paper on the cookies if you’re layering them in a container.
Can I freeze these cookies?
You can freeze this orange cookie recipe, just make sure they’re thoroughly cooled, and the icing has set beforehand. Place the cookies on a lined sheet pan in the freezer until the cookies are completely frozen. Transfer the orange cookies to an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the layers of cookies, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Can I make this ahead of time?
There are a few ways to make this orange cookie recipe ahead of time. Refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days. Scoop and bake when ready. Alternatively, freeze the dough on a lined sheet pan after scooping. Transfer the frozen dough balls into a freezer-safe ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookies from frozen, with a couple of additional minutes.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this iced Orange Cookies recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Orange Cookies
Equipment
- Stand or electric mixer
- Baking Sheets
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 255g
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest about 2 oranges
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup fresh orange juice 120ml
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 120g
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and zest together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, and beat until well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the orange juice until fully combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon balls onto the cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10 minutes, or the centers appear dry and feel firm to the touch. Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, zest, juice, and melted butter until smooth. Spread the glaze over the top of each cookie. Let cookies stand until the glaze is set, about 20 minutes.
Notes
- Rub the orange zest and the sugar together with your fingers for stronger orange flavors. This allows the zest (and its oils) to absorb more into the sugar for more flavor.
- I highly recommend using a cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop ensures that all the orange cookies are the same size so that they bake evenly. If you bake cookies regularly, it’s worth purchasing!
- Room temperature butter and egg will mix more evenly into each other. Place your egg into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes.
- Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge beforehand.
- Adding too much flour will lead to the cookies being dense. The best and easiest way to measure the flour is using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it.
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