Orange Sugar Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Deliciously light and refreshing orange cookies made with fresh orange zest + juice. They're cakey, fluffy, and adorable!

Prep Time20

Cook Time13

Chill time30

Total Time1 3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: orange sugar cookies

Calories: 171kcal

Get Recipe Ingredients

In a medium bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients: 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, and ¾ tsp table salt.
In a large bowl, use fingers to massage ½ tbsp orange zest with ½ cup granulated sugar until fragrant. This releases the oils from the zest, enhancing the orange flavor in the cookies.
Add the softened ½ cup unsalted butter and lightly cream using an electric/stand mixer or hand whisk.
Mix in 1 egg, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, and orange food coloring until smooth.
Add about half of the dry ingredients and stir with silicone spatula until it is mostly incorporated. Pour in ⅓ cup orange juice and stir until mostly mixed in. Add remaining dry ingredients, stirring until no dry spots remain.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add ⅓ cup granulated sugar and ½ tbsp orange zest to a small plate/bowl. Massage together until fragrant.
Use a medium cookie dough scoop to gather dough (about 2-3 tablespoons each). Roll into sugar then place onto lined baking tray, about 3-4 inches apart.
Tip if dough is sticky: Plop the dough from the cookie scoop straight into the granulated sugar. Work quickly to roll it around to avoid it sticking to your fingers. They do not need to be shaped into perfect balls. 🙂
Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until edges are set. Let cool on pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
Optional: For rounder, more aesthetic cookies, take a something circular and larger than your cookies (cookie cutter, mug, cup), and place it on top of a warm, freshly baked cookie. Move the circular object around to shape the edges of the cookie until it becomes rounder.

Note: You can a piping bag, toothpick, or cookie scribe to add on the details. I used piping bags.
Add 1 tbsp milk/dark chocolate melting wafers to small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. Use this this to draw on orange stems.
Melt 3 tbsp white chocolate melting wafers in another small microwave-safe bowl. Mix in green oil-based food coloring and use this to draw on orange leaves.
If you don't have oil-based food coloring, then the chocolate will seize/become lumpy. To counter this, stir in a tsp of neutral oil (canola, vegetable) at a time, until it becomes smooth again.
Enjoy!

Storage: Store cooled, freshly baked cookies in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They will get soggy over time due to their moistness, so I recommend eating them as close to the day they’re baked as possible!
Tip for measuring ingredients: I weigh my ingredients with a kitchen scale, rather than using measuring cups because it is more accurate. If using measuring cups, I recommend spooning flour into the cup and overfilling it, then leveling it off with a knife.