These cranberry orange icebox cookies deliver big flavor from surprisingly simple ingredients. Enjoy a buttery shortbread-like cookie flecked with chewy dried cranberries and fragrant orange zest. For a sparkly edge and sweet crunch, roll the logs of dough in coarse sugar before slicing and baking. And drizzle on an easy 2-ingredient orange glaze for a flavorful finishing touch.
One reader, Maryn, commented: “These are wonderful! I made them last year, and they are as delicious and beautiful as shown in the recipe! Take the time to roll the logs in the coarse sugar and make the glaze with the orange zest on top… so gorgeous! Can’t wait to make them again this year! ★★★★★“
These bejeweled-looking cranberry orange cookies are surprisingly simple to make. You need very basic baking ingredients, and the dough comes together in just 1 bowl. (Is that music to your ears!?)
The juice and zest of a fresh orange gives these buttery shortbread-like cookies a bright and cheery flavor, complemented by the sweet-tart dried cranberries. I love this flavor combo, as evidenced by recipes like cranberry orange scones and orange cranberry bread.
And you’ll love the convenience of these icebox cookies! Make the dough ahead of time, pop it in the refrigerator, then just slice and bake when you’re ready. With so many Christmas cookies to make, I know we all appreciate a great make-ahead recipe.
Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Orange Icebox Cookies
- Simple, basic ingredients
- Easy-to-follow 1-bowl recipe
- Buttery shortbread flavored with fresh orange and studded with chewy dried cranberries
- Soft and thick in the centers, crispy around the edges
- Cranberry + orange combo is flavorful and colorful—so festive!
- A great make-ahead cookie recipe
- No rolling individual dough balls—just slice and bake
- Easy 2-ingredient icing
They’re called icebox cookies for a reason: chilling the cookie dough logs is essential. Like pinwheel cookies (another slice-and-bake style cookie), the cookie dough is very buttery and, without time in the refrigerator, will bake into greasy puddles. Let’s save the puddles for chocolate lava cakes.
It may seem like an exercise in delayed gratification, but I prefer to think of it as a great make-ahead recipe! The cookie dough logs can hang out in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or you can freeze them for even longer. Simply thaw in the refrigerator for an hour or two before slicing and baking. Having some cookie dough in the freezer is such a time-saver during the busy holiday season!
Simple Ingredients
The base dough for these slice-and-bake cookies is just like reader-favorite dark chocolate orange slice-and-bake cookies. Which, honestly, is sort of like my shortbread cookie dough and classic roll-out dough for sugar cookies combined. Butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, salt… Cookie Crew, assemble!
The only other ingredients you need are a navel orange (zest and juice), dried cranberries, some coarse sugar for rolling, and confectioners’ sugar for the icing.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Icebox Cookies
This is all very easy! I love the slice-and-bake style (aka icebox) method and you can find more variations on my website and in my cookbook, including coconut-y Santa’s whiskers cookies, colorful sprinkle slice-and-bakes, brown sugar shortbread cookies, icebox slice & bake cookies (1 Dough, 5 Flavors!), and toasted hazelnut slice-and-bake cookies.
Make the cookie dough all in 1 bowl, and then divide in half. It’s quite creamy, so have a little extra flour on hand.
Shape each portion into a log (just roll it), and then wrap up tightly and chill for 3 hours. After that, roll the dough logs in coarse sugar. I always use these sparkling sugar sprinkles or something like Sugar in the Raw. It provides a little extra sparkle and crunch, but it’s an optional step.
Slice the dough logs. They’re about 7 or 8 inches, so each cookie is a bit more than 1/2 inch thick.
Arrange on your lined baking sheet and bake.
2-Ingredient Icing
Once your cookies have fully cooled, make the easy icing by whisking together sifted confectioners’ sugar and a little orange juice. Honestly, this might be even easier than the topping for Andes mint chocolate cookies! For extra control over the drizzling, I pour the icing into a squeeze bottle, but you certainly don’t have to do this. (The same squeeze bottles I use for decorating Christmas sugar cookies with easy cookie icing!)
Or you simply can dip a fork in the icing and drizzle it over the cooled cookies. You can also just dip the tops of the cookies in the icing like we do with lemon shortbread cookies.
Can I use white or dark chocolate instead? YES! See recipe Note for details.
The icing sets after 30–60 minutes, so you can easily store, stack, and transport the cookies. They may seem really simple, but these cranberry-speckled cookies were the first to go from a cookie tray I put together the other week… which also included crowd-favorites peanut butter blossoms and chocolate crinkle cookies. That says something!!!!
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Cranberry Orange Icebox Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes dough chilling)
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Enjoy a buttery shortbread-like cookie flecked with chewy dried cranberries and fragrant orange zest. Drizzle on an easy 2-ingredient orange glaze for a flavorful finishing touch. Make sure you have a citrus juicer and zester.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3/4 cup (100g) very finely chopped dried cranberries (such as Craisins)
- optional: coarse sugar for rolling, such as this sparkling sugar
Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
- optional: more orange zest
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed, and continue to beat until fully combined. Add the flour and salt and beat on low speed until combined. Finally, beat in the orange juice, orange zest, and dried cranberries until just combined. The cookie dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and, with floured hands, divide or cut in half. Roll/shape each half into a 7- or 8-inch log, about 2.5 inches in diameter. The measurements don’t have to be exact. Tightly wrap the dough logs in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 5 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I prefer to chill mine overnight; the orange flavor really comes through the longer this dough sits!
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Optional rolling in sugar: Pour enough coarse sugar on an 8-inch or larger plate to cover it. Roll the logs in the sugar. You may need to really press the dough logs down into the sugar if it’s not really sticking. (I find coating the dough logs in sugar after chilling much easier, as the dough is too sticky to neatly roll in sugar right after mixing.)
- Slice each dough log into 12 equally thick cookies and arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 13–15 minutes or until very lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Icing: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Feel free to top each with more orange zest while icing is still wet. The icing sets after 30–60 minutes, so you can easily store, stack, and transport the cookies.
- Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Baked cookies, with or without icing, freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. You can make/assemble the cookie dough logs and chill in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (see step 2). Cookie dough logs freeze well too, up to 3 months. Allow the logs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 3.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rolling Pin | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Coarse Sugar | Cooling Rack
- Can I dip in white or dark chocolate instead? Yes! Cranberries, orange, and white or dark chocolate are a great trio of flavors! Feel free to skip the icing and dip the cookies in (or drizzle the cookies with) melted white or dark chocolate, just like these sprinkle slice-and-bake cookies or these dark chocolate orange slice-and-bake cookies.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Any advice on how to slice the roll without smashing the shape? What type of knife or what method?
A very sharp knife is best – just slice the dough from the top.
Hi Becky – I understand your baking dilemma!
You have to refrigerate the cookie log – for at least as long as the recipe states.
If you are worried, err on the side of caution and refrigerate – until it feels very firm. Measure your butter exactly as stated, and yes – use a very sharp knife when slicing – happy baking !
Hi my baking queen, quick question – do you think these would be good with a touch of almond extract? Maybe 1/4tsp? Or would it not be yummy with the cranberry orange flavor?
Hi Lydia, we haven’t tried it, so aren’t sure. We think these cookies have plenty of flavor as is, though!
I made the cookies according to the recipe, but found the outcome a bit bland. Pretty sure this was because, even though I opened a new package, the craisins didn’t have much “pop”. No idea why, the BBD was September 2026.
So, I add finely chopped orange zest, cinnamon and a touch of clove to the glaze. It turned out well – reminded me of the pomanders we make at Christmas, stuffing cloves into oranges and then rolling them in cinnamon.
I doubled the recipe and followed the instructions as per the recipe. Refrigerated the dough over night; sliced the dough thick enough. However my cookies spread and went flat. What do I need to do to correct this for next time?
Hi Marge, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. It sounds like your butter may have been a bit too warm (room temperature butter may be cooler than you think!) and/or the flour was under measured (be sure to spoon and level or use a scale to ensure just the right amount). This post on how to prevent cookies from spreading may also be a helpful resource to review. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
This is very similar to a cranberry invention cookie recipe I’ve made for years. I’m going to try this slight variation this year. Instead of icing, I put half a cranberry, cut side down, on each cookie before I bake them. Looks very festive.
Could I use real cranberries instead of dried cranberries?
Hi Meredith, dried cranberries are really best for these cookies. Fresh will add too much moisture.
I added some finely chopped pecans to the recipe and they were amazing. This will definitely be a cookie that is on my christmas cookie plate every year.
Can I freeze the logs? When I am ready to bake do I thaw them overnight or bake from frozen?
Hi Kitty, absolutely! See recipe Notes for freezing instructions: Cookie dough logs freeze well too, up to 3 months. Allow the logs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 3.
This is a great recipe and such a delicious cookie. I took them to a Christmas cookie exchange with a lot of talented, veteran, and, frankly, grizzled bakers and they were blown away. One person tasted them and his eyes rolled back in his head. That’s what I’m looking for in a cookie! I made the recipe as written except I used salted butter. (I did not adjust down the salt called for in the recipe.) Definitely let them sit in the fridge overnight so that orange oil flavor can really sink in. I tripled the recipe and it took my husband about 45 minutes to finely dice all those dried cranberries. (He’s very dedicated!) I’m wondering if I dredged them in flour if I could pulse them in the food processor?
The cookies turned out great. Great flavor and loved the crispy edges.
Hi Sally! I’ve loved every recipe I’ve made of yours; thank you! I’m excited to try this one.
Do you think soaking the dried cranberries in juice or alcohol for a few hours before using would impact the integrity of the cookie dough?
Thanks!
Hi Kaki! That should be fine, as long as you pat them dry before adding to the dough (so they don’t add too much moisture).
I made these last year and they were such a hit! I skipped a step and just scooped the dough using a normal spoon and formed them to be a little more round. They came out great! I’m about to make them again for a party, and I will do the sliced log format. I do have a question though – I accidentally bought sweetened cranberries (used no sugar added last time) and don’t know if that will make the cookie too sweet. I technically have the unsweetened ones, but they expire tomorrow and I’m admittedly a little more paranoid about expiration dates when baking/cooking for others. Thoughts? Thank you in advance!
Sweetened dried cranberries are just fine here, Annelise!
Do you think I’d be able to add white chips to the dough?
Hi Robin, regular white chocolate chips may make the dough hard to cut. You could try mini white chocolate chips or even chopped white chocolate. Let us know how it goes!
This is a great recipe! I doubled it, followed it exactly. I refrigerated for 3 days, sliced, baked and iced the night before Thanksgiving. Our guests enjoyed all weekend. They are a thick, substantial, shortbread-like cookie that is a good keeper. Stays fresh for days in a plastic container and didn’t get soggy even here in Florida. Definitely making again. I rolled in white and gold sanding sugar before baking. Don’t skip this! Definitely adds to the finished product.
This is a solid Xmas cookie. I would add a bit more zest and cranberry next batch. Not much though. A new staple for me.