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Soft and Chewy Orange Creamsicle Cookies made with fresh orange zest and juice and white chocolate chips. This Orange White Chocolate Cookie recipe is the perfect orange cookie.
When I first started on Modern Honey, I shared a soft and chewy lemon sugar cookie that gained popularity fast. I found my lemon lovers and started sharing more and more citrus recipes.
My husband picked hundreds and hundreds of fresh oranges from my parent’s orange trees so we are busting at the seams with oranges! I wanted to create a cookie that highlights fresh oranges, using both the orange zest and juice to bring out the true orange flavor.
This soft and chewy orange white chocolate cookie was born. It has just the perfect amount of orange flavor with creamy white chocolate which pairs perfectly with oranges.
Orange Cookie Ingredients:
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Sugar
- Egg
- Orange Zest
- Orange Juice
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- White Chocolate Chips — I suggest Guittard or Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. You can also chop up a white chocolate bar.
- Orange Food Coloring and Extract (optional)
How to make Homemade Orange Cookies:
- Start by creaming together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. This creates a smooth cookie dough which helps to create a tender textured cookie.
- Add in egg, fresh orange zest, and orange juice. If you want extra orange flavor, add extra zest and even orange extract. If you want them to have a bright orange color, add in some orange food coloring to the dough.
- Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt. Don’t overmix or it will create too much gluten in the dough and you will end up with tough cookies!
- Fold in white chocolate chips. Reserve 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips for placing on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Bake on a light-colored baking sheet. Don’t overbake as the cookies will continue to bake once you remove them from the oven.
Can I use orange juice instead of orange zest?
Not recommended. Orange juice adds liquid without much flavor, while zest provides concentrated citrus oils and stronger orange taste. This zester is the one I like to use for oranges.
Fresh orange juice is best. Bottled versions lack the bright, natural citrus flavor that makes these cookies stand out.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use orange extract instead of fresh orange zest?
Yes, but use it sparingly. Orange extract is much stronger—start with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Fresh zest gives the best natural flavor.
How do I get a strong orange flavor in cookies?
Use plenty of fresh orange zest and rub it into the sugar before mixing. This releases the oils and intensifies the citrus flavor.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
This can happen if the butter was too soft, the dough wasn’t chilled, or there wasn’t enough flour. Try chilling the dough for 30–60 minutes before baking.
Can I use milk or dark chocolate instead of white chocolate?
Yes, but white chocolate pairs best with the citrus flavor. Milk or dark chocolate will create a richer, less bright flavor profile.
Popular Recipes with Citrus:
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Frosted Orange Cream Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Frosted Lemon Cookies
Orange Desserts:
Storage:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.
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Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Juice
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/4 cups White Chocolate Chips
- Orange Food Coloring (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Orange Extract (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 385 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, orange zest, and orange juice for 1 minute longer. If you are adding orange extract or orange food coloring, add it to the dough now.
- Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt. Don't overmix once you add the dry ingredients or it will produce too much gluten in the dough. Fold in 1 cup of white chocolate chips, reserving 1/4 cup for topping the cookies once you remove them from the oven.
- Scoop the dough onto parchment paper lined, light-colored baking sheets, spaced at least two inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes. DO NOT overbake the cookies as they will continue to bake once they are removed from the oven.
- For more gourmet cookies, place several white chocolate chips on top of the cookies, once you remove them from the oven. Let set up on a baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! Sweet orange flavor is perfect for spring. I substituted GF flour, added extra orange zest, but did not use any coloring or extract. This will be our new cookie recipe, thank you!
I am so glad you loved this recipe with gluten free flour, Melissa! Thank you so much for making it.
A perfect chewy orange cookie!! I loved the unique combo of flavors, it’s amazing!
Thank you Tiff! I am so glad you loved the recipe.
Amazing cookies! So bright and fresh!
Omg!! Love these cookies!!
I love everything orange so I knew I had to try these out! OBSESSED! Perfect amount of orange. I’ll definitely be making them again!
So yummy! I subbed semisweet for white chocolate since that’s what I had on hand, and it still turned out great
Can I substitute Flour with Almond Flour? What could be the proportion?
OMG. These cookies are amazing. What a lovely change from the standard fare. Light. Fruity. Chewy-crunchy. Sweet-tart. I made them for one book group I’m in and it was a huge hit. Everyone wanted the recipe. I did use Orange Extract and Orange Food Coloring. Next time I make them – which will be soon – I’m going to try Grand Manier instead of the Orange Extract, Can’t wait to make them for my church’s Annual December Cookie Walk. Thanks so much.