Best Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle
These buttery shortbread cookies are packed with tart dried cranberries and bright orange zest, then drizzled with smooth white chocolate. They’re the perfect holiday treat that’s quick to make and even better to share.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (120g) dried cranberries
- ½ cup (85g) white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Zest your orange to get about 1 tablespoon of zest.
- Cream the softened butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale.
- Add the orange zest and vanilla extract, beating on low speed just until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears after each addition.
- Fold in the dried cranberries by hand using a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
- Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
- Scoop the dough into 1.5-tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until edges are just barely golden.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, melt white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth.
- Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies using a small spoon or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
- Let the white chocolate set completely (about 30 minutes at room temperature or 15 minutes in the fridge) before stacking or storing.
Notes
Don’t overmix the dough to keep shortbread tender. Chill dough for exactly 20 minutes—not longer or it becomes too hard to scoop. Use dried cranberries, not fresh, to avoid sogginess. Let white chocolate set completely before stacking. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For vegan, use vegan butter and dairy-free white chocolate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 11
- Sodium: 45
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 17
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: cranberry orange shortbread, white chocolate drizzle, holiday cookies, shortbread cookies, cranberry cookies, orange cookies, easy cookie recipe