These orange cranberry shortbread cookies are the perfect holiday treat — buttery, tender, and bursting with festive flavor. Sweet dried cranberries pair beautifully with the bright, citrusy notes of fresh orange zest, creating a cookie that’s both vibrant and comforting. Their melt-in-your-mouth texture and jewel-toned cranberry pieces make them a stunning addition to any Christmas cookie platter or holiday dessert table. Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, gifting to friends, or simply enjoying with a cup of tea by the fire, these cookies capture the spirit of the season in every bite.

One of the best things about this recipe is how simple and foolproof it is. The buttery shortbread dough comes together quickly with just a handful of pantry staples, and there’s no need for complicated decorating — the festive colors and flavors speak for themselves. Chilling the dough before baking helps the cookies hold their shape while intensifying the flavors, giving you crisp edges and a rich, buttery crumb. The combination of tangy cranberry and zesty orange makes these cookies a refreshing break from overly sweet holiday treats.

These cranberry orange shortbread cookies also make a fantastic make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the dough in advance, freeze it, and slice-and-bake whenever the craving strikes or guests arrive unexpectedly. Pack them in decorative tins for a thoughtful homemade holiday gift, or set them out on a dessert table for instant festive charm. No matter how you serve them, these cookies are guaranteed to be a hit — and quite possibly become a new family tradition.

Slice-and-Bake Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

Recipe by SamCourse: Breakfast, Dessert, Holidays, Sweets, Uncategorized

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest from 1 orange
2 1/3 cup AP flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Combine the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest in a bowl. Mix for 1-2 minutes to really help the orange flavor develop.
In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt, then add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to mix, then stir in the rest.
Finely chop the dried cranberries and stir them in to the dough.
Roll dough into an even log using plastic wrap, try to squish the ends to be as flat as possible. *See note below for alternate technique.**
Refrigerate dough overnight (minimum 1-2 hours until firm.)
When chilling period is over and you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove dough from plastic and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Transfer cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet spaced an inch apart, these don’t typically spread too much if chilled long enough.
Bake for 15 minutes. Until just very lightly browned on the bottom.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

*If you’d prefer thin square cookies, or cut-outs, to round discs, follow this technique! Using quart size (or gallon if you have enough space) bags, add some dough to the bag and squish it flat. Continue to add until you get a flat sheet of dough that you can seal inside the bag, about 1/4 inch thick. Move to the refrigerator for the suggested chill time, then carefully remove the bag to cut out your cookies. The easiest way is to make a cut by a seam and tear the sides.
**If your cookies are burning, use an oven thermometer to be sure your oven isn’t running too hot. Adjust the temperature down to 12 minutes if you find these are coming out too dark, you can always leave them in another minute or two if needed!