Buttery and full of citrus flavor these easy orange chocolate chip cookies are ideal for winter and holiday buffets.
The bits of colorful orange bits in white cookies dotted with chocolate give a rather simple cookie a delightful appearance along with their tastiness.
Make double or triple batches of these small, rich, and flavorful cookies for cookie exchanges and for mailing in care packages.
[mailerlite_form form_id=8]Zest for Flavor
All of the orange flavor in these cookies come from the zest of an orange. A generous Tablespoon of freshly grated orange zest is a good start. Go for more if you want an even bigger hit of orange flavor.
One could easily substitute tangerine, lemon, lime, or grapefruit zest for a different but no less lovely taste.
Do use freshly grated zest for the most intense flavor. Also cream it well with the sugar and butter. It seems that beating helps it release more of the oils that give everything lots of flavor.
Chocolate Choices
Use whatever is your favorite. Dark, milk, white, etc. Chop it into smallish chunks to keep the final cookies small.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips work perfectly. And are likely to be more easily on hand for many bakers. Mini chocolate chips would be especially delightful.
Small in Size but Rich
These are a rich cookie. Keep them small because of their richness. I’m generally a big fan of large cookies but in this case small works better.
Optional Decorating
These cookies are simple and perfect just as baked. However, if you want to make them a bit fancier for a holiday buffet or guests, you have options:
- Drizzle melted chocolate over the tops
- Dip half the cookie in melted chocolate and top with a small piece of candied orange peel
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving
Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
These lightly orange flavored cookies loaded with chocolate chips are perfect for highlighting winter citrus while also pleasing the chocolate lover in your life.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Salted Butter, softened
- 3 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tablespoon Grated Orange Zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cream together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
- Add the flour and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until edges brown slightly.
- Remove from sheets to cool completely on wire racks.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 72Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 27mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.
Sheila
Tuesday 10th of December 2019
Orange and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I could definitely go for one of these cookies right now!
Amy
Sunday 8th of December 2019
Chocolate and orange is such a fantastic flavor combination! I love these cookies! They were so delicious!
Leanne
Thursday 5th of December 2019
Orange and chocolate are so perfect together! These cookies look like they have a great texture. And they would be so lovely for cookie exchanges or care packages!
Lauren Schmidt
Thursday 5th of December 2019
I love the orange chocolate combination! I could see myself using extra orange zest! Great recipe!
Samantha
Tuesday 3rd of December 2019
Orange and Chocolate is the best combination especially for the holidays! I've never used cream cheese in cookies before, does this add extra moisture?