Orange Shortbread
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These easy slice and bake orange shortbread cookies are crisp, buttery, and packed with zesty orange flavor. Chocolate coating optional but encouraged!
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You know how certain smells instantly bring you into the holiday spirit? For me, it’s a toss-up between fresh pine, cinnamon, and citrus. There’s just something about the bright, zesty scent of orange that feels so festive!
It’s probably why I keep coming back to orange desserts this time of year—like my orange loaf cake (so moist and dreamy), those fluffy orange cupcakes, and these orange cranberry oatmeal muffins that are basically holiday cheer in muffin form.
So naturally, when I was in the mood to bake something buttery and simple, these orange shortbread cookies were a no-brainer. They’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious with just the right hint of citrus to feel fancy, but they’re also ridiculously easy to whip up.
These orange shortbread cookies are pretty much everything you want in a holiday treat—crisp, buttery, and bursting with zesty orange flavor. They’re perfect on their own, but let’s be honest, adding a chocolate coating takes them to a whole new level. I mean, who can resist that magical orange-and-chocolate combo? (if you can’t, you’d also want to check out these orange chocolate chip muffins)
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- These slice-and-bake orange shortbread cookies are as low-maintenance as holiday baking gets. Mix the dough, chill, slice, bake—boom, done.
- Dip, drizzle, or dunk—adding chocolate takes this shortbread from delicious to completely irresistible. Totally optional, but highly recommended!
- These chocolate orange shortbread cookies hold their shape beautifully and store well, making them a great option for cookie exchanges, holiday platters, or just munching with your coffee.
- You probably already have all the ingredients to make this orange shortbread in your pantry!
Ingredient Notes
Granulated Sugar
While many shortbread recipes call for icing sugar rather than granulated sugar, I prefer granulated sugar for slice and bake shortbread in particular. Icing sugar will give you a tender, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Granulated sugar yield’s a crisper cookie that is on the crunchier side which is my personal preference for these cookies.
Orange Zest
This is the star of the show! The zest packs way more flavor than orange juice. Use a microplane to finely grate just the outer orange layer (avoid the bitter white part).
Butter
Butter creates that melt-in-your-mouth texture we all love in shortbread – but it needs to be a room temperature and not cold. Make sure it’s soft enough to mix smoothly but not too melty.
If you only have salted butter, omit the salt entirely from this orange shortbread recipe, or use just 1/4 tsp for a little extra flavor.
Vanilla
Just a little splash of vanilla goes a long way in complementing the orange and butter flavors.
All-Purpose Flour
The flour is of course the foundation of this orange shortbread. Be careful not to over-measure, or your cookie dough might turn out crumbly. My preferred method for measuring flour is to weigh it, but otherwise the best way is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
Chocolate
If you love the orange-and-chocolate combo, you need some chocolate at the end! Dark or semi-sweet chocolate works best to complement the citrusy flavor without making the cookies overly sweet.
I like to temper the chocolate so it sets glossy and crisp, and stays hard and streak-free at room temperature. But you can also use candy melts, or you can just melt some chocolate chips, dip your orange shortbread in it and refrigerate to set the chocolate. In the latter case, the chocolate may be softer at room temperature.
Don’t forget to watch the video!
Most of my recipes include a short step-by-step video tutorial. Just scroll down to the recipe card, or use the “Jump to Video” button at the top of the post!
Step by Step Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and orange zest together with a spoon or rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers, until well combined.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, orange-sugar mixture, vanilla, and salt on medium speed with a hand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Now gradually add the flour and continue to beat at a low speed, until the cookie dough comes together. The dough should form large, moist crumbs that hold together when pressed, with no dry ingredients remaining.
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface and gently bring it together into a ball. Avoid overworking it. Divide the dough in half, then roll each half into a 5-inch log. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
Tip: For perfectly round cookies, take the logs out after about 20 minutes, when they’re starting to firm up, and roll them a few times to smooth out the flat side. Then return them to the fridge to finish chilling.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone mat. Using a sharp knife, slice the chilled logs into 1/2-inch rounds. Arrange the rounds on the baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 14 to 15 minutes, just until they’re very lightly golden around the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Optional Chocolate Coating
- I highly recommend tempering about 8 oz of dark chocolate If you’re adding a chocolate coating (see my easy microwave method for tempering chocolate). Otherwise candy melts work too. If you use regular melted chocolate or chocolate chips, chill them to set the chocolate (your chocolate will probably be softer and may be streaky at room temperature, compared to tempered chocolate).
- Dip each cooled orange shortbread cookie halfway into the chocolate, letting any excess drip off, and place them on parchment paper for the chocolate to set.
- If you want to add sprinkles or a little orange zest on top of the chocolate, this is the time to do it, before it hardens. Then let it harden completely before serving or storing.
Recipe Tips
- Shortbread’s rich flavor relies heavily on butter. Opt for a high-quality or European-style butter with a higher fat content for the best texture and flavor.
- Handle the orange shortbread dough gently to prevent developing too much gluten, which can make the cookies tough. Mix just until the ingredients come together.
- Proper chilling helps the cookies maintain their shape and prevents excessive spreading during baking. If time allows, chill the dough overnight for even better results.
- Halfway through baking, rotate the baking sheets to promote even browning, especially if your oven has hot spots.
Storage Instructions
Store the orange shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep them in a cool, dry spot to maintain their crisp texture. If your kitchen is very warm or you’ve dipped the cookies in untempered melted chocolate, refrigerate them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for about 10 days.
These orange shortbread cookies also freeze beautifully! Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze initially, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes before enjoying.
More Cookie Recipes You Need To Try
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter
Scottish shortbread is traditionally made with just three ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour, and it has a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Regular shortbread may include additional ingredients giving it a slightly different flavor or texture.
Shortbread has a higher fat-to-flour ratio, which gives it a rich, buttery texture and crumbly finish. Butter biscuits, on the other hand, tend to be lighter and crisper, with a bit more structure due to added eggs or milk.
Confectioners’ sugar (also known as icing sugar or powdered sugar) creates a crumblier, more tender shortbread with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, while granulated sugar gives a crisper cookie with a distinct crunch. It depends on the texture you prefer!
Tell me what you think!
If you try this recipe, l’d be so grateful if you’d leave a comment and a rating in the recipe card. I love to hear your feedback, and your tips can help other readers too!
Orange Shortbread
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened*
- 1 vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate melted and tempered, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar with the orange zest (or rub them together with your fingers) until well combined.
- Beat butter, orange-sugar mixture, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl at medium speed until creamy and well-combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly mix in flour just until incorporated and dough comes together. Dough should form large crumbs that hold together when pressed, and no visible flour should remain.
- Scrape the dough onto a clean surface, and bring it together into a ball without overworking it. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 5-inch log. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Tip: If you'd like your cookies to be as round as possible, take the dough out after about 20 minutes, when it has had a chance to firm up a little, roll the log a few times to round out the flat side, and return to the fridge for the rest of the chilling time.
- Preheat the oven to 325F Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut chilled logs into 1/2-inch rounds. Place rounds 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 14 to 15 minutes, until very lightly golden. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
