Easy Cranberry Orange Snowball Cookies
Making snowball cookies with fresh orange and dried cranberries is a fun twist on the original version, giving them plenty of festive holiday flair.
Tender and flavorful cranberry orange snowball cookies make a lovely addition to a cookie box or a cookie swap party this holiday season. They’re also fun to leave out for Santa!
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When it comes to Christmas cookies, I’ll be honest and say that traditional snowball cookies are the ones on the platter that I almost always skip.
They often tend to be a little dry or crumbly and don’t have a lot of flavor.
But that all changes with these cranberry orange snowball cookies! I mean, I could probably single-handedly eat a dozen.
They’re buttery and tender without being soft and chewy, and they have the best flavor, thanks to fresh orange zest and dried cranberries.
The powdered sugar coating still gives them the appearance of classic snowball cookies, but what’s inside makes all the difference.
This is one of my favorite cranberry recipes for the holidays, and once you give it a try, I think you’ll see why!
How to Make Cranberry and Orange Snowballs
It’s really easy to make these holiday cookies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Powdered sugar
- Orange zest
- Unsalted butter
- Orange extract
- Almond extract
- Flour
- Salt
- Dried cranberries
How to Make It:
Find the full printable recipe available below
Combine sugar, zest, butter, and extracts. First, you’ll start by adding some orange zest to powdered sugar.
Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps to release the oils from the zest and makes it easier to incorporate the zest throughout the dough.
Then beat in the butter, followed by the flavor extracts.
Add dry ingredients and Craisins. Then, you’ll mix in the flour and salt, followed by the dried cranberries.
Scoop, chill, and bake. Then, you’ll scoop out rounds of dough, roll them into balls, and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
After that, bake them for about 15 minutes.
Roll in sugar. While the cookies are still warm but cool enough to handle, roll them in powdered sugar.
Let them cool completely, then roll them in powdered sugar again to get a nice, white coating on them.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes and Adaptations:
- I use a small cookie scoop to yield about 24 cookies.
- Double-rolling the cookies ensures they have a good coating of powdered sugar, giving them the “snowball” look.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
Recommended Equipment:
Cranberry Orange Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries (chopped)
For Rolling the Cookies:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer), combine powdered sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, which will help to release the oils from the zest.
- Add butter to the powdered sugar mixture. Beat on medium-high speed until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the orange extract and almond extract, mixing to combine.
- Add flour and salt, mixing on low speed just until a soft dough forms.
- With the mixer still on low speed, add the dried cranberries, mixing just until incorporated.
- Use a small cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) to scoop out rounds of dough. Roll them in your hands to form a ball, then place on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet (I use a plate because I can't fit a baking sheet in my side-by-side refrigerator). Chill for one hour.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (if dough balls are not already on a baking sheet). Set aside.
- Remove from refrigerator and place dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are light golden-brown.
- Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes. Place powdered sugar (for rolling) in a shallow bowl or dish.
- While the cookies are still warm but cool enough to handle, roll each one in the powdered sugar to coat. Let the cookies cool completely, then roll them again in the powdered sugar for a more even, bright white coating. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I use a small cookie scoop to yield about 24 cookies.
- Double-rolling the cookies ensures they have a good coating of powdered sugar, giving them the “snowball” look.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
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More Christmas Cookie Recipes to Try:
- No-Bake Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Twix Cookies
- Scottish Shortbread Cookies
- Cake Mix Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Easy Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
- Grinch Crinkle Cookies
- Pistachio Pudding Cookies
- Cake Mix Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Cake Mix Gingerbread Cookies
- Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your holiday desserts board on Pinterest!
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