The BEST soft, chewy orange creamsicle cookies flavored with orange zest and white chocolate. You'll love this EASY sugar cookie recipe made with cold butter and cream cheese because they have that nostalgic popsicle taste!
Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Orange creamsicle is one of those flavors that takes me straight back to childhood! I'm old enough to remember the individual ice cream cups that came with a wooden spoon, but my girls associate the flavor with popsicles.
I know you are busy like me, so I'm back with another cookie recipe that uses cold ingredients and requires no chill time. Perfect for those of us that need a cookie now! To create this recipe I started with my popular sprinkle cookies recipe and gave it a few tweaks.
For other nostalgic cookie flavors, try my pop tart cookies and iced molasses cookies.
why you will love this easy cookie recipe
- Uses cold ingredients!
- Made from scratch without a cake mix! The orange creamsicle flavor comes from orange zest, orange juice, vanilla and white chocolate.
- A food processor makes the dough come together quickly {see the recipe card below for using a mixer instead}.
- NO CHILL time!
ingredients and substitutions
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- All-purpose flour ~ use your favorite brand. If you aren't using a kitchen scale, be sure to spoon and level your flour. {Fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a spoon}
- Baking soda and baking powder ~ gives a little lift to the cookies.
- Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the flavors; if you only have table salt, use half the amount.
- Granulated and confectioners' sugar ~ bring the sweetness, softness and structure to the cookies.
- Orange zest ~ be sure to zest your orange first. I use one large naval orange which yields about 1-2 tablespoons of zest. My microplane zester is my fave.
- Unsalted butter ~ use your butter COLD and cut it into small cubes.
- Cream cheese ~ the cream cheese adds softness to the orange creamsicle cookies, the cream cheese is also used COLD and cut it into small cubes too. You will want to use full fat cream cheese for the best cookies.
- Egg ~ one large egg is needed, this can also be cold. The egg helps to bind the cookies together.
- Orange juice ~ I just juice the orange after it's been zested. This is my favorite juicing tool.
- Vanilla ~ vanilla is a big part of the flavor of these cookies, I recommend a pure vanilla extract.
- White chocolate ~ the white chocolate also brings a big part of the flavor, I use a Lindt baking bar or chop up a block of Callebaut white chocolate. Chop it small and you will mix some into the dough and top the cookie dough balls with a few small pieces too.
how to make these orange creamsicle sugar cookies
Start by preheating oven to 375°. Prepare baking pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Now take the orange zest and use your clean fingers to work the zest into the granulated sugar. This helps to enhance the orange flavor.
Then place flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to blend. Add the cold butter cubes, cold cream cheese, orange granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar to the flour mixture.
Pulse until the mixture becomes sandy in texture. Now add the egg, vanilla and orange juice and pulse a few times. Then add ¾ of the chopped white chocolate and pulse until the dough comes together.
Roll dough into 1 ½ tablespoon balls and then roll in the extra granulated sugar.
Place orange creamsicle cookies on prepared baking pans, spacing 1-2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a glass or flat bottom measuring cup {or your clean hand} to flatten the cookies to between ¼ and ½ inch tall. Add a few pieces of the remaining white chocolate bar on top of each cookie.
Bake until the edges are set and they look slightly under baked. If the cookies aren't as flat as you would like, wrap the pan against the counter or stove top and few times to deflate them while they are still hot. Allow to rest for 2 minutes on the baking pan. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
orange juice versus orange extract
Orange juice is not nearly as strong as orange extract. Since you are already zesting an orange, just juice it for the orange juice needed in the recipe. Between the orange zest and the juice, you get the perfect orange flavor. This is my favorite tool for juicing oranges, limes and lemons.
If you are tempted to use orange extract, start with a ¼ to ½ teaspoon, but you'll find that the orange flavor with just the zest and juice is really all you need.
tips for the best orange sugar cookies
- A food processor is your best friend for this recipe. This is the updated version of my 25+ year old Cuisinart food processor. If you do not have a food processor, see the recipe card below for how you can use a mixer instead.
- Use COLD ingredients! Ya'll are busy like me so this one takes next to no planning ahead.
- Try not to overwork the dough, when it balls up on the food processor, it's ready! Overworked dough = tough cookies. We are going for thick, soft and chewy.
- After you've rolled the cookies, use the bottom of a flat cup or a clean hand to slightly flatten the cookies. Then press some pieces of the chopped white chocolate on top of the cookies before baking them. I like the finished look of the cookies best when the chocolate pieces are placed close together so they form a puddle of melted white chocolate.
- If the orange creamsicle cookies are puffier than you would like once you remove them from the oven, you can drop the pan on the counter or stove top a few times right after you take them out of the oven. This helps to deflate them.
other flavor variations
If you've tried my lemon white chocolate cake or lemon white chocolate cookie ice cream, you know how magical the lemon creamsicle flavor is too. Feel free to substitute the orange zest and juice with lemon.
I haven't tried it, but I bet if you substituted the orange with lime you'd get a key lime flavored cookie. Please let me know if you try this variation!
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.
frequently asked questions
can you make cookies with cold ingredients?
Yes!! Most of my easy cookie recipes with cold ingredients use a food processor. It does all the hard work for you. Since the ingredients are cold to start with, no chill time is needed before baking the orange creamsicle cookies.
can I use white chocolate chips instead?
You could, but I highly recommend chopping up a white chocolate bar. White chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape when they are baked. A white chocolate baking bar will melt into the cookies giving them a softer texture and more evenly distributed flavor.
do I have to use white chocolate?
To achieve the orange creamsicle flavor, yes, white chocolate is needed.
I haven't tested this cookie with a dark chocolate, but I suspect it would yield that classic chocolate orange flavor, if that's more your thing.
how to store
Orange creamsicle cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.
The sugar cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months. Allow the cookies to cool completely and then store in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the freezer.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Orange Creamsicle Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
more no chill cookies to bake
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Orange Creamsicle Cookies
recipe created and tested by:
I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Please note
When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.
Ingredients
- Large orange zested and juiced
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- 4 ounce white chocolate bar chopped small 114g
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 313g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed 113g
- ½ cup 4 ounces cream cheese, cold and cubed (114g)
- ¾ confectioners' sugar 90g
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling 50g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare baking pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Zest the orange then squeeze out the juice you need. Now take your clean fingers and work the orange zest into the granulated sugar (½ cup/100g) and set aside.
- Chop the white chocolate (4 ounces/114g) into small pieces and set aside.
- Place flour (2½ cups/313g), baking soda (½ teaspoon), baking powder (½ teaspoon) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to blend.
- Add the cold butter cubes (½ cup/113g), cold cream cheese (½ cup/114g), orange granulated sugar (½ cup/100g) and confectioners' sugar (¾ cup/90g) to the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture becomes sandy in texture.
- Add the egg (1 large), vanilla (1 tablespoon) and orange juice (1 tablespoon) and pulse a few times. Then add ¾ of the chopped white chocolate and pulse until the dough comes together.
- Roll dough into 1 ½ tablespoon balls and then roll in the extra granulated sugar (¼ cup/50g).
- Place cookies on prepared baking pans, spacing 1-2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a glass or flat bottom measuring cup (or your clean hand) to flatten the cookies to between ¼ and ½ inch tall. Add a few pieces of the remaining white chocolate bar (about 1 ounce) on top of each cookie.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until the edges are set and they look slightly under baked.
- If the cookies aren't as flat as you would like, wrap the pan against the counter or stove top and few times to deflate them while they are still hot. Allow to rest for 2 minutes on the baking pan. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Michelle says
The flavours from this orange creamsicle cookie is bringing me right back to childhood! Love that it doesn't require chilling either!
Tasia says
Thanks Michelle, I hope you get a chance to try them!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
Creamsicle is one of my favourite flavours, especially when it comes to summer and ice cream. And cookies? that's such a great idea I need to add to my list of summer baking; these cookies look and sound splendid!
Tasia says
Thank you Ben, I know you will love them!
Mia says
My attempt at making this recipe hit the mark on delicate, soft and chewy. However, they did not have enough orange flavor in them to give the true creamsicle flavor. My orange zest may not have had the punch that was needed. I will be trying a different variety of orange and probably adding more zest next batch.
Tasia says
Hi Mia, thank you for your comment. I'm happy to hear the cookies were soft and chewy! I typically use a navel orange for this recipe and would recommend doubling the zest {use two oranges} to get more orange flavor into the cookies.