Cranberry Orange Snowball Cookies are the perfect cookie to bake this time of year—bright, buttery cookies filled with cranberries that bring a festive twist to classic snowball cookies.
And if you need easy Christmas cookies for your cookie exchange or a festive holiday cookie box, these Cranberry Christmas Cookies are the perfect choice to add colour, flavour, and charm to your holiday season.
Cranberry Orange Snowballs
Baking with cranberries and bright orange zest or juice is a must during the holiday season — it’s a wonderful holiday flavor combination that balances the bright freshness of citrus with the tang of cranberries.
If you enjoy this combo, you’ll also love my Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies, another reader favourite. And with any leftover dried cranberries, I always make quick cranberry clusters for adding to a holiday cookie box or a simple cranberry sauce that’s perfect for Christmas morning breakfasts.
Certain classics like shortbread cookies, snowball cookies, and even simple chocolate chip cookies always find a place in my holiday cookie box — and this year, these Cranberry Orange Snowballs fit right in with that cosy, festive mix.
These cookies have a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, perfect for a cookie swap.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (30 g) Powdered sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Freshly grated orange zest
- 1 cup minus 1 tbsp (120 g) All-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ⅓ cup (40–45 g) Dried cranberries, chopped
- 2 tbsp (15 g) Pecans or almonds, chopped (optional)
- ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar for rolling
Ingredient Notes:
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to better control the salt in the cookies. If you use salted butter, you can skip the additional salt. Always use butter, not margarine, for the best texture and flavour.
- Orange: Freshly grated orange zest gives a bright, festive flavour. If you want to add orange juice, use 1–2 tbsp, but you may need to increase the flour slightly to get the right dough consistency.
- Dried Cranberries: I prefer dried cranberries for ease of baking, but if you want to use fresh cranberries, chop them finely and lightly toss them in flour to prevent them from sinking. They may add extra moisture, so the baking time could vary slightly.
- Chopped Nuts: Chopped pecans or almonds are optional. I love the texture and crunch they add, but you can skip them if you prefer.
- Powdered Sugar: Only powdered sugar/confectioners/icing sugar works for coating these cookies. Granulated or caster sugar is not recommended, as it won’t create the classic soft, snowy finish.
Step by step instructions
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sieved powdered sugar together for 2–3 minutes until light and creamy (image 1).
Add vanilla extract and continue to beat until combined. Mix in the freshly grated orange zest and beat for a few more seconds until fragrant (image 2).
Sieve the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour and salt), reserving 1 tbsp for later. Add the remaining flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined, then switch to a spatula (image 3).
Toss the dried cranberries and chopped nuts (if using) with the reserved tablespoon of flour to coat them lightly. This prevents them from sinking in the dough. Fold the cranberries and nuts into the dough gently with a spatula until evenly distributed and the dough comes together (image 4).
Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes for easier handling.
After the first chill, use an ice cream scoop, cookie scoop, or measure about 25 g per portion to shape the dough into small balls (image 5).
Place them on the parchment-lined baking tray. Chill the shaped dough balls again for 30 minutes to help them retain their round shape while baking (image 6).
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) while the dough is chilling. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 11–13 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden but the tops remain pale (image 7).
While the cookies are still warm, roll them in sieved powdered sugar (image 8) and transfer to a cooling rack.
Once completely cooled, roll the cookies in powdered sugar a second time to create the classic snowy finish.
Storage Instructions
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing to prevent condensation and sogginess.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- For longer storage, you can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving and, if desired, roll in powdered sugar again for a fresh snowy finish.
- These cookies also freeze well before baking. Shape the dough into balls, place them on a tray, freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Best Tips:
- Chill the dough well before shaping, as it makes rolling easier and helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Use an ice cream scoop or weigh portions at about 25 g each for even-sized cookies and consistent baking.
- Lightly toss the cranberries and nuts in reserved flour to prevent them from sinking in the dough.
- Be careful not to overbake. The cookies should remain pale on top with lightly golden bottoms.
- For the classic snowy finish, roll the cookies in powdered sugar once while warm and again after they have completely cooled.
- For convenience, you can also freeze the shaped dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Related Recipes
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Cranberry Orange Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) Unsalted Butter softened
- ¼ cup (30g) Powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
- 1 cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ⅓ cup (40–45g) Dried Cranberries chopped
- 2 tbsp (15g) Chopped pecans or almonds (optional)
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sieved powdered sugar together for 2–3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Mix in the freshly grated orange zest and beat briefly until fragrant.
- Sieve together the all-purpose flour and salt, reserving 1 tablespoon of the flour. Add the remaining flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until combined, then switch to a spatula.
- Toss the dried cranberries and chopped nuts (if using) with the reserved tablespoon of flour to coat them lightly.
- Gently fold the cranberries and nuts into the dough using a spatula until evenly distributed and the dough comes together.
- Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- After the first chill, use an cookie scoop, or portion about 25 g each, to shape the dough into small balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Chill the shaped dough balls again for 30 minutes to help them retain their round shape during baking.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake the cookies for 11–13 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden while the tops remain pale.
- While still warm, roll the cookies in sieved powdered sugar and transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Once completely cooled, roll the cookies in powdered sugar again for a classic snowy finish
Notes
- Use unsalted butter for best control over salt.
- Dried cranberries are easiest to work with, though fresh cranberries can be used with slight adjustments.
- Only powdered or icing sugar works for coating Cranberry Orange Snowball Cookies, as granulated sugar will not create the classic snowy finish.
- Cookies freeze well before or after baking.
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