These Chocolate and Orange Cookies blend deep cocoa flavor with fresh citrus brightness for a cookie that is rich and decadent, almost like a brownie. The dough starts with melted chocolate and cocoa powder for an intense chocolate base, while orange zest rubbed into sugar releases fragrant citrus oils. The result is a chewy, rich cookie with balanced chocolate-orange flavor that feels classic yet slightly elevated.
Homemade cookies are my go-to dessert whenever I have friends or family stopping by to visit. But I love to take a basic cookie recipe, like a chocolate drop cookie, and find a way to make it feel truly unique. That's where the inspiration comes from for these orange and chocolate cookies. These have a rich, almost brownie-like texture with bright citrus flavor. If you love the classic chocolate-orange flavor combination found in chocolate truffles or chocolate oranges, these cookies deliver that same balance in soft, chewy cookie form.
If you also love playing around with unique cookie flavors, try my Lemon and White Chocolate Cookies with Thyme or Oatmeal Cherry Cookies recipes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Deep chocolate flavor from melted chocolate and cocoa powder.
- Bright orange aroma from zest rubbed into sugar.
- Soft and chewy bakery-style texture with crisp edges.
- Simple pantry ingredients.
- Ready in about 45 minutes.
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Ingredients That Matter
These chocolate orange cookies use a handful of pantry staples you should be able to find at your local market. Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour. Regular all-purpose flour provides the ideal texture for these cookies.
- Baking Powder. This gives the cookies a light and slightly airy texture.
- Cocoa Powder. The cookies have big chocolate flavor from a combo of cocoa powder and regular chocolate.
- Chocolate. Use either bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (morsels, chunks, or whole).
- Orange. The zest of a fresh orange is packed with flavorful essential oils. Rubbing the zest into the sugar helps release those oils. I recommend buying organic, if possible, to avoid potential pesticides.
- Granulated Sugar. Use regular granulated sugar for neutral sweetness.
- Butter. Reach for unsalted butter.
- Vanilla Extract & Orange Extract. I love this combination of vanilla and orange extract. The aromas pair perfectly together.
- Oil. Just a splash of vegetable or olive oil adds moisture and helps the cookies stay chewy.
- Salt. Use table salt as it blends easily into the dough.
- Eggs. Use two large eggs, room temperature if possible.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make These Chocolate and Orange Cookies
This recipe comes together very easily, though there are a handful of things to know before you get started. Here's how to make these orange and chocolate cookies.
- Melt Chocolate: Preheat the oven to 350F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat until completely smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside.
- Infuse the Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl (if using a handheld electric mixer) add sugar and orange zest and beat on low until well combined and fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Beat Eggs and Sugar: Add eggs and beat on medium until pale and light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the oil, vanilla extract, and orange extract and mix until fragrant and well combined, 1 minute. Add the chocolate mixture and beat on low until completely incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, scraping the bottom and edge of the bowl as needed, and mix until just combined.
- Portion and Bake: Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to make 2-tablespoon portions and place 8 on each prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between each cookie. Chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour, then bake until the edges are completely set and they no longer jiggle when you shake the pan, about 12 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. Cool on a wire rack and repeat with remaining dough.
Adam's Pro Tip
Be sure to thoroughly mix the orange zest into the sugar. The sugar acts as an abrasive and helps release essential oils from the orange. These oils give the cookies an intense bright citrus flavor. Mixing the zest into the sugar also ensures there are no pockets of zest in the cookie dough.
Substitutions
These are essentially a brownie-style cookie, with fresh orange flavor. There are a handful of substitutions you can make to tweak this recipe, including:
- Gluten-Free - To make these chocolate orange cookies gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour for a one-to-one gluten-free baking flour.
- No Orange Extract - If you don't have orange extract, you can simply leave it out of the recipe. The cookies will still have a nice orange flavor from the zest.
- Chocolate - You can really use any type of chocolate, including dark, semi-sweet, bittersweet, and even milk chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the richer the cookie.
- Oil - You can use any lightly flavored oil, including vegetable, peanut, canola, olive oil, sunflower, or even coconut oil.
Variations
I've experimented with this recipe for quite a while and have tried several flavor combinations. Consider the following variations:
- Chocolate Orange Crinkle Cookies - Roll the dough into balls and refrigerate until firm. Then roll the cookies in powdered sugar before baking.
- Chocolate Orange Cookies with Chocolate Chips - Add 1 cup of chocolate morsels or chunks to the dough for even more gooey chocolate.
- Chocolate Orange Cookies with Candied Orange Peel - Add ½ cup of chopped candied orange peel for pockets of sweet candied orange.
- Spiced Version - Try adding spices to this recipe, including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or ginger.
What to Serve with Chocolate Orange Cookies
- Put together a cookie tray along with these Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies and Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Serve with a coffee drink flavored with this Brown Sugar Simple Syrup.
- Hot chocolate.
- Vanilla ice cream.
- Fresh berries.
- Other fruit desserts like Lemon Blondies, Caramelized Apples, or Yogurt Plum Cake.
Storage
Store chocolate and orange cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer-safe zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Or, freeze cookie dough balls in an airtight container or bag for a bake-later option.
Why Chocolate and Orange Pair Well
Chocolate and orange pair together incredibly well. That's because the bright citrus complements rich chocolate. Aside from this flavor pairing in these cookies, you can also try chocolate orange brownies, chocolate covered orange peels, chocolate truffles with orange, or chocolate and orange cakes.
Common Mistakes
To make sure these cookies turn out great, avoid these common mistakes:
- Forgetting to chill the dough briefly.
- Overbaking. The cookies will stop wobbling when you gently shake the pan.
- Overmixing after adding the flour. This can make the cookies tough.
- Using too little orange zest. You want the zest from a full orange to properly perfume these cookies.
FAQ
Absolutely. Store the dough in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freeze cooked chocolate orange cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 1 month. Or portion the dough into balls and freeze for up to 2 months.
Sugar acts as an abrasive to help release the essential oils from the orange zest.
No. Do not swap the orange zest for orange juice. The juice is not a substitute for fresh zest.
To make these chocolate orange cookies gluten-free, simply swap in a one-to-one gluten-free flour blend.
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Print
Recipe
Chocolate and Orange Cookies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: About 20 cookies 1x
Description
These Chocolate and Orange Cookies blend deep cocoa flavor with fresh citrus brightness for a cookie that is rich and decadent, almost like a brownie. The dough starts with melted chocolate and cocoa powder for an intense chocolate base, while orange zest rubbed into sugar releases fragrant citrus oils. The result is a chewy, rich cookie with balanced chocolate-orange flavor that feels classic but slightly elevated.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (5.1 oz.) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. table salt
- 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup (7.2 oz.) granulated sugar
- zest from 1 orange, thin slices for garnish
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. orange extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and place oven racks in the upper and lower third. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat until just melted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add cocoa powder. Stir until smooth. Set on the edge of oven to keep warm.
- Place sugar and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer. Beat on low until well combined and very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add eggs and beat on medium until pale and light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and orange extract, if using, and beat on low to combine. Add chocolate mixture and beat well until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add flour mixture in two batches, beating on low until just combined and scraping the bottom and edge of the bowl halfway through mixing.
- Use a small cookie scoop or large spoon to portion the cookies into small balls, about 2-tablespoons each. Place 8 on each baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Place baking sheets in oven and rotate and switch racks halfway through cooking, until firm around the edges and the cookies have puffed but are not jiggly, about 12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freezer leftovers for up to 1 month or portion the dough into balls and freezer for up to 2 months.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, swap in a one-to-one gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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