These frosted orange drop cookies pack a punch of citrus sunshine in every melt-in-your-mouth bite. The soft, cakey cookies are made with fresh orange juice and orange zest and are topped with a creamy orange frosting.
I love baking citrus desserts like this! (Try this orange-lemon pound cake with citrus cream and these orange fig bars too!)
Ingredients for Frosted Orange Cookies
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for exact amounts and instructions.
- shortening
- butter
- granulated sugar
- milk
- eggs
- juice and zest of 2 oranges
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- powdered sugar
Additions and Substitutions
- Butter can be used in place of shortening.
- Add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
- Substitute dried orange peel for zest
- Prepared orange juice can be used in place of fresh-squeezed
How to make Frosted Orange Drop Cookies
STEP 1: Cream shortening (or butter) and sugar together. Beat in eggs.
STEP 2: In separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Alternate adding milk and flour mixture, then add orange juice and orange zest.
STEP 3: Drop by teaspoons on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be lightly browned on edges. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 4: Cream together butter, powdered sugar, orange juice and zest.
STEP 5: Spread icing over orange cookies or dip cookies into the orange icing to coat. Let sit on a cooling rack until icing has set.
Orange Drop Cookies Recipe FAQ
Cookies made with shortening will be puffier and softer whereas cookies made with butter will flatten more and crisp easier. Butter cookies will also have a better flavor.
On an average, one orange will yield about 1/4 cup of orange juice.
An average orange yields 2-3 tablespoons of orange zest.
Ideally, you’d want to use a citrus zester, but if you don’t have one, you can use a grater with small holes. Make sure you turn the orange as you grate to avoid getting the pith, which is bitter.
Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Banana cookies
- Pineapple cookies
- Potato chip cookies
- Chewy ginger cookies
Frosted Orange Drop Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- juice of 1 orange about ¼ cup
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp fresh orange zest
Icing
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- juice of 1 orange about ¼ cup
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream shortening (or butter) and sugar together. Beat in eggs.
- In separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. .
- Alternate adding milk and flour mixture, then add orange juice and orange zest.
- Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be lightly browned on edges. Remove to wire rack to cool completely
Icing
- Cream together softened butter, powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Spread over cooled cookies or dip the top of cookies into the icing.
