If you love orange creamsicles, you’re going to LOVE these cookies! They’re soft, buttery, and loaded with orange zest and white chocolate chips.
Making homemade cookies is the best reason to turn on your oven in the summer! Try these strawberry chocolate chip, lemon ricotta, and blueberry cookies next!
Homemade Orange Creamsicle Cookies Recipe
I have one heck of an awesome cookie recipe with you today. Ever had a 50/50 bar? AKA a dreamsicle bar? The orange-vanilla variety of ice cream bar? If you know what I’m talking about then you are probably drooling a little bit right now because they are amazing! They’re a classic summer treat and taste even better in cookie form.
Well these orange creamsicle cookies? They’re pretty much like the non-frozen version of a 50/50 bar. Orange and vanilla plus chunks of white chocolate…. these are so incredible and absolutely perfect for summertime! They are the best way to wrap up a backyard BBQ or a long day in the sun. Perfectly buttery and zesty, your family won’t be able to get enough! Let’s get baking!
Ingredients Needed
As long as you’ve got some fresh oranges on hand, the rest of the ingredients are super simple! You probably have all of them in your pantry right now, so nothing’s stopping you from making a batch! You can thank me later.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works just fine!
- Baking Soda: Helps your cookies rise properly.
- Salt: This will help enhance the flavor of your entire batch of cookies.
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and makes your creamsicle cookies moist and soft.
- Sugar: I used both white and brown sugar here!
- Egg: Binds all of the ingredients together.
- Vanilla Extract: Helps deepen the flavor of your cookies.
- Orange Zest: Adds that classic orange flavor! You’ll need the zest of 1-2 oranges here. I always recommend fresh orange zest for the best flavor, but orange extract works too.
- White Chocolate Chips: A must for creamy, chocolatey goodness!
How to Make Creamsicle Cookies
These orange creamsicle cookies are so easy to make! They are just as easy as making storebought cookies but taste a million times better. You’ve got to make them and see for yourself!
- Preheat Oven, Prepare Flour Mixture: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Prepare Butter Mixture: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and orange zest and mix well.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Shape: Dust hands with flour, then shape 2-3 tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball (doesn’t need to be a perfect ball, just shape it a bit) and place on baking a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing dough balls about 2-3 inches apart on the sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, then allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Making Homemade Cookies
Here are a few simple ways to make sure your homemade creamsicle cookies turn out soft, chewy, and delicious every time!
- Underbake: I always take my cookies out of the oven when the centers are still slightly soft. They’ll cook for a few more minutes on the cooling rack. This trick helps prevent your cookies from getting overcooked.
- Keep the Oven Closed: I know it may be tempting to open the oven door and check on your cookies, but in doing so you let out all of the hot air needed to cook them thoroughly. Use the oven light to check on them instead!
- Use Lemon: Want your cookies to taste like lemon bars instead? Swap out the orange zest for lemon.
Storing Leftover Creamsicle Cookies
These orange creamsicle cookies are a dream! If you have some left over, here’s how to keep them tasting fresh and delicious for the rest of the week! You’re going to love having them around to snack on.
- At Room Temperature: In an airtight container, your creamsicle cookies will last for 1 week.
Note: For that just-baked effect, pop leftover cookies in the microwave for 15 seconds or until warm and ooey-gooey!
Orange Creamsicle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons orange zest 1-2 oranges
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
-
In a large bowl cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and orange zest and mix well.
-
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
-
Dust hands with flour, then shape 2-3 tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball (doesn’t need to be a perfect ball, just shape it a bit) and place on baking a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing dough balls about 2-3 inches apart on the sheet.
-
Bake for 8-10 minutes, then allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature.