Cranberry orange gingerbread cut-outs with ruby dried cranberry pieces and fragrant orange zest visible in the spiced dough.
Small dried-fruit pieces and finely grated zest add color and aroma to these rolled shapes. Keep the fruit finely chopped so the cutter can pass through it cleanly. Arrange matching sizes together and add any icing only after the cookies have cooled.
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Cranberry Orange Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 8–12 minutes · About 4 trays of 10–11 cookies
Allow 170 minutes: 50 hands-on, 60 chilling, 40 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Digital scale, 1 g increments (0.1 g for small spice weights)
- Small saucepan and a large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin with ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness guides
- Cookie cutters, about 3 inches (7.5 cm)
- Two light-colored aluminum baking sheets, about 13 × 18 inches (33 × 46 cm), and parchment
- Wide spatula, wire cooling rack and oven thermometer
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Fruit flavor
Decoration
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Instructions
Melt & season
- Gently melt butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in sugar, molasses, salt and spices until evenly combined. Let cool until lukewarm before beating in the egg.
Combine
- Whisk flour with baking powder and baking soda, then mix into the wet ingredients until no dry flour remains. Dough will be sticky; do not add more flour. Fold in very finely chopped dried cranberries and orange zest. Do not add orange juice; zest supplies flavor without extra liquid.
Firm the dough
- Divide into two flattened rectangles, wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 60 minutes, until cold and firm enough to roll. Chilling firms the butter and lets the flour hydrate.
Shape
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional, or 320°F fan. Roll chilled dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured parchment. Cut 3-inch shapes with broad, sturdy details; a cranberry piece at a narrow point can make it fragile. Space 1 inch apart on lined pans.
Check doneness
- Place on parchment-lined pans about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake one tray at a time for 8–12 minutes. Check at 8 minutes, especially with fan: edges should darken slightly and surfaces look set. Smaller shapes finish sooner.
Cool before icing
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then cool on a rack about 15 minutes. Pipe simple white icing outlines or garlands to leave the cranberry pieces and orange zest visible. Let icing dry according to its packaging; drying is additional.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Chop the berries finely
Small pieces distribute through the dough and interfere less with the cutter edges.
Use zest, not juice
The aromatic peel adds orange flavor without loosening the dough.
Choose sturdy shapes
Broad trees, rounds and simple people work more easily than intricate narrow snowflake points.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 5 days | Store fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool, dry place. Let icing dry, then separate layers with parchment; follow any icing storage instructions. |
| Refrigeration | Dough: up to 48 hours | Keep dough tightly wrapped. Let it soften just enough to roll while remaining cool. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months at 0°F (−18°C) | Wrap flattened dough portions tightly, then bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and roll while cool. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months at 0°F (−18°C) | For best appearance, freeze undecorated, cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature before icing. |
| Restoring | Before decorating | For crisper edges, warm plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional for 3–5 minutes. Cool on a rack. Do not reheat iced cookies. |
Notes
- Use dried cranberries, chopped very small, and finely grated orange zest. Fresh cranberries and orange juice add moisture and are not direct replacements. Icing drying time is additional.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh cranberries?
Use dried cranberries. Fresh fruit adds moisture and changes the rolled dough.
Can I add orange juice instead of zest?
No. Juice adds liquid; zest provides the orange aroma this dough needs.
Why are my cut edges ragged?
Chop dried fruit to about 1/8-inch pieces and keep the dough chilled. Avoid very intricate cutters.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
