Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Imagine a batch of orange chocolate chip cookies freshly baked in your kitchen. These soft and tender cookies are infused with orange and chocolate flavor. Chocolate orange cookie recipes combine the best flavors in one sweet cookie — orange and chocolate. This is one of the most flavorful, tender cookies ever!

A stack of cookies shows the top one with a bite taken out, revealing melted chocolate chips. There are more cookies and an orange in the background.

When I’m happy, I bake a cake. When I’m mildly unsettled, I bake cookies, such as these chocolate chip cookies with molasses. It’s almost as if when anything of note happens in my life, I head to the kitchen. Baking is like a refuge of creativity. It’s also part therapy, part dessert.

These orange chocolate chip cookies are a favorite because I love all the oohs and ahs I get from people who eat them. There’s something about orange and chocolate that’s just so ahhh-worthy!

What Makes This Recipe Shine?

  • Adding the zest from one orange is all it takes to infuse these cookies with orange flavor
  • Using brown sugar in the dough keeps these cookies ultra moist and tender
  • Adding just a bit more flour helps create pillowy soft vegan cookies that you’ll come back to time and time again!
Ingredients are on a white table. The labels read, "orange, sugar, vanilla, vegan butter, baking powder + soda, flax egg, cornstarch, chocolate chips."

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Vegan butter — You’ll need to use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, Miyokos, or use this Vegan Butter for baking.
  • Sugar — You’ll need both brown sugar and granulated sugar.
  • Orange — One medium orange will do the trick for this recipe. You can substitute orange extract, although I don’t think it’s quite as good as orange zest.
  • Flax Egg — We’ll use a flax egg or you can substitute a chia egg.
  • Cornstarch
  • Apple cider vinegar — You can substitute white vinegar.
  • Flour — I recommend all-purpose flour or you can substitute whole wheat pastry flour.
  • Baking soda + baking powder — Make sure yours is fresh by testing a bit of baking soda in vinegar and baking powder in hot water. If it bubbles, your batch is good to go.
  • Salt
  • Chocolate chips — Use my Vegan Chocolate Chips Guide to find the best dairy-free chocolate chips for you.

Never heard of all-purpose flour? You may be from a different part of the world. Here is an excellent resource on plain flour vs all-purpose flour.

A zested orange sits next to a box grater, orange zest, and more oranges all on a cutting board.

What is Orange Zest and How to Make It

Orange zest is made by grating the outer peel of the orange. Avoiding the more bitter white rind layer of the peel is important when creating orange zest. However, adding orange zest to a variety of recipes adds fresh orange flavor to baked goods, savory dishes, and even beverages. You can use a microplane, a box grater, a vegetable peeler, or even a knife to create thin orange zest.

How to Make Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

  1. Make the flax egg and set it aside.
  2. Cream butter using a handheld or stand mixer until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the sugars and beat again until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the flax egg, orange zest, and vanilla and beat again to combine.
  5. Stir together the dry ingredients, from the flour to the salt.
  6. Make the cookie dough by pouring the flour mixture in with the butter mixture and mixing to combine.
  7. Stir in the chocolate chips until combined.
  8. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
  9. Cool baked cookies briefly on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Here are the steps to make this delicious orange cookie recipe:

Step One: Cream Together the Butter and the Sugar

  1. Make the flax egg.
  2. Place the butter in a mixing bowl.
  3. Use either a handheld or stand mixer on medium speed and beat until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the sugars and beat again until light and fluffy.
    Looking at a beater full of creamy vegan butter and sugar whipped together in a stand mixer.
  5. Finally, add the flax egg, orange zest, and vanilla and beat again to combine.

I love this article on the reasons why creaming the butter and sugar together is the best first step.

Step Three: Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Step Four: Mix it All Together

Looking down on a bowl full of cookie dough shows chocolate chips and flecks of orange zest.

Pour the flour ingredients along with the chocolate chips in with the butter mixture and stir until just combined.

Step Five: Drop and Bake

  1. Drop the cookie dough by rounded spoonful about 2 inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet. (Or you can roll the cookie dough balls for more precise edges to the cookies).
  2. Bake for 9 minutes (or up to 11 minutes, depending on your desired final cookie texture). If you prefer chewier cookies, remove them at 9 minutes. If you prefer crispier, cook for a few minutes longer.
  3. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to sit on the pan for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
A stack of orange chocolate chip cookies has an orange and more cookies in the background.

Storage Tips

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.

More Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sure, you love these chocolate chip orange cookies! But if you want more delicious cookie recipes, be sure to give these a spin:

A chocolate chip cookie shows melted chocolate chips. There are more cookies in the background.
Orange chocolate chip cookies are stacked in front of an orange and more cookies in he background.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

You'll love these Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, a vegan dessert that delivers amazing flavors and texture to the classic chocolate chip cookie!
5 from 7 votes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 144kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 flax egg
  • 1 cup vegan butter, (2 sticks) softened
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • zest of one orange
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, sifted then measured
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup dairy free chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line two cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
  • Make the flax egg and set it aside.
  • Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Use either a handheld or stand mixer on medium speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light and fluffy. Finally, add the flax egg, orange zest, and vanilla and beat again to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch (see note), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Pour the flour mixture in with the butter mixture. Stir to combine.
  • Add the chocolate chips and stir until combined. Be sure to cover the cookie dough when not in use to prevent it from drying out.
  • Drop by rounded spoonful about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. (Or you can roll the cookie dough balls for more precise edges to the cookies). Bake for 9 minutes (or up to 11 minutes, depending on your desired final cookie texture). If you prefer chewier cookies, remove them at 9 minutes. If you prefer crispier, cook for a few minutes longer. See note.
  • Once the cookies are done, allow them to cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store in a sealed container for up to a week, either on the counter or in the fridge. Or you can freeze these cookies for up to two months.

Recommended Equipment

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 82mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2013 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

Here is an example of the previous images:

A stack of three orange chocolate chip cookies.

30 Responses to Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyShawn Reply

    5 stars
    These are possibly my favorite cookies. Everyone loves them!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyWynn Reply

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe Marley. Made them tonight. Absolutely delicious. I subbed the white sugar for coconut sugar and used half white and half wheat flour. Yummm!!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for Marlyrachel Reply

    Yummo! Love chocolate & orange. Would there be a way to add orange juice to enhance the orange flavor even more? (Instead of the vinegar, the water, or the coffee for example?) Thought I’d ask before I try incase OJ would somehow ruin the cookie. =) Can’t wait to try!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      It’s an interesting idea, Rachel. I think it would definitely be worth a try to replace the vinegar with orange juice. It should have the same impact and add a little more orange punch to the cookies. However, I must say, these are pretty orangey! Not over the top or anything, but it’s definitely there for the taking!

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlySam Chao (Scrumptious easy recipes) Reply

    Thes looks so delicious! I will try this recipe tonight… Yum yum!

Rate / Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.