Description
These Cranberry Orange Soft Pillow Cookies are thick, tender, and stay beautifully soft. Fresh orange zest warms the dough while cranberries soften into sweet-tangy bursts, making them perfect for holiday trays and cozy winter evenings.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup cranberries
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg, vanilla, and orange zest.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
6. Gently fold in cranberries.
7. Scoop dough onto baking sheets.
8. Bake 10–12 minutes until bottoms are set and tops remain pale.
9. Cool briefly before transferring to a rack.
Notes
Do not overbake — pale cookies stay soft.
Fresh or dried cranberries both work well.
Store in an airtight container to maintain softness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg