Vanilla Bean Orange Sugar Cookies

Name: Soft Orange Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 1/2 cups sugar; 1 egg (room temperature); 1/2 tsp baking powder; 2 1/4 cups AP flour; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 vanilla bean; Zest from 1 orange

A stack of vanilla orange sugar cookies with sprinkles and a row of non sprinkled cookies.

What I Love About My Vanilla Bean Orange Sugar Cookies

Orange and vanilla are the classic creamsicle pair, and I love how they make a simple sugar cookie feel holiday-worthy.

Every cookie bakes up soft and chewy in the middle, with buttery vanilla flavor and a bright hit of orange in each bite.
Pairing a whole vanilla bean with pure extract, I get deep vanilla flavor and pretty black specks all through the cookies.
The zest of just one orange gives the dough a sweet citrus aroma that fills the kitchen while they bake.
When I want them festive, I roll the dough balls in sprinkles or colored sugar crystals to match the holiday.
Scooped dough freezes well, so you can bake a few fresh cookies at a time whenever you want one.

Vanilla bean orange sugar cookies stacked up with spinkles.

Key Ingredient Notes

Unsalted butter: Truly softened, room-temperature butter matters most in this dough. It should dent easily when you press it with a finger, without looking greasy or feeling mushy.
Egg: A room-temperature egg blends smoothly into the creamed butter. I take it out of the fridge at the same time as the butter.
All-purpose flour: Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off the top. Packing it in adds extra flour, which leads to dry, puffy cookies.
Baking powder: Just half a teaspoon gives the cookies a slight rise for a thicker, softer bite. Make sure yours isn’t old, since it loses strength over time.
Vanilla bean: Look for plump, soft, glossy beans. Stiff or shriveled ones have already started to dry out. I’m team Madagascar vanilla for baking because of its rich, full-bodied flavor. You’ll find more about choosing and storing beans in my vanilla bean cheesecake post.
Pure vanilla extract: Use pure extract here, not imitation. With so few ingredients, you can really taste the difference.
Orange: The zest is the thin, colored outer layer of the peel, and it holds all the citrus oil and aroma. The white pith underneath tastes bitter, so I only want the colored layer in the dough. One medium orange gives you about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of zest.

How to Make Vanilla Bean Orange Sugar Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Zest the orange and split the vanilla bean. Grate only the colored part of the peel on a microplane, turning the orange once you see white pith. Slice the vanilla pod open lengthwise and set it aside.
Cream the butter and sugar. Beat them on medium-high for 2 minutes, scrape the bowl, then beat for 1 more minute. The mixture should look pale and fluffy, since that trapped air is what keeps the centers soft.
Add the egg and flavorings. Beat in the egg on medium speed. Then scrape out the vanilla seeds with the dull side of a paring knife, and add them with the extract and orange zest.
PRO TIP: I scrape the seeds right onto the butter mixture so none get lost on the cutting board.
Mix in the flour and baking powder. Lower the speed to low and beat just until combined, since overmixing at this point makes the cookies tough. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl one last time so there are no streaks of butter or flour.
Scoop and shape. Portion the dough with a #40 or #50 cookie scoop and roll the balls in sprinkles or sugar crystals, if using. Set them about 2 inches apart and press each one gently, just enough to flatten the top a little.
Bake until the centers look soft. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Let them rest on the hot pan for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire rack, so they firm up without breaking.

How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Vanilla Bean Orange Sugar Cookies

Store: in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week, once the cookies are completely cool. Keep the container away from direct sunlight, the oven, and the stove. If you glazed them, keep them in the refrigerator with wax paper between the layers.
Freeze: plain, before adding any glaze.
- Unbaked dough: Scoop the dough balls onto a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes and bake as directed, no thawing needed.
- Baked cookies: Lay the cooled cookies in a single layer on a wire rack and freeze for about 2 hours. Move them to a large zip-top freezer bag for up to 6 months.
Reheat: thaw frozen cookies on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, or warm one in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.

Vanilla bean orange sugar cookies stacked up with the top one cut in half.

Vanilla Bean Orange Sugar Cookies Recipe FAQs

How Much Vanilla Bean Paste Replaces the Vanilla Bean in Orange Sugar Cookies?

One heaping teaspoon of vanilla bean paste works in place of the whole vanilla bean. Paste strength does vary by brand, though, so check the label, since some brands count 2 teaspoons or even a tablespoon as one bean. Also you can smell it if you feel you need more, go with 2 teaspoons.

How Do You Get More Orange Flavor in Orange Sugar Cookies?

Add zest from a second orange not orange juice. Most of the citrus’ aroma and and flavor comes from the zest. Juice will add liquid into cookies that will throw off the texture but will not add more flavor.

Why Did My Orange Sugar Cookies Spread Too Much?

Overly soft butter, a cool oven, or too little flour usually causes extra spreading. Make sure the butter is softened but not mushy. This is a no-chill dough, but if it feels warm, chill it briefly before scooping. If it seems sticky, work in a small amount of flour.

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Soft Orange Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe

Every holiday season I bake my soft sugar cookies, and these vanilla bean orange sugar cookies are their dressed-up version. I use a whole vanilla bean and fresh orange zest, so every soft cookie is full of the flavor and aroma. There's no chilling either, so you can have warm cookies in about 25 minutes.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cookies, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Servings: | Makes about 22 cookies

Calories: 177kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar together for two minutes in an electric mixer on medium-high speed.
Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for another minute.
Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl again and beat in egg on medium speed. Add vanilla bean, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
Lower speed to low and add flour and baking powder. Beat until just combined.
Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and make sure all ingredients are evenly mixed.
Scoop cookie dough with a cookie scoop (you can use #50 or #40 cookie scoop).
Optional: roll each cookie ball in sprinkles or sugar crystals if you wish.
Place cookie dough balls on prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press on each cookie gently and only a little bit, don’t flatten.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie ball.

Notes

Vanilla bean: you can use 1 heaping teaspoon of vanilla bean paste if you don’t have access to vanilla beans.

Nutrition

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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

2 Comments

janet says:

at

Can I use vanilla bean paste instead of the vanilla bean? Thank you! These sound so delicious,

1. LyubaB says:
  
  at
  
  Hi Janet,
  
  Yes, you can use one teaspoon of vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla bean.