These Cherry Orange with Pistachio Cookies are soft cream cheese cookies filled with dried cherries, fresh orange zest, orange juice, and roasted pistachios. The cherry and orange flavors come through first, while the pistachios add a lightly roasted flavor and a little crunch. If you enjoy adding nuts to your baking, you'll find more ideas in my cookies with nuts collection.
Two of our local stores, Stauffers and Oregon Dairy, package nuts, dried fruit, and candy in clear containers that make it easy to see everything. I have wandered past those displays many times, letting my mind run wild with possible cookie combinations. On this trip, dried cherries and roasted unsalted pistachios caught my attention and became the inspiration for these cookies. If cherries catch your eye too, try my Cherry Vanilla Cookies. For another combination of citrus and nuts, my Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Cookies bring chocolate into the mix.
A Quick Look: Cherry Orange with Pistachio Cookies
Recipe Name: Cherry Orange with Pistachio Cookies
Ready In: About 1 hour and 40 minutes (including the chill time)
Yield: About 30 cookies
Texture: Soft and chewy with a light sugar crust and pistachio crunch
Flavor Profile: Bright orange and sweet-tart cherry with roasted pistachio and a hint of cinnamon
Difficulty: Easy
Why You'll Love This Cookie
🍒 Cherry and orange together: Sweet-tart dried cherries pair beautifully with fresh orange zest and juice.
💚 Color and crunch: Roasted pistachios add a little crunch and pretty flecks of green throughout each cookie.
🍪 No icing needed: A simple coating of superfine sugar gives the soft, chewy cookies a lightly sweet finish.
Ingredients for Cookies
- Dried cherries: I have used both sweetened dried cherries and regular dried cherries in these cookies.
- Roasted unsalted pistachios: Unsalted pistachios let you control the salt in the dough. If you use salted pistachios, omit the added salt.
- Superfine sugar: Also called caster sugar, its fine crystals coat the cookie dough evenly and give the baked cookies a lightly sweet crust.
How to Make Cherry Orange with Pistachio Cookies
Dried cherries and fresh orange are a natural pairing. Using both orange zest and juice gives the cookies a brighter citrus flavor that balances the sweet-tart cherries.
Prep
Step 1: Weigh or measure the powdered sugar and set it aside. In a separate bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Run a whisk through the dry ingredients to blend them evenly.
Step 2: Roughly chop the roasted pistachios. Add only the chopped pieces to the measuring cup, leaving behind the fine crumbs. Chopping the pistachios reveals more of their beautiful green color.
Step 3: Zest the orange into a small bowl. Cut the orange in half, then juice both halves.
Mixing the Dough
Step 4: Add the cream cheese and cubed butter to a stand mixer bowl. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add the powdered sugar. Increase to medium speed and mix for about 2 minutes.
Step 6: Add the egg, orange zest, and orange juice. Mix until the egg is fully incorporated.
Step 7: Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Step 8: Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture about a quarter at a time. Mix just until incorporated, then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Use a spatula to fold in any loose flour.
Step 9: Add the dried cherries and chopped pistachios. Mix on low speed for a few seconds, then use a spatula to distribute them evenly throughout the cookie dough, if needed.
Chill
Step 10: Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough for 1 hour.
Scoop, Roll, and Bake
Step 11: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
Step 12: Add the superfine sugar to a small bowl. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough. If using a spoon, keep the portions similar in size so the cookies bake evenly.
Step 13: Roll each portion of dough between your hands to form a ball. If the dough becomes too warm and tacky to handle, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Step 14: Place each dough ball in the superfine sugar and roll it around until the entire surface is coated.
Step 15: Place 12 coated dough balls on a prepared sheet pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 11 to 13 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
🫙🍪 Storage
Store the cookies in a container with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature. They will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days before the chewy centers begin to dry out. You can add a slice of bread to the container to help the cookies stay soft longer.
FAQs
I recommend using dried cherries. Fresh or frozen cherries contain much more moisture, which could make the cookie dough too wet and change how the cookies bake.
The dough is soft because it contains butter, cream cheese, orange juice, and an egg. Chilling it for 1 hour makes it easier to scoop and roll while also helping control how much the cookies spread.
The orange zest provides most of the citrus flavor, so be sure to zest the entire orange. You may also add a small amount of pure orange extract, but use it sparingly so it does not overpower the cherries.
Still Have Questions?
Need help with ingredient swaps or wondering if these cookies freeze well? I've added a few extra baking helpers below for common home baker questions.
Try a Few Other Cookies with Orange
If you tried this Orange Cherry and Pistachio Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Recipe
Cherry Orange with Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 Egg room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Orange juice fresh
- 1 Tablespoon Orange zest packed
- 1 ¾ cups (218.75 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (121.21 g) Dried sweet cherries
- ½ cup (61.5 g) Pistachios Chopped
- ½ cup (100 g) Super fine sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Zest the orange into a small bowl and juice it into a separate bowl. Weigh or measure the powdered sugar and set it aside. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Roughly chop the pistachios. If using salted pistachios, omit the salt from the flour mixture.
- Blend the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Increase to medium speed and mix for about 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg, orange juice, and orange zest. Mix until the egg is fully incorporated.
- Add the dried cherries and chopped pistachios. Mix on low speed for a few seconds, then use a spatula to distribute them evenly, if needed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Add the superfine sugar to a small bowl.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll it between your hands to form a ball. Roll each dough ball in the superfine sugar until fully coated, then place 12 balls on a prepared sheet pan. If the dough becomes too warm and tacky to handle, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes.
- Bake for Bake for 11 to 13 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Susan Conrad says
Barb. These look amazing. So impressed with your site. You should write a cookie cook book.
Barbara says
Yes, it may be on my to-do list in a couple of years. 😉
Candyce D Rogers says
These cookies are not just good...their amazing! The freshness of the orange paired with the slight tartness of the cherries is nice. I didn't have pistachios, so I used pecans. They were delicious, but next time I would like to try pistachios. Thank you for this recipe!
Barbara says
Hi Candyce, I am so glad you enjoyed the flavors of these cookies. I love the orange and cherry also! - Barbara
Patty says
Barbara, I'm so sorry but I gave you the wrong email address I corrected it
so when you read my message and reply to it you will have the right email again again I'm so sorry.🙁
Barbara says
Hi Patty, Yes, you can substitute the pistachios; it would be a good match since orange and cherries go very well with chocolate. These are not dry cookies since I added cream cheese; they will stay moist inside. But rolling them in the superfine sugar gives the cookies a crusty outside. These will last for at least five days. I hope this helps, and please let me know how they turned out.
Patty says
Hi Barbara, Happy New Year!! The Cherry Orange cookies with mini chocolate chips in them turned out good and My husband and I thought that they were really good thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Barbara says
Hi Patty,
I am thrilled you made these for you and your husband and you enjoyed them. Happy New Year to you also!
Patty says
Hi Barbara,these cookies look so good I'm planning on making them for Christmas and so I was wondering could I substitute pistachio nuts and put mini chocolate chips in?and do they keep well? and for how long do they keep?are they a soft cookie or a dry cookie? sorry I had so many questions I could let you know how they turned out and how good they were if you would like me to though.