Orange Cinnamon Chip Sugar Cookies

These Orange Cinnamon Chip Sugar Cookies are a warm twist on a classic sugar cookie. Sweet cinnamon chips add little bursts of cinnamon flavor, while fresh orange zest and juice bring a bright citrus note that keeps the cookie balanced. The result is a soft, chewy cookie with a gentle mix of spice and citrus, and they fit right in with the other recipes in my Orange Cookie Recipes collection.

If you enjoy baking orange cinnamon cookies, this recipe balances bright citrus with warm spice. If you enjoy baking with cinnamon chips, you might also like my Cinnamon Chip with Coconut and Almond Cookies, which combine cinnamon chips with coconut and almonds for a cookie with extra texture.

For another cookie that highlights citrus flavor, my Orange Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies balance fresh orange zest with warm spice. And if you enjoy orange paired with nuts, my Apricot Orange Hazelnut Cookies bring together bright citrus and a rich nutty crunch.

Making the Dough

Step 4: I like to cut my butter into cubes to see how soft it is. If it is still a little firm, cutting it into cubes will help it warm up faster.

Step 5: Cream the butter for about a minute on a medium mixer speed. The time will depend on how cold the butter is until it becomes creamy.

Step 6: Add the sugar and blend on a medium mixer speed for 2-3 minutes. Since it is equal parts of sugar and butter, it will get creamy-looking.

Step 7: Next, I add the vanilla extract. In a small bowl, break the egg before adding it to the cookie dough. This way, if any pieces of the shell break off, you can get them out of the small bowl before adding them to the mixer bowl.

Step 8: Add the orange juice and the zest and blend for about a minute. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl and across the bottom, and mix for another 30 seconds.

Step 9: Finally, gradually add the flour mixture on low mixer speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the cinnamon chips and the hazelnuts, and mix for about 10 seconds.

Step 10: Take the bowl off the mixer. Using a spatula, make sure all the flour is combined. This is also a good time to make sure the cinnamon chips and chopped hazelnuts are evenly dispersed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll Cutout and Bake

Step11: Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes to soften slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C).

To roll out the cookie dough, you can use a pastry sheet, parchment paper, or your counter.

My rolling pin has different-sized bands on the ends to evenly roll out the dough to the same thickness. For this cookie, you want at least a ¼-inch band on each end of the rolling pin. I bought these on Amazon called Green Olive Rolling Pin Guide Ring Spacers.

Step 12: Sprinkle the pastry mat and the rolling pin with powdered sugar. I take a third of the cookie dough and flatten with my hands before laying it on the powdered sugar.

Step 13: Now, I roll out the cookie dough and, using a 2 ¾-inch ring cookie cutter, cut out your cookies. You can use whatever size or shape you like. If the cookie dough is really lumpy when rolling it out, that means it is not thick enough to cover the nuts and cinnamon pieces. You might want to go up a size in your bands or not press as hard when rolling out the dough. I find that my ¼" bands work great.

Step 14: I lay 12 round cookies on the parchment-lined cookie sheet pan and bake them at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 6-8 minutes. Sugar cookies usually look a little underdone, but I leave them on the cookie sheet out of the oven for a minute or two before moving them to a cooking rack.

Enjoy!