Orange Cranberry Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
Perfect for the holidays, Orange Cranberry Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies are a one-bite, flavor-filled dessert! Singing of tart cranberry and bright orange, these cookies are a twist on classic thumbprints. Makes 38 cookies.
Love holiday cookies? Don’t miss these Shortbread Brown Butter Cookies, Lemon Drop Cookies and All-Butter Tea Cake Cookies. If you love to decorate cookies with friends, consider hosting a Cookie Decorating Party!
I don’t know what it is about the Sweetest Season, but everything about it gives me the warm fuzzies.
And quite honestly, warm fuzzies are necessary for me (and maybe all of us?) these days.
Maybe it’s because adapting to a having newborn and a super active 3-year-old has been a huge challenge for me. (Going from one to two was hard, and I feel like the rug was pulled out from under me because some friends assured me it was easier this go ’round. It has not been, but I’m happy to report we are slowly and surely figuring it out.)
Maybe it’s the state of the world and the doom and gloom we hear on a daily basis.
Or maybe it’s just because it’s nice to know people still care, in spite of the negative.
Whatever it is, I love the influx of cookie recipes and hearing the stories behind them again this year.
Why I love this recipe:
As you should know by now, orange-cranberry everything is my favorite this time of year. (If you don’t know yet, please reference Orange Cranberry Bars, Creamy Cranberry Tart, Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls and more…)
Is it any surprise that I made thumbprint cookies featuring this combo? NOPE.
The best news is that these cookies call for leftover cranberry sauce, so if you’ve got some lying around that you don’t want to eat (and I don’t know why you wouldn’t—cranberry sauce is amazing), these cookies are an awesome way to not let that go to waste.
10/10 recommend, y’all. These orange cranberry thumbprints are utterly scrumptious!
Please note that if you’d like to replace the cranberry filling with your favorite jam or jelly to make these more traditional jam thumbprint cookies, you can definitely do that.
These are beautiful to serve on a cookie tray or in a cookie gift box, so scroll on down to learn how to make ’em.
Other classic Christmas cookies to bake during holiday season: Cranberry Pinwheel Cookies | Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Cranberry Chocolate Potato Chip Cookies
What you need to make this recipe:
The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.
- Glass bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- 1 tablespoon cookie scoop
- Sheet pan
- Wax paper
- Zester
- Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper
- Muddler (for making the thumbprint indentions)
- Wire cooling rack
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s the ingredients you need to grab from the grocery store:
- Cream cheese — this serves as the base of our thumbprint cookie recipe and takes the place of butter. Make sure it’s at room temperature, otherwise, it will not blend.
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this provides sweetness to our cookie dough, as well as the orange sugar it will be rolled in.
- Pure vanilla extract — use the real deal extract. It helps all the ingredients sing together!
- Egg — I like to use large eggs from my grocery. It needs to be at room temperature so it incorporates into the batter more easily.
- Milk — whole, 2% and nonfat all work in this recipe. Use what you’ve got on hand. I have not tried to make this recipe with a non-dairy milk.
- White vinegar — just a splash! You could substitute this with lemon juice if you don’t have vinegar on hand.
- All-purpose flour — regular old AP flour works like a charm here. I have not tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, so I do not recommend that.
- Leaveners — we’re using a combination of baking powder and baking soda in this cookie recipe. Make sure they’re fresh!
- Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to for baking. A similarly sized sea salt could also work. Keep in mind that table salt is saltier than kosher salt, so use less if that’s what you have.
- Cranberry sauce — you can use leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays or get the kind out of a can to assist with these cookies. Either works!
- Orange zest — to add some orange flavor to the sugar we roll the dough balls in, as well as the thumbprint filling.
Variations:
Swap out the filling. You could use your favorite jam. I think apricot jam or raspberry jam would both be excellent.
Change out the zest. Don’t love orange? Use lemon or lime to give these cookies a different citrus zip.
Use almond extract instead of vanilla for a more traditional flavor profile.
How to make Orange Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies
Make the Cookie Dough
You need a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer to make this recipe. It’ll make your life a lot easier, so please, get yours out before you begin all these shenanigans.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together. Continue mixing them until the sugar is well incorporated into the cream cheese.
Add in the egg and vanilla extract, then whip those into the batter, too. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Pour in the milk and white vinegar. Stir those in until combined.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. (Yes, I know this is an extra step, but it’ll make your cookies more consistent. Take the time to do this.)
Sprinkle the dry ingredients the wet ingredients, and use the hand or stand mixer to mix the ingredients until they’re completely incorporated.
Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. This is where we are going to cool off the cookie dough balls, so use your biggest baking sheet.
Use a tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies. Use your hands to roll the dough into a smooth ball.
Place the rolled cookies onto the prepared baking sheet. You don’t have to space them out because they will be chilling like this.
When all the dough has been rolled into balls, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour.
Make the filling
While the cookie dough chills in the fridge, it’s time to mix the filling!
In a small bowl, combine the leftover or canned cranberry sauce with the orange zest. Stir the ingredients together until incorporated, and refrigerate.
Bake The Cookies
Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. (Please know that parchment paper and wax paper are different things, so do not use the same strip of wax paper you used in the fridge… your cookies won’t be edible.)
Combine the granulated sugar and orange zest to make the orange sugar in a smaller bowl. We’re going to roll the cookie dough in this before we press the thumbprints into them and bake!
Remove the chilled dough balls from the refrigerator, and transfer the chilled dough balls into the orange sugar. Toss with your hands or a spoon until each one has been coated with the orange sugar.
Next, place the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Give them a little bit of space, as they will spread as they cook, and repeat until the every cookie has all been coated in the orange sugar.
Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Use a kitchen instrument like the back of a cookie scooper, the non-muddling end of a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon to press “thumbprints” into the warm cookies. (I do not recommend using your actual thumb to press this into the warm cookie dough.)
Scoop a heaping ½ teaspoon of cranberry sauce into each indention. Some will be larger or smaller, depending on how you make the indention, so don’t fret if they’re not perfectly uniform.
Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool on a wire cooling rack.
How to store and freeze
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you’re not going to eat them for a few days, I suggest freezing them with the method detailed above to ensure the utmost freshness.
More information: Sugar stabilizes baked goods by pulling water from the cream cheese and reducing the amount of water where bacteria can grow. But the cream cheese-sugar ratio isn’t great enough in these cookies for them to be OK hanging out on the counter for days on end. (My friend Julie talks about the science of this at length in her Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies post.)
How to freeze these cookies: There are two ways to do this.
- Make the dough in advance and freeze it. Simply mix up the dough, and roll it into the balls, as detailed in the recipe below. Stop before you roll them in the orange sugar, though. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pop them in the oven and freeze for 2-4 hours. Once frozen solid, transfer to an airtight container or a freezer bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, remove from the freezer and let thaw. Roll in the orange sugar, and follow the baking instructions.
- Freeze the baked cookies… but here’s the trick: Make the cookies, and follow the recipe as outlined below. Bake the cookies, but do not continue with the filling step. Let the cookies sans filling cool, then place on a baking sheet and freeze, and then transfer them to an airtight container. Let them thaw when you’re ready to enjoy them, mix the filling, warm the oven and follow the instructions, starting with adding the filling.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
To me, these Cranberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies feel special, and so, you know I’m going to tell you they’re perfect for hosting and sharing. They are stunning on a cookie platter and to give as a gift.
But these cookies are also perfect to bake with your family at home, if you’re not hosting or entertaining this season, too.
You can involve your kids and other family members in the making of these cookies and then spread the joy after the cookies have baked and cooled off.
For example…
- Kids can assist in the measuring of ingredients. My girls love to be involved with anything baking-related, and they’re both semi-reliable measurers now. They could also measure out and mix the cranberry sauce.
- Make it an assembly line for the whole family! I wouldn’t put kids in front of a hot pan that came out of the oven for the thumbprint making and filling process, but they can be involved in every step up until then.
- Share your end result! We’ve been known to bring plates of cookies to friends and neighbors after baking for the holidays, and I encourage you to do the same and spread the love! Just make sure the cookies have cooled completely before putting them in a cookie box or wrapping in plastic wrap.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cookies are called thumbprints because to make them, you can press your thumb into the cookie, creating a thumbprint indention. We don’t do that for this recipe, as we’ll bake them first before creating the indention. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stick my thumb into a hot cookie straight from the oven…
Fun fact: Thumbprint cookies originate from Sweden, where they’re called Hallongrotta. The name translates to “raspberry cave,” and is traditionally made with—surprise, surprise—a raspberry filling.
Absolutely! You could easily substitute your favorite kind of jam in place of the cranberry sauce.
Depending on the jam, though, I might change the sugar out. For example, if you want to do a blueberry filling, I’d use lemon zest instead of orange. That said, if you’re into fig or raspberry jam, keep the orange goodness intact.
Quick tips and tricks for these Orange Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Double the recipe to share the love with friends and their families.
- Use your Thanksgiving or Christmas leftover cranberry sauce to make this recipe even easier!
- Bake these beauties in advance and freeze them until you’re ready to consume!
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days tops.
What are some recipes that I can pair with these Orange Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies?
Here’s how you make them…
Orange Cranberry Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons milk whole, 2% and nonfat all work!
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Cranberry Filling
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Orange Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Equipment
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and granulated sugar together using a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat those into the batter then pour in the milk and white vinegar. Stir until combined.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients the wet ingredients, mixing until completely incorporated.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and set aside.
- Use a tablespoon cookie scoop (or a regular tablespoon measuring spoon) to measure out the cookies.
- Roll the dough into balls using your hands.
- Place the rolled dough onto the prepared baking sheet. They do not need to be spaced out because they will be chilling on this sheet pan, not baking.
- When all the dough has been rolled into balls, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
Mix the filling
- In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce with the orange zest.
- With a spoon, stir until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Refrigerate until time to use.
Bake the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
- In a medium-sized glass bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest to make the orange sugar.
- Remove the chilled dough balls from the refrigerator.
- Transfer the chilled dough into the orange sugar and toss until coated.
- Place the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-2" apart.
- Repeat the process until all the cookie dough balls are coated in orange sugar and placed on the sheet pan.
- Bake the dough for 8 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use a kitchen instrument, like the back of a cookie scooper or the non-muddling end of a muddler, to press “thumbprints” into the warm cookies.
- Scoop a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of cranberry sauce into each indention. (Some will be larger or smaller, depending on how you make the indention. Do not worry about them all being uniform.)
- Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Cool completely on a wire cooling rack before serving with a glass of milk!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I am so obsessed with the cranberry orange combination right now! These cookies look amazing. Definitely adding this to our cookie list this year 😉
These are delicious! Wonderfully festive and would be perfect for a cookie exchange or a holiday dessert table. Rolling them in orange sugar was a perfect complement to the cranberry sauce.
YAY! Your comment makes me so happy, Meggie! That orange sugar makes all the difference, huh? I wish I’d had a cookie exchange to take these to because they were so yummy! That said, I’m happy I was able to share some of them with you. 🙂
Yes! I love the use of cranberry in these and can never resist that fresh citrus taste from oranges! Plus cream cheese? Yum! These are dreamy!
Thanks, Vanessa! I’m a sucker for cranberry with orange, and the addition of cream cheese is so, so, so lovely. I hope you’re able to make some of these this holiday season!
I love your ratio of jam to cookie! I love my thumbprint cookies with lots of jam. The flavor combo of these sounds delish, too!
I love your ratio of jam to cookie! I love my thumbprint cookies with lots of jam. The flavor combo of these sounds delish, too!
Thanks, Jenna! I love a lot of jam in my thumbprints, too, and am glad that I’m in good company. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with this flavor combo. 😀
I am so obsessed with the cranberry orange combination right now! These cookies look amazing. Definitely adding this to our cookie list this year 😉
High five for the cranberry orange obsession! I hope you and yours enjoy these cookies as much as we did. They are so darn scrumptious!
These are delicious! Wonderfully festive and would be perfect for a cookie exchange or a holiday dessert table. Rolling them in orange sugar was a perfect complement to the cranberry sauce.
Yes! I love the use of cranberry in these and can never resist that fresh citrus taste from oranges! Plus cream cheese? Yum! These are dreamy!