Chocolate Orange Cookies
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These chocolate orange cookies (along with the citrus only orange cookie siblings!) will be your new favorite grown-up cookies – deeply chocolatey with a bright pop of orange and a sneaky splash of amaretto that makes them absolutely irresistible.
The dark cocoa and orange zest are perfect together, while a hint of cinnamon adds just the right cozy warmth. They bake up with beautiful chewy centers and slightly crisp edges, and the optional dark chocolate chunks and nuts take them completely over the top. Fair warning: they disappear fast!
Why Make These?
- Deep chocolate-orange flavor that’s sophisticated but not fussy
- Super adaptable – add nuts, extra chocolate, or keep them simple
- Not your average chocolate cookie – zesty orange and warm spices make these truly special!
- Perfect with coffee or as an after-dinner treat that’s not too sweet
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-processed – it interacts differently with baking soda
- Orange Zest: Zest orange before juicing, and avoid the white pith which is bitter
- Amaretto/Frangelico: Can substitute orange liqueur, or for alcohol-free, use almond extract + extra orange juice
- Oil: Any neutral oil works (canola, vegetable, light olive) – brings moisture without competing flavors
- Optional 80% Chocolate: Could use 70% if preferred, or omit entirely – cookies will still be deliciously chocolatey
- Nuts: Almonds or hazelnuts work best with the flavor profile, but any nut works – or skip them entirely
Method Overview
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. In a separate container, combine wet ingredients, then pour into the dry mixture and stir until a cohesive dough forms.
Roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls (can refrigerate overnight for enhanced flavor). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) and place balls on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes – they’ll look slightly underdone. Let rest for 10 minutes after baking to achieve perfect texture.
Tips & Techniques
- Don’t overmix once wet hits dry – stir just until combined for tender cookies
- Roll dough with slightly damp hands to prevent sticking
- Leave plenty of space between cookies – they spread
- They’ll look underbaked at 10 minutes but will set up as they cool
- Let cool completely on the baking sheet – moving too soon will cause breaks
- For extra chocolate kick, chill dough overnight
- Tap sheet pan once when out of oven to help cookies settle
- Store with a piece of orange peel to keep citrus flavor fresh
More Italian Cookies
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Orange Cookies
Equipment
- Baking or cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup grated 80% coca chocolate optional for extra chocolate richness
- 6 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp Amaretto or Frangelico
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (72 g) chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by gathering your dry ingredients and placing them in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly blend and combine these dry ingredients until they are well mixed.
- In a separate container, combine all of the liquid ingredients. Once they are fully mixed together, pour this liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir and combine the ingredients until a cohesive dough or batter forms.
- Take small portions of the dough and roll them into balls, using about a teaspoon-sized amount for each. If you’d like to enhance the flavor, you can refrigerate the dough balls overnight to allow the flavors to meld and develop.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and prepare a cookie sheet by greasing it to prevent sticking.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes. The cookies may appear slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven; this is intentional.
- Allow the baked cookies to sit for about 10 minutes after taking them out of the oven. During this time, they will firm up and reach the desired texture.
Notes
- Baked cookies should keep well in the freezer for 3 to 4 weeks, with the USDA saying 8 to 12 months.
- At room temperature, baked cookies should keep well for 3 or 4 days.
- For more tips on storing cookies at room temperature vs the refrigerator vs the freezer, see this article by Real Simple.
- Most cookie doughs will freeze well for 2 months. See more here about how to bake after freezing cookie dough.
- Homemade cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 4
Hi Marie,
I just tried your Italian Chocolate Nut Cookies recipe and I have to say, they are amazing! I love Italian desserts and I have always been a fan of nutty cookies, so I was excited to see this recipe on your blog. I was not disappointed, the cookies turned out perfectly.
The combination of the chocolate and nuts was just perfect, it gave the cookies a great texture. I also loved the hint of coffee in the dough, it added a nice depth of flavor. I made these cookies for a family gathering and they were a hit, everyone loved them. I had a few people ask for the recipe, so I pointed them in your direction.
I just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe, it has become one of my favorites. Your blog is a treasure trove of delicious recipes, I can’t wait to try more of your creations. Keep up the great work, you have a big fan in me!
– Helen Knight from https://solvekitchenissue.com/
I love them too!