Creamsicle Crinkle Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

Creamsicle Crinkle Cookies are chewy with crispy edges, dotted with melty white chocolate chips and comfortingly orangey.

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Say it 3 times fast

If I made these cookies for no other reason, I’d make them for the name. I mean, Creamsicle Crinkle Cookies… it’s just F U N! But behind the great name stands an equally great cookie — chewy with crispy edges, dotted with melty white chocolate chips and comfortingly orangey.

You notice I said comforting, right? If you’re like me, you grew up eating those Creamsicle orange sherbet-vanilla ice cream treats on a stick, and the flavor combination still takes me back to those happy sunny days of dashing along on my bicycle to catch up with the ice cream truck. Or how about Orange Julius in the mall? Yep, definitely showing myself to be a child of the 70’s!

To keep the comforting vibe going, you’ll probably want to make these creamsicle crinkle cookies hand size, as in bigguns. They’re equally good baked as mini cookies and would make the sweetest happy for a friend in a cello bag tied with a perky bit of ribbon (maybe even a 70’s retro design!)

creamsicle crinkle cookies ingredients

You’ll need:

Flour. All purpose, preferably King Arthur brand.

Baking Powder, Baking Soda + Salt. For lift and flavor.

Butter. I use unsalted butter for all my baking, so if you use salted butter reduce the added salt just a tad.

Sugar. Granulated.

Egg. One large egg, local preferred.

Orange. Use 1 large navel orange. Make sure the peel is firm as this will make it easier to zest.

Vanilla Extract.

Coarse Sugar. Optional but HIGHLY recommended. Adds shine and a fabulous crunch to these cookies and to any baked good!

You’ll also need:

Electric Mixer.

Flexible Spatula.

Zester.

Baking Sheet.

Dough Scoop.

Parchment Paper.

how to make creamsicle crinkle cookies

• Zest the orange then squeeze for the juice. You need 2 tablespoons and all the zest for this recipe.
• Preheat oven to 350°
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine granulated AND coarse sugars in a small bowl and set aside.
• Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrap the sides with spatula.
• Add orange zest, egg, vanilla extract and orange juice and mix until combined.
  
• Gradually blend in the dry ingredients, scrapping the sides as needed.
• Scoop up the dough to make cookie balls, and roll in sugar.
• Place on prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 5″ between each cookie.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes til slightly firm to the touch and beginning to brown around the edges.
• For smaller tablespoon size cookies space 3″ apart and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Recipe Notes

If you don’t want to bake the Creamsicle Crinkle Cookies all at once you can freeze the dough balls. Make the recipe as written, scoop up the dough but DON’T roll it in sugar. Snuggle the balls in a parchment lined small baking pan (say a 9″ round one) and stick in the freezer. When the balls are frozen solid, remove them to a freezer storage bag. When you’re ready to bake, just remove however many cookies you want to eat and let them defrost. Roll in sugar and bake as directed in the recipe.

For a simpler version of Creamsicle Crinkle Sugar Cookies that saves loads of time use refrigerated orange juice instead of fresh. Instead of the orange zest, add 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract. You could also amp up the orange flavor with Boyajian Pure Orange Oil.

For a more intense orange flavor think ahead! Add the orange zest to the sugar, stir it around and let it sit for an hour or so before assembling cookies. It will work its delightful way into the sugar for stronger orange flavor.