Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Tangerine Cookies made with orange sugar, melty chocolate chips, and dried tangerines for a bright citrus twist on a classic cookie recipe.
There’s something a little magical about citrus in cookies. Chocolate chip cookies already feel like comfort, but adding dried tangerines and orange sugar gives them this bright, cozy twist that somehow tastes both nostalgic and a little unexpected.
These Chocolate Chip Tangerine Cookies are soft in the middle, lightly crisp around the edges, and packed with little bursts of citrus that balance perfectly with the chocolate.
The real secret is the orange sugar. Rubbing fresh orange zest into granulated sugar releases the oils from the peel, making the whole kitchen smell incredible before the cookies even hit the oven. It adds this subtle citrus flavor that feels warm instead of overpowering.
I also love the texture the dried tangerines bring. They get chewy in the oven and almost taste like little pockets of citrus burst tucked into the cookie dough. Paired with melty chocolate chips? Honestly, they’re hard to stop eating.
These Chocolate Chip Tangerine Cookies are the result of my being the victim of marketing ploys. I love to try new things, especially if I can bake with them.
So when at Costco last year I saw a bag of dried tangerines I was super intrigued as I couldn’t wrap my head around that. The only citrus I have had is candied citrus peel, which are sweet. So these I figured would be tart. And they are, but in a good way because they do have sugar with them.
Definitely good in a cookie.
Like my Cranberry Orange Pistachio Cookies, these are rolled in orange sugar.
Not the color orange as some get confused on that. It’s sugar that you rub orange peel in and it releases the oil into sugar.
Do you need to do that? No. But in the words of Elle Woods “I think it gives it a little something extra, don’t you think?”
These are the kind of cookies that feel perfect for:
- holiday cookie trays
- cozy rainy afternoons
- gifting to friends
- or just eating warm off the baking sheet while pretending you’ll “save some for later”
A couple quick tips:
- Don’t overbake them. They should still look slightly gooey in the center when you pull them out.
- Yes, the oven temp really is 360°. It gives the edges a nice golden finish while keeping the centers soft.
- Finely dice the dried tangerines so they distribute evenly throughout the dough.
At the end of the day, these cookies are proof that a small twist on a classic recipe can make something feel completely new. The orange sugar and dried tangerines add just enough citrus to brighten up the rich chocolate chip cookie base without overpowering it. They’re simple to make, a little unique, and definitely worth keeping in your regular baking rotation.
Want More Cookie Recipes?
Vanilla Bean Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
White Chocolate Dried Pineapple Salted Macadamia Nut Cookie
Caramel Cream Filled Snickerdoodles
Double Chocolate Rainbow Chip Cookies
Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Tangerine Cookies
Ingredients
- Orange Sugar:
- zest from one orange
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- For cookies:
- 8 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cup All-Purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (semi or milk based on your preference)
- 1 cup dried tangerines (diced finely)
Instructions
- Orange Sugar:
- In a medium bowl mix the orange zest and sugar.
- Rub the orange zest into the sugar with hands.
- You can sift out orange zest if desired or keep.
- For cookies:
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium high.
- Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time.
- Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next.
- Add the vanilla extract and scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, soda and salt and mix to combine.
- With the machine on low, slowly add the flour.
- Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate and dried tangerine pieces.
- Roll cookie dough in to 1 inch balls. Then roll the balls into the orange sugar.
- Bake at 360* for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.
- *Please note that yes that reads 360 and not 350. If you oven does not go to that I would stay with 350 and bake an extra minute.
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