These Chocolate Orange Cookies use an entire Terry’s chocolate orange to make for a perfect holiday cookie. These cookies are soft, thick and ultra fudgy. If you love chocolate and orange, then these cookies are for you!

Holiday baking is the best kind, in my opinion! If you are looking for more delicious holiday cookie recipes, try my white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies and my cinnamon roll cookies!

Chocolate Orange Cookies on a white background surrounded by sliced oranges.

Why This Recipe Works

  • A great way to use your Terry’s chocolate orange. Not only are these cookies so delicious, but it’s a fun way to use the Terry’s chocolate orange you were gifted from neighbors, friends or family!
  • The flavor of Christmas. These Terry’s chocolate orange cookies are the perfect taste of Christmas! My parents always had one of the chocolate oranges for the holidays and these cookies bring all the nostalgia of holiday memories accompanied with it. Also, if you love the chocolate orange combination, don’t miss out on my chocolate orange cupcakes recipe!
  • Thick, soft and fudgy. You’ll love this recipe for the texture as well as the flavor. The cookies are thick and soft — everything cookies should be!

Ingredient Notes

Chocolate Orange Cookie ingredients on a gray background.
  • Terry’s Chocolate Orange: I used the Terry’s milk chocolate orange, but you can use the Terry’s dark chocolate orange if you’d like.
  • Orange Zest: Adding extra orange zest to the cookies helps enhance the orange flavor from the chocolate.
  • Cream Cheese: Adding cream cheese is a great source of fat for cookies because it has a different flavor than butter or oil and makes the cookies extra thick and soft! This is because the bonds between cream cheese particles are much stronger than that of butter. If you prefer a flatter cookie, you can substitute some butter for the cream cheese. Butter has a much lower melting point and melts around 90°F and will help produce a much flatter and more traditional cookie. I use cream cheese in my double chocolate cookies to get that same thick, soft result.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Roughy chop the chocolate orange into bite size chunks.
A Terry's chocolate orange cut into chunks.
  1. Make the cookie dough. Combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer. Beat the cream cheese and sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium speed.
Chocolate Orange Cookie dough made with cream cheese and fresh orange zest in a glass mixing bowl on a white background.
  1. Once you’ve made the dough, scoop into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them on a baking sheet.
Chocolate Orange Cookie dough balls on a white background.
  1. Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes at 350.
Chocolate Orange Cookies stacked on a plate.

Recipe Tips

use room temperature cream cheese. A quick way to soften cream cheese is to unwrap the cream cheese and place it in a bowl in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

When removing the cookies from the oven, the cookies should be set but look a tad doughy. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool. The cookies will cook a bit while they cool on the baking sheet so don’t worry.

Storing and Freezing

Store the cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you want to keep them for longer, your best bet would be to freeze the cookie dough and bake them when you are ready.

Freeze the cookie dough in the dough balls on a cookie sheet until set. Then transfer to a Ziplock bag or airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer and bake from frozen. You may need to bake the cookies for 2-3 minutes longer since you baked from frozen.

Don’t over bake the cookies or they’ll be dry.

FAQs

Do they still make Terry’s chocolate oranges?

Yes! You should be able to find them in your local grocery store.

Where do Terry’s chocolate orange come from?

Carambar & Co., a French company, makes Terry’s chocolate oranges.

Chocolate Orange Cookies surrounded by fresh orange slices.

More Holiday Recipes

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Chocolate Orange Cookies on a wire rack surrounded by fresh orange slices.
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5 from 12 votes

Chocolate Orange Cookies

There’s no mistaking these chocolate cookies are loaded with delicious orange chocolate, mini chocolate chips, and of course orange zest! They’re a holiday classic that will become a staple in your home.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients
 

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 8 oz cream cheese - softened
  • 1 large egg - at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1 Terry’s chocolate orange - chopped (just a little over 1 cup)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (or lightly grease the pan). Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sugar and cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. 
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. 
  • Add the chocolate chips, orange chocolate chunks, and orange zest. Mix until just combined!
  • Use a 2 T. cookie scoop and scoop the dough onto the baking sheet. Place about 2 inches apart from one another. 
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes or until just set. 
  • Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storing and Freezing: Store the cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you want to keep them for longer, your best bet would be to freeze the cookie dough and bake them when you are ready.
Freeze the cookie dough in the dough balls on a cookie sheet until set. Then transfer to a Ziplock bag or airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer and bake from frozen. You may need to bake the cookies for 2-3 minutes longer since you baked from frozen.
If you over bake these cookies they will be dry. Bake until they are just set and then cool completely. If you do it correctly you’ll have very soft, fudgy, and irresistible cookies! 

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 27g (9%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 4g (20%)Cholesterol: 17mg (6%)Sodium: 106mg (4%)Potassium: 83mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 18g (20%)Vitamin A: 140IU (3%)Vitamin C: 0.5mg (1%)Calcium: 25mg (3%)Iron: 0.9mg (5%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating and review on the blog post letting me know how you liked this recipe! Take a picture and tag @saltandbaker on Instagram and Facebook so I can see what you’re making!

This recipe was originally published on Dec. 18, 2018. It was republished on Dec. 2, 2021, to include additional information and photos.