These Blood Orange Crinkle Cookies are just as delicious as they are adorable! Keep them plain or turn them into thumbprint cookies with a dollop of homemade Blood Orange Curd for an extra burst of flavour.
I first made Crinkle Cookies in 2019 with this Pandan flavoured version. Since then, they have become the most popular recipe on the whole site! I get comments all the time saying how much people all over the world have loved them.
At first I really thought of these as strictly a Christmas cookie because their powdered sugar exterior looks snowy and festive. But the flavour ideas are endless! They are so delicious that I now think they should absolutely be enjoyed all year round. I’ve tried a bunch of different flavours, from chocolate to raspberry to bright purple ube.
They have all been so delicious! It doesn’t matter what flavour I make, these cookies are always massive crowd pleasers and everyone always loves them! Personally, I love their soft cake-like texture and how each one looks special with it’s own crinkle pattern.
These cookies come together with mostly staple ingredients that you’re likely to already have on hand. When it comes to the flavouring, that’s where it becomes more unique. Usually I use store-bought flavour extracts (such as coconut or peppermint) and sometimes a few drops of colouring. But this time the taste came 100% from fresh blood oranges from my Nanna’s garden. I rubbed the zest into the sugar with my fingertips to release the oils and aromas prior to adding it into the mixture. I also added fresh blood orange juice for even more flavour.
Then I turned half the batch into fun thumbprint cookies with my Blood Orange Curd. I’m thrilled to say they turned out so good! They looked super cute and tasted amazing. To make the thumbprints, make the cookies as normal, but remove from the oven at the 10 minute mark. I used the underside of a teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation in each cookie and then placed a heaped teaspoon of Blood Orange Curd into each “thumbprint”. Then just bake for another 5 minutes to set the curd.
Tips and Hints for making Blood Orange Crinkle Cookies
This recipe is quite simple but I’ve learned a few tricks along the way to help you make perfect crinkle cookies every time.
- Double dip in sugar. One tip I have faithfully followed since the very first time is to first dip the cookies in regular granulated sugar before dipping generously in icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar). The first dip helps the icing sugar stick to the cookies and not just dissolve into the dough in the heat of the oven. This helps to get the signature crinkles perfect every time.
- Depending on what time of year you make these, you may need to chill your dough briefly. If your dough is too warm it can be difficult to roll them easily. I first made these in summer and found that a 10-15 minute rest in the fridge was perfect. If you try to bake these cookies from cold, they won’t spread to get that signature crinkle pattern. If you are making these outside of summertime, you probably do not need to chill the dough at all.
- Lower your oven temperature. I found that by lowering the oven temperature to 160°C or 320°F, the cookies didn’t overbake or brown at the edges. This is extra important when you’re baking lighter or coloured cookies. 10-15 minutes is the perfect baking time for these.
- Store the cookies in an air-tight container for 4-5 days and stay delicious and soft. Regular crinkle cookies can be stored at room temperature. However, it’s safest to store the thumbprint cookies with curd in the fridge. I think these cookies somehow taste even better the next day!
Blood Oranges are in season right now here in Australia so it’s the perfect time to make these gorgeous cookies. If they’re not in season, this recipe would also work well with an equal amount (zest and juice) of another citrus. Lemon, lime, calamansi or grapefruit could be substituted in the recipe below.
Related Post: Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Blood Orange Crinkle Cookies
These Blood Orange Crinkle Cookies are just as delicious as they are adorable! Keep them plain or turn them into thumbprint cookies with a dollop of homemade Blood Orange Curd for an extra burst of flavour.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 2 teaspoon blood orange zest
- 112 g butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon blood orange juice
- 2 1/3 cups plain all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup icing sugar powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar
- Optional : 1/2 cup Blood Orange Curd (linked in post above)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
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Place caster sugar and blood orange zest into a bowl and rub together with your fingertips to infuse the flavour into the sugar
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In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and infused caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and beating well to fully combine.
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Add the blood orange juice and mix to combine.
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Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and then mix again until combined.
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Fill two smaller bowls with caster sugar in one and icing sugar in the other. Use an ice cream scoop or tablespoon to scoop cookie dough. Roll the balls in caster sugar first and then into the icing sugar to coat generously. You can’t really use too much icing sugar here. Place on the baking tray, leaving at least 3-4 cm gap between them for cookies to spread in the oven.
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If making regular Crinkle Cookies, bake for 10-15 minutes until cookies have a crackled top but are still a little soft in the center. Allow to cool completely. Repeat with remaining mixture until all cookies are baked.
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If making Blood Orange Curd Thumbprint Cookies, bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Use a teaspoon measure to make an indentation into the middle of each cookie. Add a heaped tablespoon into each indentation and return to the oven for 5 minutes until curd has just set. Allow to cool completely. Repeat with remaining mixture until all cookies are baked.