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Orange Cardamom Cookies take the classic crisp Snickerdoodle cookie recipe and adds a citrusy twist. The buttery orange cookie recipe along with its coating of coconut, cardamom, and cinnamon will have festive aromas filling your kitchen. They will be a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie platter this holiday season.
I spent years avoiding cardamom. Everyone once in a while I’d see a recipe and it would only have a teensy amount. So I figured I’d just leave it out versus trying to justify spending $15 on a tiny bottle that I would rarely use.
As I learned more about cardamom and the fact that it can both add a little exotic flair and enhance the flavor of cinnamon and other spices, I knew I had to try it.
My first stop was cookies!
If you love the classic Snickerdoodle, then you will love this slightly exotic twist on the original. I already had made Coconut Snickerdoodles, so after consulting my handy dandy Flavor Bible, I knew that adding cardamom plus a hint of citrus to these buttery cookies would be absolute perfection.
I was right!
Orange Cardamom Cookie Recipe
I like my Snickerdoodles crisp, and while these retained their perfect crispiness, they were, dare I say, juicy. And the smell in my kitchen, while they were baking, was just so enticing and festive!
The addition of coconut oil and the slightly juicy orange zest makes this dough was a little softer than my original Snickerdoodle cookie dough. So I do recommend chilling it in the fridge and only flattening down the dough balls other the slightest bit, since they will spread on their own. And even using 1/4 cup coconut flour in place of 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour will add another hint of coconut flavor and make the dough a bit more stiff.
How to make orange cardamom cookies?
Stir together the dry ingredients
- All-purpose
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Salt
Cream the following ingredients
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Coconut oil or shortening
Beat in the following ingredients
- Eggs
- Zest of one orange
Finish the dough
Slowly beat in the dry ingredients. Chill the dough.
Make the coating
- Sweetened coconut flakes – pulsed in a blender to a powder
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
Bake the cookies
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the coating. Press down slightly on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes.
Do I have to use the coconut?
No, you can replace the coconut with 3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar.
What can I substitute for cardamom?
While the cardamom does add a deeper flavor and a bit more holiday spice, you can certainly use all cinnamon.
Can you freeze these cookies?
Yes, these are freezer-friendly cookies so you can make them well before the holidays.
Cool the cookies completely so they don’t get soggy, and place them in a plastic freezer storage bag. Remove all the air, seal the bag, and place it in a tin or plastic storage container to keep them from getting broken. Then place in the freezer for up to two months.
More orange desserts
- Dark Chocolate and Orange Yogurt Parfaits
- Orange Creamsicle Jello Mold
- Healthy Orange Julius Smoothie
- Dark Chocolate Orange Ricotta Tart
- Gluten-Free Orange Rolls from Flippin’ Delicious
More snickerdoodle recipes
- Browned Butter Snickerdoodles with Toffee
- Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate White Chocolate Bark
- Espresso Snickerdoodles
- Snickerdoodles Biscotti
Orange Cardamom Cookies
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose (optional – substitute ¼ cup all-purpose flour with coconut flour)
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup coconut oil or shortening
- 2 eggs
- zest of one orange (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Sift together into a medium bowl the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set bowl aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, coconut oil, and sugar.
- Add the eggs one at a time, and then the orange zest, and mix thoroughly.
- Add the flour mixture, and mix until a dough forms.
- Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
- Using a food processor, process the coconut until it is almost a moist powder. Mix in a small bowl with cinnamon and cardamom.
- Shape dough into approximately 1 inch balls, roll in the coconut and spice mixture, and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
- Pat each dough ball down very slightly.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set.
- Cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to racks to cool completely.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
Enjoy!
Orange & cardamom in a cookie?! You are a superstar! 🙂 I LOVE the look of these cookies & they’re so perfect for fall! I followed you here from the link party at Chef in Training & I’d like to invite you to come link up to my party, too. It’s Tasty Tuesdays & I pin EVERY POST that gets linked up! You can find this week’s party here from tomorrow: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=tasty+tuesdays
Thanks for stopping by. They were amazing flavors for a cookie!
These are wonderful looking cookies, and I really like the use of orange and cardamon!
Thanks, they are wonderful flavors.
Snickerdoodles are the best! So great how you remixed them. I’ve always wanted to try baking with cardamom.
Snickerdoodles are a fave in my family.
Totally making these if I can find Cardamom-yesterday my Chinese colleagues told me it was medicinal, so I’ll have to figure out where one finds a Chinese herbal medicine shop
I found cardamom at my local grocery store! Right in the regular spice section.
coco-doodles! What a great name! Love these cookies. I bet the addition of the orange and cardamom really added a wonderful flavor profile to these coconuty little cookies. I adore classic snickerdoodles so now I really want to give these a try. Glad you finally got to work with some cardamom!
Thanks Kate. I felt like I was naming one of those funny dog breeds – cockapoo, labradoodle.
What a fantastic recipe! Gotta make these!
These cookies sounds great! Perfect for the upcoming holidays
Thanks, I do think they had a very holiday-ish flavor.
Mmm – these look so delish! I’ve never baked with cardamom before – I’ll have to try this!
Thanks Heather! It is a great spice.
I want to make these so badly but I can not for the life of me get my snickerdoodles not to run into one large snickerdoodle.
Definitely chill your dough. And try the Betty Crocker recipe with half shortening or coconut oil. I bet all butter makes them spread more.
I really enjoy cardamom, great idea to use it in a snickerdoodle. Especially with the orange, those flavors go great together.
Thanks, it was a great flavor combo.
Snickerdoodles with cardamom?!? Pure genius! I will have to try this for the Snickerdoodle addict at my house.
I am curious to have my dad the Snickerdoodle addict try them!
Check out a giant Target, the kind with a grocery. They sell cardamom under their Archer Farms label for under $5. I didn’t realize it was expensive in other places. Sorry for the inconvenience. I try not to pick terribly weird ingredients.
Love the orange coconut snickerdoodle variation. It sounds wonderful.
No worries Kristen! I’ve been wanting to start using it anyway and each recipe only uses a little, so it’ll last awhile. But thanks for the Target tip!