Glazed Mandarin Orange Cookies are soft, citrusy cookies made with canned mandarin oranges and finished with a simple orange glaze for extra flavor. This easy cookie recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and delivers bright orange flavor without being overpowering.
Why You’ll Love These Glazed Mandarin Orange Cookies
- Perfect for citrus lovers: If you enjoy orange-flavored desserts, these cookies deliver a bright, fresh flavor in an easy homemade cookie.
- Made with canned mandarin oranges: Using canned mandarins keeps this recipe easy and consistent, while adding moisture and real citrus flavor to every bite.
- Soft, tender cookie texture: These cookies bake up soft and slightly cakey, making them perfect for glazing and stacking without drying out.
- Simple orange glaze: The glaze is made with powdered sugar, orange extract, and reserved mandarin juice, adding sweetness and extra citrus flavor without complicating the recipe.
- Quick and easy cookie recipe: From start to finish, these cookies come together fast, making them great for weeknight baking, parties, or last-minute desserts.
Ingredients in Mandarin Orange Cookies
- Butter – You will need 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened to room temperature. Real butter definitely works best!
- Sugar – You will need 1/2 cup of granulated sugar for the cookie recipe.
- Brown Sugar – For best results, make sure your brown sugar is fresh.
- Egg – Just one large egg helps to bind all of the other ingredients together.
- Orange extract – Orange extract is pretty strong, so be careful not to use too much! One teaspoon will provide a subtle orange flavor, so if you want it to be a little stronger, you may want to use closer to two.
- Baking soda – A teaspoon of baking soda acts as the leavening agent, so make sure it isn’t old or expired.
- Salt – Just a half teaspoon of salt helps to bring out all of the other flavors in the cookies.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works best in the recipe, but you can use a gluten-free substitute if needed.
- Mandarin oranges – You will need an 11-ounce can of mandarin oranges. Use a strainer to strain out all of the liquid from the can, but make sure to reserve at least some of the juice to help make the glaze. Once the mandarin oranges are drained, you can put them on a plate or cutting board and mash them up with the back of a fork. Do not re-drain the oranges after mashing.
- Powdered sugar – A cup of powdered sugar provides the base for the glaze.
- Orange extract – A half teaspoon of orange extract kicks up the orange flavor quite a bit!
- Reserved juice from mandarin oranges – You will need about 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved mandarin orange juice to provide the rest of the liquid for the glaze. Add as much as you’d like to bring the glaze to your desired consistency.
Tips and Tricks
- Glaze after cooling: This prevents the glaze from melting and running off the cookies.
- Do not melt the butter: Softened butter is essential for proper creaming and cookie texture.
- Drain mandarins well before mashing: Excess liquid can affect the dough consistency.
- Do not overmix after adding the fruit: Mixing just until combined keeps the cookies soft.
- Do not overbake: Cookies may look slightly underdone but will set as they cool.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
- Refrigerator: Not recommended, as refrigeration can dry out the cookies.
- Freezing (unfrosted): Freeze baked cookies without glaze for up to 3 months.
- Freezing (glazed): Possible, but the best texture is achieved by glazing after thawing.
FAQs
Can I use fresh oranges instead of canned mandarin oranges?
Canned mandarin oranges work best for consistent moisture and flavor, but fresh oranges can be used if finely chopped and well-drained.
How strong is the orange flavor?
The flavor is bright but balanced. You can increase the orange extract slightly if you prefer a stronger citrus taste.
Why are my cookies too soft or sticky?
This can happen if the mandarins weren’t drained well enough or if the cookies were underbaked. Let them cool completely before glazing.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
Do these cookies freeze well?
Yes. Freeze the cookies without glaze, then thaw and glaze before serving for best results.
CAN I FREEZE GLAZED COOKIES?
Yes, these cookies freeze wonderfully, but I think the freezing process works much better if you freeze the cookies without the glaze. Simply place the cookies into an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Let the cookies thaw on the counter before eating so that they are softer enough to bite into. This only takes a few minutes for a single cookie or two. When the cookies are thawed, you can easily mix up some glaze and put it on top.
More delicious orange cookie recipes to try:
- Chocolate Orange Pinwheel Cookies are soft, buttery slice-and-bake cookies with a rich chocolate filling and bright orange flavor, creating a beautiful swirl that’s perfect for holiday cookie trays and special occasions.
- With a chewy orange cookie base and a rich chocolate topping, Fudge Topped Orange Cookies deliver the classic chocolate-orange flavor combination in every bite.
- Baked with orange juice concentrate in both the dough and frosting, Frosted Orange Juice Cookies are soft, citrus-forward treats with bold orange flavor throughout.
- Perfect for afternoon tea or everyday baking, Orange Shortbread Cookies are crisp, buttery cookies with a light citrus flavor that brightens any moment.
- Made extra soft with sour cream and vanilla pudding mix, Orange Creamsicle Cookies combine orange extract and white chocolate chips for a nostalgic creamsicle-inspired flavor.
These Glazed Mandarin Orange Cookies are an easy homemade cookie recipe made with canned mandarin oranges and a simple orange glaze, perfect for citrus lovers.
Sue says
Great recipe also done it with mango tasty
Diana Trievel says
very good