Chocolate Orange Chip Cookies are rich and chewy with the perfect hint of orange flavor. This twist on a classic double chocolate cookie is a crowd favorite. Orange and chocolate work so well together!
Does anyone else have those moments from your life where you can remember every detail? And I'm not talking about big things like the first day of school or first concert you went to, but totally mundane things that for some reason or another have etched themselves into your brain? I have tons of those.
I can vividly remember the first time I used a stapler. The first time I ate shrimp cocktail. The first time I ate a jelly stick from Dunkin Donuts. The first time I ate a chocolate orange. (Can you tell a bunch of these memories are food-related?)
But back to that chocolate orange. I have no clue why this was memorable for me. For starters, the whole thing just made me suspicious. It was round. Was it an orange or was it chocolate? And what do you mean I have to whack it on the table before opening it? Weird. But SO. GOOD. Chocolate and orange was never a flavor combination I'd thought of before, but it completely blew my middle-school mind (maybe that's what seared it in my memory?).
But despite the WOW-inducing experience, that was the first and last time I had a chocolate orange. Truthfully, I kind of just forgot about it. But my chocolate orange fascination slowly crept back - and thankfully so. As I could take or leave smacking my dessert on the table AND having recently treated myself to a brand-new cookie scoop, I knew the flavor combination of my dreams had to be reincarnated as cookies. Chocolate orange chip cookies.
The cookie base here consists of deep + dark chocolatey goodness, with semisweet chocolate chips stirred in for good measure. It's chewy and all kinds of good. The usual chocolate cookie culprits are here such as a mix of granulated and brown sugars and a pinch of espresso powder to amp up the chocolate flavor (it's optional), but the orange flavor comes from orange extract. It adds the perfect hint of orange flavor without being overpowering or tasting 'artificial', and trust me - it's a delicious complement to chocolate.
And these cookies are totally the kind where every time you walk past them, you open the container and inhale in the glorious aroma. You have been warned.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon orange extract
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine evenly.
- In a separate bowl, cream together butter, sugars, and extracts. Add eggs and mix again until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients in two or three increments, stirring after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Chill batter in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets with cooking spray.
- Using a 1 ½-tbsp capacity cooking scoop, scoop cookies onto baking sheets, leaving about 1-½" to 2" of space between them to leave room for them to spread.
- Bake for 11 minutes or so, or until the tops have mostly set. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
Every now and then something will spark a very specific (and random) thought. It's amazing how that happens.
These cookies look delicious! I love how you combined orange flavors with the chocolate. I don't see it often but it's so good!
Alyssa says
Thanks, Tina! I agree, I don't think chocolate/orange is the most common flavor, but with how delicious it tastes, I don't know why it isn't! Looking forward to more chocolate/orange recipes in the future for sure!
Sarah & Arkadi says
Great combo of chocolate and orange!
Alyssa says
Thank you! 🙂
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron says
I have tons of food memories like that 🙂 Also I love chocolate oranges, they are the best! These cookies look awesome Alyssa!
Alyssa says
Thanks, Chelsea! I love the unique flavor of chocolate and orange together. And I guess the mind holds onto the things you enjoy thinking about, whether big or small. For me, that is definitely food! 🙂
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
I love the chocolate and orange combo! So good. And you are so right about having the recipe not make too many cookies... I would totally eat the whole batch in one sitting and ruin all the gym work that's in progress!
Alyssa says
Thanks, Chris! I totally agree - unless I know that we're having a crowd over or are headed to a party, I usually cut a cookie recipe in half or immediately stick half the batch in the freezer. The first method always works, but I can't say that we haven't taken a partially-frozen cookie or two from the freezer and popped it in the microwave for a few seconds. Thankfully those moments are few and far between!
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says
Love love love love the chocolate + orange combo! These cookies sound wonderful to me! : )
Alyssa says
Thank you, Consuelo! The chocolate + orange combo is so different than any other cookie or dessert I've made. Super satisfying in their own way!
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes says
these babies are THICK. just how this chick likes 'em 😉
Alyssa says
Thick > thin, hands down for me too! 🙂
Meg Jones | The Spatularette says
OMG, I have that same type of memory! I'll recall the silliest details, like what purse my aunt was carrying at a family dinner two years ago. So strange, right?
Anyhoo, I was never a fan of chocolate+citrus until recently, but now I totally dig it. These cookies look perfect!
Alyssa says
I so feel ya! Weird how the mind works.
And thanks! I'm so glad I revisited chocolate/orange. I was missing out all those years! 🙂
Jenn @ Deliciously Sprinkled says
These look so good, I have never had a orange chocolate cookie and I am thinking I need to create a memory of making these cookies and eating my first orange cookie soon!! Thanks for sharing!
Alyssa says
Thanks, Jenn! 🙂
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
I love how you added the citrus flavor to these cookies! They look so light and pillowy!
Alyssa says
Thank you, Ashley! The orange extract adds such a unique flavor - I'm a big fan! And I totally wouldn't turn down cookies of any shape or size, but soft, pillowy cookies juuust might be my fave. 🙂
Deb says
Such a tempting combination of flavors! Orange compliments chocolate perfectly and a soft and pillowy cookie is always a way to begin another busy week!
Alyssa says
I so agree, Deb. They certainly eased me back into another busy work week (especially since I brought them to work)!
Lynette says
Wow recipe for sure!
Yum!
Alyssa says
Thanks! Yum indeed.
Ashley @ My Midwest Table says
I adore chocolate and orange! Like you, I remember the first time I had a chocolate orange. They are one of my mom's favorites, and I was so intrigued when she had to whack it on the table first. Fun!
These cookies are so pretty, they are shaped perfectly. I bet their aroma is out of this world!
Alyssa says
Thanks, Ashley! That cookie scoop certainly works wonders. 🙂 Chocolate/orange isn't the most common flavor combination, which is strange given how delicious they are when paired together. And you're right - the aroma is hypnotizing. I brought half the batch with me to work today, mostly to get some out of the house, but a little bit so I could smell chocolate/orange all day!