These Orange Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free) are two of my favorites rolled into one. America’s #1 treat, chocolate chip cookies with citrus that I love. Lemon, lime, tangerine, any or all blended together are all delicious to me. But when you combine chocolate and orange, it becomes legendary.
The Artist was hovering the whole time I was making these cookies. He was so anxious to get a bite that he nearly burned himself on a cookie straight from the oven. 🙂
One difference between these cookies and regular chocolate chips is that you need to rest the dough before baking. There is more liquid in these cookies than in the normal recipe so the resting gives the flour a chance to fully absorb it. This is especially important in gluten-free baking. After about 45 minutes in the refrigerator I expected the dough to be really firm and hard to scoop, but it was soft and very pliable.
Use an ice cream scoop with a squeeze handle to quickly portion the dough onto baking sheets. I grew up using two spoons, but I tried the scoop and never went back! They more than pay for themselves and I have several different sizes so I can make cookies any size I like.
As good as the cookies were straight from the oven, they were actually better the next day – possibly because mine were made with gluten-free flours. Crispy, crunchy, with rich flavors that perfectly play off each other, these are truly wonderful cookies. They would travel well so consider including them for an upcoming potluck supper or picnic on warm days – I swear spring is right around the corner – wishful thinking, LOL!
Enjoy these Orange Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies for your next after-school treat or just because! Have a wonderful week and happy Chocolate Monday!
Key Ingredients for Orange Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Butter, sugar, brown sugar
- Eggs, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice
- Flour blend, baking soda, salt
- Chocolate chips, pecans
PRO Tip:
You will get the best and most consistent results if you bake one pan of cookies at a time. If baking more than one pan, spin and swap the trays from one rack to another halfway through for the most even baking.
How to make Orange Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Cream the butter and sugars together, add eggs one at a time, then the orange zest and juice, beating until smooth
- Slowly beat in the flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir in the chocolate chips and pecans
- Cover and chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes or more
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes at 350°F; cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Stand mixer
- Spring-loaded ice cream scoop
- Baking sheets
- Silpats or parchment paper sheets
Gluten-Free Tips:
Simply swap in a gluten-free flour blend for regular flour in any recipe. Use 120 grams per cup of flour called for and you rarely need to make any other adjustments. The 120 grams is the weight of most regular American all-purpose flours and is a good starting point. It is always the best idea to weigh a cup of your favorite flour blend (using the scoop and sweep method of filling) and use that number in your baking conversions. My flour blends that I developed for the Gluten-Free Bread Machine cookbook weigh 120 grams/cup and are what I use for all my baking projects.
Orange Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)
These Orange Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies are two of my favorites rolled into one. America’s #1 treat, chocolate chip cookies, with citrus that I love, is a heavenly match.
Ingredients
- 3-1/4 cups (390 g) gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (213 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp orange zest, from 1 large orange
- 2 tsp orange juice
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups (228 g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour blend, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until soft, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and beater.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well before adding the second one. Then add the vanilla, orange zest and juice, and beat on low for 1 minute until combined. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients. When the dough is smooth, stir in the chocolate chips and pecans. Scrape the bowl again making sure there is no extra flour hiding in the bottom.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, but an hour or more is better. If you are using gluten-free flour, this resting gives the flours more time to fully absorb the liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats or parchment.
- Form the dough into 2 tbsp balls about the size of a walnut. Place on prepared baking sheets 2-inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still slightly soft in the middle. For best results bake one sheet at a time. If baking more than one pan, spin and swap the trays halfway through for the most even baking.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Adapted from The Pajama Chef
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 105mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
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