Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies

Orange choc chip oat cookies, easy recipe, lower in sugar, soft chewy style cookie

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4.48 from 146 votes

Soft, oaty chocolate chip orange cookies made with fresh orange zest and juice—quick to bake and perfect for kids.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Total Time22

Course: Baking

Cuisine: New Zealand

Keyword: Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies, Orange Oatmeal Cookies, Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, Healthy Orange Cookies

Servings: Large Cookies

Calories: 101kcal

Author: Stacey

Equipment

2 bowls
1 baking sheet (lined)

Ingredients

1 cup quick cook oats the finer oat (100grams)
¼ cup brown sugar 50 grams
1 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 Tablespoon regular flour
3 Tablespoons melted butter 45 grams
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Juice & zest of one orange 3 Tablespoons juice, 1 Tablespoon zest
¼ cup dark chocolate chips chips 40 grams

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F)
Mix the dry ingredients:In your first bowl, add the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir with a spoon or fork until well combined.
Whisk the wet ingredients:In your second bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, vanilla, orange juice, and zest until smooth.
Combine wet and dry:Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. If the batter seems too wet, add an extra tablespoon of flour. (This might vary depending on your egg size or tablespoon measurement—NZ tablespoons are 15ml, while some countries use 20ml.)
Add choc chips:Stir in the chocolate chips. Feel free to use a little more if you like—it’s hard to go wrong here! I found 20g was just right for my kids.
Shape and bake:Scoop generous tablespoons of dough onto your prepared tray. This batch makes about 12 cookies. Gently shape each with the back of your spoon into rough rounds. They don’t need to be perfect—just a bit flattish, as they’ll spread slightly during baking.
Bake at 180°C (360°F) for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Cool on a rack the serve!

Video

Notes

Quick oats – I use quick-cook oats because they give a softer cookie texture that works really well here. You can use rolled oats in a pinch, but the cookies will be a bit chunkier and more textured.
Brown sugar – This adds a subtle caramel flavour and helps keep the cookies soft. You could use white sugar or coconut sugar instead—just keep in mind the flavour will change slightly.
Flour – Regular plain flour works best. If your mixture feels a bit wet, use the third tablespoon to firm it up. You could swap for a gluten-free plain flour blend if needed. In New Zealalnd (where I live) oats are not considered to be gluten-free.
Butter – Melted butter gives these cookies a lovely richness. For a dairy-free version, you can use melted coconut oil or a mild-tasting dairy-free butter alternative.
Vanilla – Just a teaspoon adds warmth and brings everything together.
Dark chocolate chips – I love the contrast of dark chocolate with citrus, but milk chocolate or even white chocolate would work fine too. Just check for allergens or dairy content if needed.
Use fresh orange zest – The zest is where most of the citrus flavour comes from, so don’t skip it. A fine grater or microplane works best to avoid bitter white pith.
Adjust the flour if needed – The moisture content of your orange or the size of your egg can affect the batter. If it feels too wet, just stir in that third tablespoon of flour. You want a soft, scoopable cookie dough.
Don’t overbake – These cookies are best when just golden at the edges. They’ll look a little soft in the centre when they come out but will firm up as they cool.
Make them mini – For younger toddlers or lunchboxes, you can make 16 smaller cookies instead of 12. Just reduce the bake time by a couple of minutes and check early.
Add extra chocolate chips on top – For a café-style look, press a few chips into the tops of each cookie just before baking.
Bake and freeze – These cookies freeze really well. Let them cool completely, then pop into a container and freeze for up to 2 months. Great for lunchbox stash or a quick snack.
Get kids involved – This is a great recipe for little hands: mixing with a fork, zesting oranges (with supervision), or scooping dough onto the tray. It’s a lovely one to make together.

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