Homemade Butter Cookies with Orange & Vanilla – Fragrant, Soft & Irresistible

These homemade butter cookies with orange and vanilla are everything you want from a classic cookie: rich buttery flavor, delicate sweetness, and a fresh citrus aroma that fills the entire house while baking. Made with simple pantry ingredients and no complicated techniques, this traditional-style cookie dough delivers perfectly fragrant cookies that stay tender yet lightly crisp on the edges.

Perfect for holidays, coffee time, or everyday baking, these cookies are ideal for storing, gifting, or freezing. If you love old-fashioned butter cookies, this recipe will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.

Homemade Butter Cookies with Orange & Vanilla – Fragrant, Soft & Irresistible

Recipe by George Zolis

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: CookiesCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy

Servings

90

cookies

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

125

kcal

Total time

35

minutes

Classic homemade butter cookies flavored with fresh orange juice, vanilla, and a hint of brandy. Rich, aromatic, and easy to prepare, these cookies bake up golden, tender, and perfect for storing or gifting.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

Metric US

• 640 g 2 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

• 500 g 2 1/2 cup Sugar

• 2 2 Egg Yolks

• 3 3 Vanillins

• 1 pinch 1 pinch Salt

• 60 g 1/4 cup Brandy

• 150 g 2/3 cup Milk

• 150 g 2/3 cup Orange Juice

• 1 tsp 1 Baking Soda (dissolved in the orange juice)

• 1500 g 12 cup All-Purpose Flour (or soft flour)

How to make Butter Cookies

• Beat the butter, sugar, and salt for 10 minutes, until pale, fluffy, and creamy.
• Add the egg yolks and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
• Pour in the brandy, milk, and orange juice with dissolved baking soda.
• Gradually add the flour, mixing gently until all ingredients are combined.
• Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
• Shape the cookies as desired.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 390°F (200°C), conventional heat, for 15–17 minutes, until lightly golden.
• Allow cookies to cool completely before storing.

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Butter Cookies with Orange – Baking Tips & Flavor Notes

Why Orange Juice Makes a Difference

Fresh orange juice adds brightness and balances the richness of the butter, giving these cookies a light, aromatic profile without overpowering sweetness.

Texture You Can Expect

These cookies are:

• Soft and tender inside
• Lightly crisp on the edges
• Aromatic, not dry

Perfect for Make-Ahead Baking

The dough can rest in the fridge and the baked cookies store beautifully, making them ideal for holidays and batch baking.