Dark Chocolate Orange Snickerdoodles

Name: Dark Chocolate Orange Snickerdoodles
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, (softened); 1 ½ cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (sifted); ¼ cup dark cocoa powder; 2 tsp cream of tarter; 1 tsp baking soda; ¾ cup sugar; zest of 1 orange

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You are in for a treat with these soft and chewy dark chocolate orange snickerdoodles. It’s a twist on a classic snickerdoodle that will leave you drooling for more.

dark chocolate orange snickerdoodles on cooling rack

The Story Behind Dark Chocolate Orange Snickerdoodles

My husband LOVES cookies and theseDark Chocolate Orange Snickerdoodles are no exception. Lately, I have really enjoyed whipping up new flavor combinations, and he declared this one a winner.

I created this recipe because I had been thinking about one of my husband’s other favorite treats, which are chocolate oranges. You know the ones that you get around Christmas time and whack on the counter to make it break into slices. He loves those, and he will usually have one hiding at the bottom of his stocking.

The chocolate orange is such a classic holiday flavor combination, that I thought, “why not turn this into a cookie?” A lot of times, I will have to tweak a recipe a few times, but this one turned out fantastic the first time. I really wanted to have a soft and chewy cookie and knew that a chocolate snickerdoodle would be a great vehicle for orange infused sugar.

TheseDark Chocolate Orange Snickerdoodles would be great at any time during the year, but especially around the holidays. Your neighbors would love theseDark Chocolate Orange Snickerdoodles, or you can just make them and keep them for yourselves. Either way, they are sure to be gobbled up.

F.A.Q.s and Troubleshooting for Dark Chocolate Orange Snickerdoodles

Do I have to use orange sugar?

No, you don’t! If you are just wanting a chocolate snickerdoodle, just skip using the orange zest in the sugar. They will be yummy!

My cookies turned hard and aren’t soft at all.

Baking a chocolate cookie can be a little tricky because you can’t see when they are done. These cookies don’t need much more than 8 minutes in the oven. Remember they continue to bake once you pull them out. If they look dough and glossy, however, maybe add 1 extra minute.

Should I use a certain variety of orange I should use?

In this recipe, I used naval oranges. However, if I had been able to find Cara Cara oranges, I would have used that. I think they have the best flavor out of any variety of orange.

Can I freeze these?

Yes! I suggest baking up all your cookies first, and then freezing the baked cookies. I find that keeps the most flavor. I just stick as many as I can in a Ziploc bag.

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If you are excited to try this recipe out, make sure to check out these other similar recipes of mine.