Creamsicle Cookies

Name: Creamsicle Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, (room temperature); ½ cup unsalted butter, (room temperature); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon orange extract; ½ teaspoon orange gel food coloring; 15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix, (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist brand); 11 ounces white chocolate chips, (I used Ghirardelli brand); ½ cup powdered sugar

Everyone loves that orange creamsicle flavor and these orange creamsicle cookies will transport you to a hot summer day when the ice cream man came calling.

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Table of Contents

Creamsicle Cookies Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Creamsicle Cookies Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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These creamsicle cookies take that nostalgic bright orange flavor and incorporate it into this recipe to create soft and chewy cookies that taste just like the childhood treat. There’s something about that orange and vanilla flavor combo that is irresistible, and I guarantee these cookies will be a huge hit.

close up shot of Creamsicle Cookies stacked on top of each other

Creamsicle Cookies Ingredients

Creamsicle Cookies raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

1 (8-ounce) block of cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of orange extract
½ teaspoon of orange gel food coloring
1 (15.25-ounce) box of vanilla cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist brand)
1 (11-ounce) bag of white chocolate chips (I used the Ghirardelli brand)
½ cup of powdered sugar

PRO TIP:

For the orange coloring, make sure you are using gel rather than regular food coloring.

Substitutions And Additions

CAKE MIX: If you can find a box of orange cake mix, you can substitute that for the vanilla flavor. You would omit the orange food coloring and only add ½ teaspoon of orange-flavored extract to the cake.

CREAM CHEESE: I like to use full-fat cream cheese when baking. The low-fat cream cheese will work, but I do not recommend non-fat cream cheese as it does not produce as good of a result for these orange cream cookies.

How To Make This Creamsicle Cookies Recipe

STEP ONE: Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside

STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat on medium-low speed the cream cheese and unsalted butter for 1 minute or until smooth with no lumps.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with any lumps in your butter mixture.

cream cheese and butter blended in a bowl

STEP THREE: Add the egg, orange extract, and orange gel food coloring and continue to mix for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until completely incorporated.

STEP FOUR: Add the vanilla cake mix and mix at low speed for a final 1 to 2 minutes. You will have a very thick batter.

STEP FIVE: Mix the white chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed. This may be easier to do with a wooden spoon or spatula.

white chocolate chips folded into the batter

STEP SIX: Using a 1½-tablespoon (1½ inch) cookie scoop, scoop out all 36 cookies and place them onto one of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Place the dough balls into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.

scoops of cookie batter placed on a baking sheet

STEP SEVEN: While your cookie dough balls are chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the powdered sugar into a small bowl.

Once your cookies have chilled, roll them in the powdered sugar to lightly coat them.

PRO TIP:

You can omit the powdered sugar step if you prefer, but I love the beautiful crackle finish it gives to these cookies.

cookie dough rolled into a bowl of powdered sugar

STEP EIGHT: Place 9 to 12 powdered sugar-coated cookie balls onto the second parchment-lined cookie sheet.

powered sugar coated cookie balls placed on a baking sheet

STEP NINE: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should be set in the center and have a beautiful crackle look from the powdered sugar coating.

STEP TEN: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to cool completely on a wire rack.

STEP ELEVEN: Repeat steps 8 to 10 until all the cookies have been baked and cooled.

How To Serve

Maybe we need to call these orange dreamsicle cookies because they are a dream come true. These decadent cookies taste just like orange creamsicle ice cream, and when you serve them with a cold glass of milk, you will be glad you did.

Or how about adding even more nostalgia with an Orange Julius or Wendy’s Frosty?

For more unique cookie recipes, our strawberry cake mix cookies and s’mores stuffed cookies both fit the bill.

MORE CREAMSICLE RECIPES

Fudge Recipes

Creamsicle Fudge

No Bake Desserts

Orange Creamsicle Lush

Storage

ON THE COUNTER: These orange cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days on the counter.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can also store these white chocolate chip cookies for 5 to 6 days in the refrigerator.

IN THE FREEZER: This orange creamsicle cookie recipe can be stored in the freezer for up to three months in an airtight container.

close up overhead shot of a plate of Creamsicle Cookies

Who doesn’t love creamsicles? Those orange popsicles with the creamy vanilla ice cream center are a classic summer treat. Now you can enjoy them all year long in cookie form with these creamsicle cookies. Soft cookies loaded with sweet white chocolate chips make these the perfect cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will these cookies keep in the freezer?

This delicious cookie can be frozen for up to three months.

Can I use orange essential oil instead of orange extract for these cookies?

For this orange creamsicle cookies recipe, you could substitute the orange extract with essential oil. We’d recommend only using a couple of drops of oil since the flavor is much more concentrated.

Can I leave out the white chocolate chips if I want?

If you don’t want to include the chocolate chips in these creamsicle orange cookies, you can certainly leave them out of this recipe, and these cookies will still be delicious.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Creamsicle Cookies

5 from 4 votes

Everyone loves that orange creamsicle flavor and these orange creamsicle cookies will transport you to a hot summer day when the ice cream man came calling.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 45

Servings cookies

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Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon orange extract
½ teaspoon orange gel food coloring
15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix, I used Betty Crocker Super Moist brand
11 ounces white chocolate chips, I used Ghirardelli brand
½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside
In a large mixing bowl, beat on medium-low speed with a handheld mixer the cream cheese and unsalted butter for 1 minute or until smooth with no lumps.
Add the egg, orange extract, and orange gel food coloring and continue to mix for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until completely incorporated.
Add the vanilla cake mix and mix at low speed for a final 1 to 2 minutes. You will have a very thick batter.
Mix the white chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed. This may be easier to do with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Using a 1½ tablespoon (1½ inch) cookie scoop, scoop out all 36 cookies and place them onto one of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Place the dough balls into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
While your cookie dough balls are chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Once your cookies have chilled, roll them in the powdered sugar to lightly coat them.
Place 9 to 12 powdered sugar-coated cookie balls onto the second parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should be set in the center and have a beautiful crackle look from the powdered sugar coating.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Repeat steps 8 to 10 until all the cookies have baked and cooled.

Notes

For the orange coloring, make sure you are using gel rather than regular food coloring.
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with any lumps in your butter mixture.
You can omit the powdered sugar step if you prefer, but I love the beautiful crackle finish it gives to these cookies.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!