Orange Cardamom Cookies

This post may contain paid links. See more info on my privacy page.

My Orange Cardamom Cookies combine the delicious softness of shortbread cookies with an easy orange cardamom icing recipe and chopped pistachios! Beautiful and elegant, these cardamom cookies will make a wonderful addition to your holiday dessert spread or as a gift.

Jump to:

• Cardamom Cookies
• Cardamom Cookies Ingredients
• How to Make Orange Cardamom Cookies
• Cardamom Cookies Recipe Expert Tips
• Orange Cardamom Cookies
• Reviews

Cardamom Cookies

Over the holiday season, I love baking cookies for my friends and family. Pumpkin iced cookies, classic soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, double chocolate cookies- you name it, I've baked it!

Inspired by the Effortless Entertaining Cookbook years ago, I made these orange cardamom cookies with a shortbread dough, pistachios, ground cardamom spice, orange zest, and almond extract.

These cookies have a floral, nutty flavor that is just irresistible with a sweet but simple glaze. Everyone loved them, so I knew I had to share them with you! Even better, you can prepare the shortbread dough ahead of time and freeze it for easy holiday planning.

Cardamom Cookies Ingredients

Cookie Shortbread Dough

• Flour: You will need all-purpose flour for this cookies recipe. I have not tried making these cookies gluten-free, but you can try using 1:1 measure-to-measure flour or experiment with your favorite gluten-free shortbread cookie recipe to achieve the same results.
• Ground Cardamom: Cardamom is a spice from the ginger family with a sweet and warming flavor. It's versatile enough to use in everything from curry to tea and cookies. It is truly delicious in these cardamom cookies.
• Orange Zest: You won't need any orange juice, just the zest.
• Salt: I recommend using kosher or sea salt and avoiding table salt.
• Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter, but if you only have salted, just be sure not to add any extra salt. You may wish to add a little bit of extra sugar if your butter is salted. It should be softened, so leave it at room temp before making your cookies.
• Sugar: These cardamom cookies use white granulated sugar.
• Egg: Eggs help bind the cookies together.
• Almond Extract: The flavor of almond pairs perfectly with nutty pistachios, zesty orange, warm cardamom, and my sweet powdered sugar icing. You could always try using vanilla extract or Mexican vanilla instead, but I really recommend almond if you have it.
• Pistachios: Shelled and chopped. Make sure you aren't using salted pistachios!

Cookie Icing

• Powdered Sugar
• Milk
• Decorating Sugar or additional Ground Pistachios for garnish

How to Make Orange Cardamom Cookies

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour with ground cardamom, orange zest, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on the medium-high setting, beat butter together with sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Mix in egg and almond extract. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
4. Fold in shelled and chopped pistachios using a spoon or spatula.
5. Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into a 2 by 12-inch log. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm and chilled through.
6. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and slice it into ⅓-inch thick slices. Place the slices onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-inch apart.
7. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges. Transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool to room temperature.
8. In a small, wide bowl, slowly whisk together milk 1 Tablespoon at a time into powdered sugar until just thin enough to coat the tops of the cookies. If the icing is too thick, add a little more milk. If too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar. Dip the top of each pistachio cookie into the glaze and drip off any excess.
9. Top with decorating sugar or ground pistachios. Allow the icing to set before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Cardamom Cookies Recipe Expert Tips

• Chill the dough: Chill the dough well before slicing. A sharp knife is best for cutting through the pieces of pistachio. If your slices are a little rectangular, shape them gently back into a circle.
• Work in batches: The glaze sets quickly, so work in batches when adding the toppings to make sure they have a chance to stick.
• Style the cookies: Styling the cookies is one of my favorite things about baking them (aside from sneaking a few bites of cookie dough). The kids will have fun decorating these cookies! The original recipe calls for decorating sugar. We actually alternate topping the freshly glazed cookies with ground pistachios and pearl sugar. I also like to sprinkle a few dried rose petals to add a floral hint and extra contrast of color to pair with the pistachio and orange.
• Double the recipe: Feeding a crowd or need more for a cookie exchange recipe? This recipe can easily be doubled and the prepared dough can be frozen ahead of time.