Spice Cookies Recipe (2024)

Author: Peter Kolesnichenko · Published:

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If you love the warm, cozy taste of spices, then you're going to love these sugary, buttery, spice cookies. Thin and chewy, a perfect blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, giving each bite a comforting flavor. Delight your taste buds with these sweet and soft spice cookies!

Spice Cookies Recipe (1)
Spice Cookies Recipe (2)
Spice Cookies Recipe (3)

This Spice Cookies recipe is one of my favorite recipes I remember baking from my childhood. Based on a Dutch cookie recipe, this delicious cinnamon sugar cookie has similar flavors to Speculaas cookies, but are chewier.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Easy - require zero chill time, can be baked right away!
  • Pantry Ingredients - you have all the ingredients in your pantry, you don't even need molasses for this recipe
  • Warm and Cozy - classic spiced cookies flavors, perfect for the Holidays

Key Ingredients

  • Butter - salted butter is ok to use, must be softened to room temperature
  • Eggs - use 3 large eggs
  • Brown Sugar - adds flavor and moistness
  • White Sugar - adds sweetness and maintains moisture
  • Flour - all purpose flour
  • Spices - cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger
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Spice Cookies Recipe (5)

Spice Cookies for Christmas

You'll love making these spice cookies year round, but they're especially popular during Christmas. They add to the festive feeling and will become a part of your holiday traditions. They're especially tasty when you enjoy them hot out of the oven, with a glass of cold milk. Perfect for Santa, or dad dressed in a Santa suit.

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Spice Cookies Recipe (7)

How to Make Spice Cookies

  1. Cream Butter - using mixer, cream butter with white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs and whip for another 2-3 minutes until creamy
  2. Mix - in a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and spices and mix together
  3. Pour - pour the creamed butter into the flour mixture. Stir together until combined, like a sticky cookie dough
  4. Grease - use non-stick spray on a baking sheet, or use parchment paper
  5. Spoon - using 2 teaspoons, place a heaped teaspoon of cookie dough on baking tray. The cookie spreads as it cooks, so allow wide spaces between cookies. Place 6-8 cookies on baking sheet
  6. Bake - use fan forced oven for about 12 minutes until lightly golden
  7. Cool - take out of oven and allow to solidify for 2 minutes on the baking tray. Use cookie lifter to place on cooling rack
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Spice Cookies Recipe (9)

Why This Recipe Works

This Spice Cookies recipe is different from others because there is such a high ratio of sugar and butter. It's a sweet cookie and absolutely delicious. If you follow the baking instructions, the flavors are perfectly balanced. You'll get a thin spice cookie with a chewy texture, unique from other recipes. You can increase flour ratio, see tips below.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

  • Use a Stand Mixer - when creaming the butter and sugar, a KitchenAid Mixer combines and fluffs butter better than a hand mixer
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice - substitute spices with equal amount of Pumpkin Pie Spice (7 teaspoons)
  • Dark Brown Sugar - substitute ½ the brown sugar with dark brown sugar for a richer molasses flavor
  • Don't Sweat the Shape - when placing the cookie dough on the baking sheets, it doesn't need to be formed or pretty. As it cooks, it melts into a round circle
  • Add More Flour - if you want cookies that aren't as flat, you can add an extra cup of flour. Because of the extra flour, it's best to roll the cookie dough into balls and flatten when placing on baking tray. This keeps your cookies more uniform, and also will increase your baking time up to 15 minutes.
  • Keep it Small - resist the urge to spoon a large amount of cookie dough on the baking sheet. As the heat, they will spread out widely across the sheet touching each other, making them harder to remove
  • Don't Overbake - this causes your cookies to become crunchy, not chewy.
  • Don't Rush to Remove - if you attempt to remove the cookies from the tray immediately after taking them out of the oven, they will be too soft and will crumple. Important to let it cool for 2 minutes before removing with cookie lifter (metal is best).
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Spice Cookies Recipe (11)

Can I Prepare the Dough in Advance?

Yes, you can make the dough in advance, and bake on another day. Cover with cling wrap and keep in the fridge. Before baking, bring dough to room temperature not to impact the cooking time. Recommend to bake within 2 days.

Storing Spice Cookies

  • Pantry - place cookies in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container. They will keep up to a week, if they last that long.
  • Freezer - these cookies are thin and need to be individually frozen on a baking sheet with parchment paper. After they are frozen, place in a Ziploc bag and enjoy within 1-2 months.
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Family Treats To Try

  • Oatmeal Monster Cookies
  • Honey Cookies
  • Honey Joys - Cornflake Cupcakes
  • Goose Feet Cookies
  • Homemade Caramel Apples
  • Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers

These easy Spice Cookies never lasts long at my house. There's something comforting about the smell of fresh baked cookies, especially with cinnamon and nutmeg wafting through the air. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

Spice Cookies Recipe (13)

Spice Cookies Recipe

This Spice Cookies recipe is perfect for the holidays. Easy to make and bursting with flavor. Spice Cookies with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger. Perfect Christmas cookie!

4.92 from 37 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: European

Keyword: cinnamon sugar cookies, Spice Cookies

Servings: 50 cookies

Equipment

  • stand mixer

Ingredients

Creaming Ingredients

  • 2 cups softened butter or margarine (1lb or 454 grams)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups brown sugar firmly packed
  • 2 cups white sugar

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon all spice
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan forced)

  • Using electric mixer, cream softened butter with white sugar and brown sugar, until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs and whip again for another 2-3 minutes until creamy.

  • Put the remaining dry ingredients together in a large bowl, and combine together until spices are fully mixed with the flour.

  • Pour the creamed butter into the flour mixture and stir together until fully mixed and resembling a sticky cookie dough.

  • Using 2 teaspoons together, place a small heaped teaspoon of cookie dough on a greased cookie tray or on parchment paper. The cookie will melt and spread thin as it cooks, so allow wide spaces between on the tray. 6-8 cookies per baking sheet.

  • Bake for approx 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. If the cookie is too big in size, the centre of the cookie will be raw and will need more time in the oven.

  • Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes on the baking tray. Remove cookies on a baking rack using a cookie lifter.

Tried this recipe?Mention @petersfoodadventures or tag #petersfoodadventures!

© PetersFoodAdventures.com *originally posted June 2015, updated April 2023

Spice Cookies Recipe (14)
Spice Cookies Recipe (15)

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Spice Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

How to spice up regular sugar cookies? ›

You can add citrus zest, cinnamon, or almond extract to the dough. You could also ice them with a tasty frosting and add some nuts or toasted coconut. I already made lemon cookies but i don't think I added enough lemon extract they are tasteless. What can I do to add flavor to them, they are already baked.

How to make perfect cookies every time? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  1. Always use butter.
  2. Choose the right sugar.
  3. Choose the right flour.
  4. Check your flour is in date.
  5. Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  6. Cream the butter and sugar.
  7. Beat in the eggs.
  8. Fold in the flour.

Will high baking soda decrease the spread of a cookie? ›

Baking Soda Delays The Setting Process And Allows The Cookies To Spread More. In the presence of baking soda, the cookies take longer to firm up and set, which makes it easier for the melted butter, dissolved sugar, and liquids to spread the cookies.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

The science is simple: According to the flour authorities over at Bob's Red Mill, cornstarch can help “soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert.” “The cornstarch complements the flour in absorbing the liquids, but won't develop gluten structure like the flour will,” stresses ...

How to make cookies taste homemade? ›

Here are some easy switches you can make to upgrade your cookie mix and give it a homemade taste.
  1. Butter Instead of Margarine. ...
  2. Substitute margarine or shortening for butter using a 1:1 ratio. ...
  3. Coconut Oil Instead Of Other Fats. ...
  4. Maple Syrup Instead Of Granulated Sugar. ...
  5. Vanilla Extract. ...
  6. Almond Extract. ...
  7. Rum and Ginger. ...
  8. Cheesecake.

What happens when you add extra sugar to cookies? ›

This is a common baking mistake, and it's easily fixable. Adding too much sugar to cookie dough can result in a number of issues, such as making the dough too sticky, causing it to spread too much during baking, and making the final product overly sweet.

Why do you put powdered sugar in cookies? ›

The powdered sugar in the recipe helps absorb moisture from other ingredients, giving the cookies a unique bumpy looking appearance and an extra tender and chewy texture.

What makes cookies rise better? ›

Baking Powder. The type of leavening you use in your cookies doesn't just help them rise while baking, it affects their texture and structure too. Baking soda in cookies yields a denser cookie with craggy tops, while baking powder causes cookies to rise higher during baking for a cakier texture.

What are 4 tips to keep in mind while making cookies? ›

Now, follow these more detailed tips for tasty treats every time.
  1. 01 of 08. Don't Grease the Pan. ...
  2. 02 of 08. Use Light-Colored Pans. ...
  3. 03 of 08. Measure the Flour Correctly. ...
  4. 04 of 08. Let Your Butter Sit at Room Temperature for 15 Minutes. ...
  5. 05 of 08. Use High-Quality Butter. ...
  6. 06 of 08. Handle the Dough Gently. ...
  7. 07 of 08. ...
  8. 08 of 08.
Sep 7, 2023

Why do my homemade cookies get hard so fast? ›

Cookies become hard when the moisture in them evaporates. This can be caused by leaving them out in the air for too long, baking them for too long, or storing them improperly. The lack of moisture makes the cookies hard and dry, which makes them difficult to enjoy.

What happens if you use baking powder instead of baking soda in cookies? ›

Baking powder: Baking powder can be used to replace baking soda, though not at a 1-to-1 ratio. Because the former is not as strong as the latter, it's important to use three times the amount of baking powder as baking soda. Be aware, a slightly bitter, off-putting taste might result from using that much baking powder.

What are 3 factors that contribute to a chewy cookie? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

How do you make cookies stay soft and chewy? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

Why do my cookies never turn out chewy? ›

Egg yolks add moisture to the dough, while egg whites can make cookies drier and crunchier. Add a bit of cornstarch to the dough. Cornstarch helps to absorb moisture and keep cookies soft and tender. Make sure you're using the right type of flour.

Why are my cookies hard instead of chewy? ›

According to The Kitchn, this occurs when you over-mix the dough. Mixing the dough naturally causes gluten to develop in the flour, and while you do need a good amount of gluten to give your cookies structure, too much of it will result in hard cookies.

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