These Spiced Sugar Cookies are a delightful twist on a classic, blending warm spices with a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. In just 30 minutes of prep and 13 minutes of baking, you’ll have a batch of cookies that fill your kitchen with an irresistible aroma. The subtle hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves create a cozy, comforting flavor that’s perfect for any occasion.
Each bite offers a perfect balance of crisp edges and soft centers, making them a treat you’ll want to savor. Whether you’re baking for a holiday gathering or a simple afternoon snack, these cookies are sure to impress. Their golden hue and delicate spice blend make them as beautiful as they are delicious, leaving everyone reaching for seconds.
Ingredients for Spiced Sugar Cookies
- For the Cookies:
- 275 grams / 9.7 oz (1 and 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger* (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon* (adjust to taste)
- 125 grams / 4.4 oz (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
- 125 grams / 4.4 oz (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Icing:
- 25 grams / 0.9 oz (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (soft at room temperature)
- 200 grams / 7.1 oz (1½ cups) icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or water (adjust for consistency)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring of choice (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In another bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth and well combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. The mixture may clump slightly but will come together when dry ingredients are added.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until a thick dough forms. Use a rubber spatula if needed.
- Shape and Chill: Scoop the dough onto plastic wrap, shape into a disk, and wrap tightly. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight for firmer dough and enhanced spice flavor.
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Let the dough soften for 10 minutes if chilled for several hours.
- Roll and Cut: Dust a work surface and the dough with flour. Roll to ½ cm (¼ inch) thickness. Use cookie cutters or alternative methods (e.g., glass rim or rolling into balls) to shape the cookies.
- Bake: Place cut-outs on the prepared tray. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges are light golden brown (11 minutes for softer cookies, 13 minutes for crunchier ones).
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Make the Icing: Combine butter and icing sugar with a wooden spoon. Add vanilla and milk/water gradually until desired consistency is reached. Adjust with more sugar or milk as needed. Add food coloring if desired.
- Decorate: Spread or pipe icing onto cooled cookies. Add sprinkles if desired. Let icing harden (about 1 hour, or less if refrigerated) before stacking or serving.
- Store: Frosted cookies last about 1 week. Unbaked dough freezes well for future use.
Creative Icing and Topping Ideas
Take your Spiced Sugar Cookies to the next level with fun icing and topping combinations! For a festive touch, try using royal icing for intricate designs or colored sanding sugar for a sparkly finish. You can also drizzle melted white or dark chocolate over the cookies for a decadent twist. If you’re feeling adventurous, sprinkle crushed nuts, edible glitter, or even a pinch of sea salt on top for added texture and flavor.
Perfect Pairings for Serving
These cookies are a delightful treat on their own, but they pair wonderfully with a warm beverage. Serve them alongside a cup of spiced chai tea, hot cocoa, or coffee for a cozy experience. For a dessert platter, arrange them with other holiday treats like gingerbread or shortbread cookies. They also make a lovely gift when packaged in a decorative tin or box!
Smart Storage and Freezing Tips
To keep your cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If frosted, place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. For longer storage, freeze the unbaked dough wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. You can also freeze baked cookies (unfrosted) in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months—just thaw and ice them when ready to serve.
Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Bakers
Short on time? Skip the rolling and cutting by shaping the dough into 1-tablespoon balls, rolling them in sugar, and pressing them into disks before baking. Alternatively, chill the dough in a log shape and slice it into rounds for quick, uniform cookies. If you’re making the icing, prepare it while the cookies bake to save time. These shortcuts still deliver delicious results with less effort!
Recipe Variations to Try
Customize your Spiced Sugar Cookies by tweaking the spices or adding mix-ins. Swap the ginger and cinnamon for nutmeg or cardamom for a unique flavor profile. For a citrusy twist, add zest from an orange or lemon to the dough. If you love texture, fold in chopped nuts or dried fruit before chilling. These variations let you make the recipe your own while keeping the classic cookie base intact.
Spiced Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For The Spiced Sugar Cookies
- 275 grams all-purpose flour 9.7 oz (1 and 3/4 cups)
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 0.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 125 grams unsalted butter 4.4 oz (1/2 cup)
- 125 grams granulated sugar 4.4 oz (1/2 cup+1 tablespoon)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
For The Icing
- 25 grams unsalted butter 0.9 oz (2 tablespoons)
- 200 grams icing sugar 7.1 oz (1 ½ cups)
- 2 tablespoons milk or water
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Food coloring of choice
Instructions
- To make the cookies, first combine the flour, salt, baking powder, ground ginger and cinnamon. Whisk until incorporated, and set aside.
- In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined.
- Next, add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Don’t worry if the mixture clumps slightly, it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture and switch to a rubber spatula if necessary. The mixture will be thick and may be a little sticky.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, covering it well. Shape the dough into a small disk. This ensures that a skin does not form on the dough, and it remains smooth.
- Chill the dough for at least two hours or overnight, or until it is firm to the touch. The longer the dough chills, the more pronounced the spice flavors will be.
- When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- If the dough has been chilling for several hours, leave it for around 10 minutes to soften slightly, as it will be quite firm.
- Dust a work surface and the dough with flour and roll to a ½ cm or ¼ inch thickness.
- Using cookie cutters, cut the dough as you like. Fear not if you don’t have cookie cutters: you can do several things. You could roll the dough into a log instead of a disk when refrigerating, then slice the log into ½ cm or ¼ inch slices. You could also roll the dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls, roll the balls in granulated sugar, then place onto the cookie sheet and press down to form a disk. Alternatively, you can use the rim of a glass to cut out shapes.
- Gather the scraps, then roll out the cookie dough again, adding a touch more flour when necessary to prevent sticking.
- Place the cut-outs onto the parchment-lined baking tray and bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown (11 minutes will give you a slightly softer cookie, 13 minutes will give you a slightly crunchier cookie).
- Let the cookies cool for several minutes on the tray, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them completely before icing.
- To make the icing, use a wooden spoon to combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar as best you can. It will be relatively dry.
- At this stage, add the vanilla, followed by the milk or water a little at a time, until you obtain your desired consistency.
- If the icing ends up being too thin, add some more sugar. If it’s too thick, add more milk.
- If you’d like, you can color the icing with your food coloring of choice.
- Spread the icing onto the cookies, using a butter knife or using a piping bag with the end snipped off just slightly, and top with sprinkles.
- Wait until the icing has hardened (this takes around an hour, or less if refrigerated) before stacking or serving.
- The icing makes enough for the cookies specified in the recipe, but if you’d like to have multiple colors, you might like to double the icing recipe so that there is enough per color.
- Storing: These cookies last for around a week once frosted, and slightly longer unfrosted. The dough, unbaked, freezes well too!
