Name: Sugar and Spice Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 1 h 34 min
Yield: 36
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour; 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*; 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened; 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened; 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar; 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light or dark brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; sanding sugar for garnish (optional)

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Sugar and spice cookies are a wonderful variation of traditional sugar cookies. Filled with lots of warm, comforting spices, these may be the ultimate comfort cookies!

If you’re looking for more easy sugar cookie recipes, be sure to try these drop sugar cookies, these soft Christmas sprinkle sugar cookies, and these brown butter sugar cookies!

Not only does December make me want to bake cookies constantly, it also makes me want to break out all those great winter spices. Sure, I use cinnamon year-round, but this time of year calls for some nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, too. Throw all of the above into some cookies, and you get this fabulous spice cookies recipe that everyone will rave over!

Why You’ll Love These Spice Cookies

The idea of spiced sugar cookies somehow got in my head this week, and wouldn’t go away. So, I caved and got baking, and I suggest you do too – you won’t regret trying these festive cookies!

Perfect texture. I kinda veered off of the traditional sugar cookie path with this recipe and added some cream cheese to make them a little tastier and fluffier. These cookies are also magically crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. (All of the best cookies are!)
Great for the holidays. Need another dessert for your Christmas cookie tray? Or maybe a sweet but simple treat to share with your friends/neighbors? These cookies are the way to go!
Easy to make. You can have your spice cookies prepped in 20 minutes, and then (after the dough chills) baked in just 14 minutes more!

What You’ll Need

Let’s get into the ingredients! Most of them are baking basics, but there are a few twists. Make sure to check out the recipe card below if you’re looking for exact amounts!

All-purpose flour – If you can, measure your flour with a food scale for accuracy, or use the spoon and sweep method.
Baking powder and baking soda – To make the cookies tender and to help them rise.
Salt – You can use kosher salt, sea salt, table salt, etc.
Spices – I like to use a mix of ground cinnamon (I tend to go heavy with cinnamon when given the chance. If you’re not a big cinnamon fan like I am, feel free to use a lesser amount!), ground allspice, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.
Butter – This recipe calls for softened, unsalted butter, but if you want to use salted butter, just omit the extra salt.
Cream cheese – Let this soften as well before you begin.
Sugar – You’ll need both granulated sugar, and firmly packed light or dark brown sugar.
Egg – To bind everything together.
Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is the best flavor-wise!
Sanding sugar – For an optional garnish!

Spice cookies on a white plate with red trim.

How to Make Spice Cookies

This spice cookie recipe is a breeze to mix together. There are only a few simple steps to follow:

Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Combine the wet ingredients. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy in a separate bowl. Then, add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
Let the dough chill. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Next, line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
Form the cookies. Using 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls. Place each one 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten the top of each slightly. If desired, sprinkle each cookie with sanding sugar.
Bake the cookies. Bake them for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
Let the cookies cool. Cool them on pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies to the wire racks to cool completely.

Can I Make The Dough Ahead?

Yes, definitely, feel free to let the covered dough chill in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking. You can also store the dough in plastic wrap instead, if you like.

Tips for Success

There are just a few more tips and tricks to go over before you tackle these spice cookies!

Don’t over-bake the cookies. Make sure you take them out when the edges are just golden so that they’ll be soft and chewy on the inside, but slightly crispy on the outside.
Carefully measure the flour. As mentioned above, a food scale will give you the most accurate measurement. If too much flour is packed into the measuring cup, the cookies will turn out dry.
Use room temperature ingredients. It’s important that the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature (or soften) before you begin baking so that the dough combines smoothly.

How to Store

These spice sugar cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. (You could also store them the same way in the fridge for 4-5 days.)

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

Once these spice cookies have completely cooled, you can freeze them for 2-3 months in an airtight container, or in a tightly-sealed ziploc bag. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying again!

You can never have too many sugar cookie recipes – there are so many great variations!

This recipe was originally developed for Go Bold with Butter, where I am a paid contributor.

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