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These Sugar and Spiced Shortbread Cookies are crunchy, buttery cookies that have a lot of flavor and almost no fuss. These Shortbread Cookies with Spice are perfect for fall and holiday entertaining and will fill your home with the most beautiful aroma!
Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what these cookies are made of. In my bedroom, I had a darling little plaque that said “Sugar and spice, and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of.” I couldn’t help but think of it when baking and naming these cookies.
The subtle scent of spices and pretty crystallized sugar were the perfect compliment to basic shortbread cookies. Sugar and Spice Shortbread Cookies are a great way to enjoy the flavors of fall and winter. You can even stamp these easy spiced shortbread cookies.
Spiced Shortbread Cookie Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this spiced cookie recipe!
- Butter – Unsalted at room temperature.
- Dark Brown Sugar – To give them rich molasses flavor.
- Flour – All purpose flour, sifted.
- Ground Spices – Cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
How To Make Sugar and Spiced Shortbread Cookies
It doesn’t take long to make these fall cookies!
- Cream Butter and Sugar – Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Dry Ingredients – Blend in flour, cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves.
- Chill Dough – Refrigerate dough covered for 30 minutes (no longer), while preheating oven.
- Make Dough Balls – Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon, make
1″ dough balls and press with a sugar coated glassor stamp.- Bake – Bake until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool 1 minute before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Sugar and Spiced Cookies Are Perfect For Festive Gifts
These cookies stack beautifully, making them great for gifting and when using a cookie scoop to keep the size consistent, it yields about 3 dozen. If you are looking for a food gift to give friends and family, these are perfect! Full of festive flavors, they’re sure to go down a treat!
What’s The Difference Between A Sugar Cookie And A Shortbread Cookie?
Shortbread is a classic cookie to bake around the festive period, as are sugar cookies, but there’s a few key differences:
- Sugar cookies have much more ingredients.
- Sugar cookies are typically sweeter.
- Shortbread cookies are crumbly in texture.
- Shortbread is usually cooked at a lower temperature.
Sugar Cookie Recipes
How Long Do Shortbread Cookies Keep?
Because shortbread cookies have a denser texture, they keep for slightly longer than other cookies. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature, and they will keep well for around a week. You can also freeze the cookies for 3 to 4 weeks, so they are great to make ahead of time in anticipation for the holiday season!
Tips- Line your baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking sheet for easy removal.
- Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes but no longer, before baking.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure the dough so you have consistent sizes.
If you try this sugar and spiced cookie recipe, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too! For more easy recipes and simple living ideas, subscribe to my newsletter!
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More Easy Cookie Recipes
Sugar and Spice Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread Cookies are crunchy, buttery cookies that have a lot of flavor and almost no fuss. These Shortbread Cookies with Spice are perfect for fall and holiday entertaining and will fill your home with the most beautiful aroma!YieldIngredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 2¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Gradually add flour, ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
- Cover dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no more), while preheating oven to 325°F.
- Using a small cookie dough scoop or teaspoon, and the palm of your hands, make 1" dough balls. Press with a sugar coated glass. Optional: follow using a cookie stamp.
- Bake 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool 1 minute. Transfer to a wire baking rack to cool.
Tips
These cookies stack beautifully, making them great for gifting and when using a cookie scoop to keep the size consistent, it yields about 3 dozen. Line baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup!Nutrition Information
Serving: 1g, Calories: 85kcal (4%), Carbohydrates: 9g (3%), Fat: 5g (8%), Saturated Fat: 3g (15%), Cholesterol: 13mg (4%), Sodium: 46mg (2%), Potassium: 13mg, Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 160IU (3%), Calcium: 6mg (1%), Iron: 0.4mg (2%)Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Lisa says
I just made these and followed the recipe exactly. I took my cookie scoop and put them on the cookie sheet and the dough is crumbly they won’t hold together.
Any suggestions?
Julie Blanner says
Oh no – shortbread dough isn’t incredibly moist, but it shouldn’t be crumbly. It does tend to be the result of too much flour (you can learn more about how to properly measure flour here) or not being covered prior to chilling. Have no fear – they can be saved. Simply bring the dough to room temperature.
Lisa says
Would these work with cookie stamps?
Julie Blanner says
YES! Enjoy!
Janice says
I’m just making your sugar and spice shortbread. What temperature do you recommend baking?
Julie Blanner says
It’s step 3 – a little different than most recipes. You bake while preheating the oven to 325. Enjoy!