Spice Sugar Cookies: Fall Tea Cookies
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Spice Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery, shaped cookies deliciously infused with warm spices and perfect for the season. Whether you serve them for Thanksgiving or as a fall tea cookie.
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A simple dough with pantry ingredients transformed into treats perfect for teatime or snacks with a glass of milk.
As the days cool and thoughts of holiday goodies are on the horizon, sugar cookies are never far from my mind.
And while we love Christmas Sugar Cookie cutouts, a spice sugar cookie packed with warm flavors of autumn definitely has its place for the holidays and Thanksgiving table.
If they can be cut into whimsical shapes of fall; like leaves or acorns, squirrels or other shapes of autumn, all the better.
These Spice Sugar Cookies are adapted from our Christmas Sugar Cookies and infused with redolent spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
Tea Cookies
While I’ve posted several tea cookies; like Shortbread Tea Cookies, Lemon Tea Cookies, and even a favorite Easy Vanilla Tea Cake Cookies, these cookies are close to my heart.
Deliciously flavored, they are perfect with a cup of Earl Grey Tea or Chai Tea.
Spice Sugar Cookies Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these sugar cookies or fall tea cookies. Specific measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Salt
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
Tips for Making Spice Sugar Cookies
Mixing the Dough: Even if the dough looks dry after adding the flour mixture, continue mixing until a smooth dough forms. The dough will be thick.
Rolling out the Cookies: Be sure to use the dough scraps and mix them back into the unused dough until it’s all used.
How to Make Spice Sugar Cookies
These cookies are easy to make in a few simple steps.
Step 1: Mix the Sugar Cookie Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until a smooth cookie dough forms.
Step 2: Roll the Dough and Cut Into Shapes
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Continue rerolling dough as needed. If you are scoring the cookies, as I’ve done in this post, use a sharp paring knife to create decorations or lines before chilling the unbaked cookies.
Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill as the oven preheats.
Step 3: Bake the Sugar Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Cool on a metal rack.
Decorating the Cookies
Depending on your shape, you may want to decorate with icing or, as I’ve done, with simple lines and etchings.
Use the back of a paring knife and etch lines into the dough before baking.
Ice Box Cookie Variation
This dough also works well as an icebox cookie.
Shape the dough into a log, roll in sprinkles or chopped nuts if desired, and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until ready to slice and bake.
FAQs: Spice Sugar Cookies
Nope. This sugar cookie dough does not need to be chilled prior to baking. They will keep their shape with minimal spread.
Absolutely! Wrap the sugar cookie dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling, cutting into shapes, and baking.
These cookies freeze really well. In fact, I have a couple of batches in my freezer now. Be sure to store in airtight freezer containers.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes to Try
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Spiced Sugar Cookie Recipe
Spice Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery, shaped cookies deliciously infused with warm spices and perfect for the season. Whether you serve them for Thanksgiving or as a fall tea cookie.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until a smooth cookie dough forms.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue rerolling dough as needed. If you are scoring the cookies, as I've done in this post, use a sharp paring knife to create decorations or lines before chilling the unbaked cookies.
- Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill as the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Cool on a metal rack.
Notes
Icebox Variation:
- This dough works great as an icebox cookie. Form into a log, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Then simply slice and bake. Or... roll the log in sprinkles or chopped nuts and then slice and bake. As you can see, there are endless variations!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g
I just made these cookies. They were simple to make. I liked that I didn’t have to refrigerate the dough before rolling out … that always seems to make the dough harder to roll. These rolled nicely. I did refrigerate the cutouts before baking, as the directions say. These cookies held their shape very nicely during baking, and they taste so good!
Hi Terry! Those are the reasons I love these cookies too — well, and their flavor. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
How long does it usually take to come together? It’s been mixing for a really long time and still looks dry.
You may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Sometimes flour absorbs liquid differently.
Is it supposed to be light brown sugar or dark brown sugar? Or does it not matter?
Hi Belinda— both work equally well. The dark brown sugar is a tiny bit richer and will result in a slightly darker cookie.