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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.

Leaf shaped Spice Sugar Cookie cutout on a Spode China plate.

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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.

Top view of Spiced Sugar Cookies with tea

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.

Top view of leaf sugar cookie with tea

How to Make Spice Sugar Cookies

These cookies are easy to make in a few simple steps.

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.

Process view of Spiced Sugar Cookie dough with leaf shaped cookie cutters

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.

Baked Spiced Sugar Cookies on a Baking Tray

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

Does the Sugar Cookie Dough Need to be Chilled?

Nope. This sugar cookie dough does not need to be chilled prior to baking. They will keep their shape with minimal spread.

Can I Make These Spiced Sugar Cookies Ahead?

Absolutely! Wrap the sugar cookie dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling, cutting into shapes, and baking.

Do These Sugar Cookies Freeze Well?

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.

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Closeup view of Leaf Shaped Spiced Sugar Cookie on a Spode plate.
A maple leaf-shaped spice cookie on a decorative plate sits on a white wooden table. A cup of tea accompanies it, alongside a floral napkin. Another plate with sugar cookies is partially visible, hinting at an inviting spread.

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.
4.6 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Author: Stephanie Wilson

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.

Video

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!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 128mg | Sugar: 8g

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Tried this recipe? Pin it Today!Follow me on Pinterest for more and use the "Pin" button at the top of the recipe card.
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy sugar cookies, spice cookies, spiced sugar cookies, sugar cookies

8 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Hi Stephanie, I made these cookies and they came out really crispy. I’m wondering what I did wrong. The flavor is great!

    1. Hi Katherine, I’ve never had them come out crispy. The thinner the rolled dough is, the easier it is to overbake. I tend to roll the dough out on the thicker side and then with varying oven temperatures, when they are about 5 minutes from being done, I start watching closely. Thank you for trying them!

  2. 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!

    1. Hi Terry! Those are the reasons I love these cookies too — well, and their flavor. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!

    1. Hi Belinda— both work equally well. The dark brown sugar is a tiny bit richer and will result in a slightly darker cookie.

4.62 from 18 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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