Soft sugar cookies with nutmeg evoke nostalgia as my mom used to bake them, making them a timeless classic like chocolate chip cookies. These tender treats, with their buttery texture and sweet icing, are perfect for any occasion.
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I fondly recall spreading the icing and adding sprinkles as a child, creating beautiful and delicious cookies.
Even as an adult, I love these cookies. Their universal appeal lies in their simplicity, making them a favorite for holidays, school parties, and more.
How to Make Homemade Sugar Cookies with Nutmeg
This cookie recipe works like most cookie recipes in that you cream together your wet ingredients in one bowl and stir together your dry ingredients in another.
In the bowl of a large stand mixer , add softened unsalted butter and sugar and beat until creamy and smooth.
Then add a teaspoon vanilla extract and a teaspoon almond extract until combined. I love that this recipe uses almond extract too.
It’s not overpowering at all, but gives it a hint of that flavor to make it really stand out from other cookie bar recipes.
Then, add an egg being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and mixing well. Add a second egg, doing the same.
In a medium bowl, add your dry ingredients: flour, teaspoon salt, cream of tartar or Sour Cream, a teaspoon baking soda and nutmeg . Stir together well.
Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until combined.
Then drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie dough Sheets with parchment lined cookie sheet . I use a silicone baking mat for mine instead. Also, make sure that the distance between each cookie dough are two inches apart.
Bake at 350 for about 8-9 minutes until the edges are just at the very beginning stages of turning light brown.
Then remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients:
butter, softened powdered sugar almond extract hot water food coloring, optional Beat all ingredients in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Then spread on cooled cookies.
Tips to Making Soft Sugar Cookies:
- These freeze really well if you want to make a double batch for later! You can freeze the balls of cookie dough before baking or you can freeze the cookies after baking and frosting. If you freeze them after they’re frosting, the icing might “sweat” a little as it thaws, but it will still taste great!
- You do NOT want to overbake these cookies! I find that 8-9 minutes is the sweet spot. If they start turning too brown at the edges, you’ve cooked them too long and the cookies will be hard after they’re cooled
- If you want to add candy sprinkles or jimmies to the Sugar Cookie frosting, make sure you do that right away before the Sugar Cookie Icings have a chance to set.
- The frosting will harden a little so that you can stack the cookies on top of each other.
- If the sugar cookie dough is too sticky to handle, you can place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking. You can use an airtight container for this.
- These are not roll-out cookies that you use cookie cutters for. It will not work for that as that dough just spreads as it bakes.
- If you do not want the Sugar Cookie Frosting, my mom used to just sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top before baking and they were delicious!
Looking for more desserts recipes
Looking for more dessert recipes? We’ve got you covered! Here are some delicious recipes that will have you licking your fingers and begging for seconds.
- Easy Blueberry Crumble Bars
- Cranberry Cheese Bars
- Holiday Turtle Fudge
- No Bake Strawberry Pie
- Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Coconut Mousse Napoleons
- Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispy Treats
- Butterscotch Pudding Cake in the Slow Cooker
Soft Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup Butter softened
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
- 2 Eggs
- 2 1/4 cup Flour
- 1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
Frosting
- 1/4 cup Butter softened
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp. Almond Extract
- 2-4 Tbsp. Hot Water
- Food Coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy.
- Stir in extracts.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir well to combine.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture just until combined and no traces of flour remain.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes or just until edges begin to turn a light brown. Be careful not to overbake!
Frosting
- Combine, softened butter, powdered sugar, almond extract and 2 tablespoons of hot water. Beat until creamy. Add additional hot water as needed to reach a spreading consistency.
- Spread onto cooled cookies.
Nutrition
FAQs
How to make pancake cookies?
To make pancake cookies, combine 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk together 1 egg, ¾ cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter in another bowl. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a preheated, greased griddle. Cook until bubbles form and edges are set, then flip and cook until golden brown. Enjoy these soft drop cookies as a delightful breakfast treat.
What can you substitute for cream of tartar in cookies?
If you need to substitute cream of tartar in cookies, lemon juice or white vinegar are good alternatives. Use an equal amount of lemon juice or white vinegar to replace the cream of tartar.
For instance, in a sugar cookie recipe with cream of tartar, if it calls for 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, you can use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar. This substitution works well in recipes like soft sugar cookies with cream of tartar.
When was the sugar cookie invented?
The sugar cookie was invented in the 1700s by German Protestant settlers in Pennsylvania. Originally known as the Nazareth Cookie, it was named after the town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. These cookies were made with simple ingredients like sugar, flour, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Over time, variations such as nutmeg sugar cookies and sugar cookie recipes with cream of tartar have emerged, making the sugar cookie a versatile and beloved treat.
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