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A plate of warm, spiced nutmeg cookies dusted with powdered sugar, perfect for the holiday season.

Nutmeg Cookies

These nutmeg cookies are a holiday must-have! Warm, aromatic, and deliciously sweet, they’re the ultimate festive treat.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 120 kcal

Equipment

  • Quality Baking Sheets: Nordic Ware Half Sheet Pan or USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan are the best options
  • Digital Food Scale: You’ll get consistent results with exact measurements
  • Silicone Baking Mats: Your cookies won’t stick without extra grease
  • Cookie Scoops: OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoops create even portions every time
  • Cooling Racks: Your cookies get the perfect texture with good air flow
  • Measuring Tools: Hudson Essentials measuring cups come with wide handles and easy-to-read measurement lines

Ingredients
  

These optional additions will boost the flavor:

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for aromatic depth
  • ¼ teaspoon salt to balance sweetness
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for extra warmth

Your frosting will need:

  • ⅓ cup softened butter
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon each of rum and vanilla extracts
  • 2-3 tablespoons half-and-half cream

Instructions
 

  • These delightful spiced treats need precise steps and techniques to create the perfect batch.
    The oven needs preheating to 350°F. Mix flour, powdered sugar, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg in a spacious bowl until well combined. A pastry blender helps cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
    Mix in the egg yolk until the dough comes together into a cohesive ball. The dough should be shaped into a long log and wrapped in plastic to achieve the best results. The wrapped dough needs refrigeration between 20 minutes and 24 hours.
    Divide the chilled dough into 24 equal pieces. Each piece should be rolled into 1-inch balls and coated in a sugar-nutmeg mixture. The coated balls need proper spacing on an ungreased baking sheet.
    A cookie stamp or glass bottom works well to flatten each ball to ¼-inch thickness. The cookies should bake for 10-12 minutes until their edges turn light golden brown. The baked cookies need 2 minutes of rest on the baking sheet.
    The cookies should cool completely on a wire rack. A pinch of kosher salt sprinkled on warm cookies adds an extra flavor dimension. Store these treats in an airtight container after they cool completely.
    Preparation:Cooking:

Notes

  1. Fresh Nutmeg for Best Flavor:
    • For the most aromatic and flavorful cookies, use freshly grated nutmeg instead of pre-ground nutmeg. Simply grate a whole nutmeg seed using a microplane or fine grater.
  2. Butter Temperature Matters:
    • Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature for easy creaming. If it’s too cold, the dough will be stiff; if it’s too warm, the cookies may spread too much.
  3. Don’t Overmix the Dough:
    • Mix the dough just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
  4. Cookie Size Consistency:
    • Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to ensure all your cookies are the same size. This helps them bake evenly.