Spice cookies are soft, crackly molasses cookies rolled in sugar and packed with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. A rum glaze drizzled across the top adds a sweet finish that cuts through the warm spice.
These are the cookies that fill the house with ginger and cinnamon the moment they hit the oven. The rum glaze takes five minutes and makes them feel like Christmas.
Why These Spice Cookies Work
Molasses makes the cookie. Dark, sticky, slightly bitter molasses gives the cookie its deep color and that old-fashioned spice cookie flavor. Do not swap it for honey or maple syrup. The spice blend needs molasses to balance it.
Dark brown sugar over light brown. More molasses in the sugar means a richer, more complex cookie. It pairs with the ginger and cloves instead of hiding behind them.
Rolling the dough in granulated sugar before baking gives the cookies their crackly top. The sugar melts in the oven and forms a thin, shiny crust. Underneath is the soft, tender center.
The spice blend is heavy on ginger and cinnamon with allspice and cloves backing them up. A full teaspoon of ginger, two teaspoons of cinnamon. The cloves are strong at three-quarters of a teaspoon. Do not go heavier or the cloves take over.
Do not overbake. Pull the cookies when the edges are browned and the centers still look soft. They set as they cool. An extra minute and they turn crisp instead of chewy.
The rum glaze balances the heat. Dark rum has a molasses note of its own that echoes the cookie. The powdered sugar sweetens it just enough. Drizzle, let it set, and the cookie is complete.
How to Make Spice Cookies with Rum Glaze
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the softened butter with the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until blended. Stir in the molasses.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until a soft dough forms. Stop as soon as it comes together.
- Scoop the dough with a number 30 cookie scoop, about two tablespoons per cookie. Roll each ball in the extra granulated sugar and place on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are browned and the centers are soft. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.
- Make the rum glaze. Combine the rum and milk in a small bowl. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies using a fork, spoon, or piping bottle. Let the glaze harden before stacking or storing.
Quick Tips
- Do not swap the molasses. Honey and maple syrup do not work the same.
- Roll the dough in sugar. That crackly top is signature spice cookie texture.
- Pull them when the centers look soft. They set as they cool.
- Cool completely before glazing. Warm cookies melt the glaze.
- A piping bottle gives you the cleanest drizzle. A fork works fine too.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store cooled and glazed cookies in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. They keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
The cookie dough freezes well. Scoop and roll in sugar, then freeze on a tray before transferring to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen and add a minute.
More Cookie Recipes
For more cookies, try my chocolate chip oatmeal cookies or my apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies with vanilla icing.
📖 Recipe
Spice Cookies with Rum Glaze
Ingredients
Spice Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter - softened
- ½ cup dark brown sugar - packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar - plus ⅓ cup for rolling cookies
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup granulated sugar - for rolling
Sweet Vanilla Rum Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Spice Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the softened butter together with the dark brown sugar and the granulated sugar until creamy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla and mix until blended.
- Stir in the molasses.
- In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir to mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop by #30 cookie scoop (or 2 tablespoons of dough) and roll into a shallow plate of granulated sugar.
- Place the cookie dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are browned. The cookies should be soft in the center.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing.
To make the rum glaze:
- Combine the rum and milk together in a small bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until well combined and smooth.
- Drizzle the tops of the cookies with glaze or dip the cookies into the glaze.
- Allow the glaze to harden before stacking or freezing.
Notes
- Do not swap the molasses for honey or maple syrup. The flavor and texture depend on it.
- Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking. This creates the crackly top.
- Pull the cookies when the centers still look soft. They set as they cool.
- Cool completely before glazing or the glaze melts into a puddle.
- Substitute rum with milk for a non-alcoholic glaze. Or use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons milk for a vanilla glaze.
- Store with wax paper between layers so the glaze does not stick.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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