Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice Cookies

These Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice Cookies are exactly the kind of old-fashioned cookie recipe I like keeping in my collection. They bake up soft and chewy in the center with lightly crisp edges, while cinnamon chips create little pockets of warm, sweet spice in every bite. Molasses adds moisture, a subtle caramel-like depth, and that beautiful golden-brown color.

What makes these cookies especially memorable is the combination of ginger, nutmeg, molasses, and cinnamon. Rolling the dough in sugar before baking gives the crackled tops a delicate sparkle and a slight crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender centers. They’re easy enough for an afternoon baking project, but the generous five-dozen yield also makes them practical for cookie exchanges, holiday trays, and sharing with neighbors.

This is the sort of dependable cookie I appreciate when I need a big batch without complicated decorating. A cold glass of milk or hot cup of coffee is really all they need.

Love this recipe? Pin it to your Cookie Recipes or Holiday Baking board on Pinterest so you don’t lose it!

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

1 ½ cups shortening

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

½ cup light molasses

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground ginger

10 oz cinnamon baking chips

For Rolling

1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
2. Cream the shortening and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening with 2 cups granulated sugar until smooth and well combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla, followed by the molasses, until evenly incorporated.
4. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger.
5. Make the dough. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the shortening mixture. The finished dough should be quite stiff. Fold in the cinnamon chips until evenly distributed.
6. Shape and coat. Place the remaining 1 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape the dough into walnut-size balls, then roll each ball in sugar until coated.
7. Arrange the cookies. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Gently flatten the tops.
8. Bake. Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are crackled and the cookies appear set around the edges.
9. Cool. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes so they can firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cooking Notes

For genuinely soft and chewy cookies, don’t wait for the centers to look completely dry before taking them out of the oven. They will continue setting on the hot baking sheet.

The dough is intentionally stiff. If your kitchen is particularly warm and the dough becomes difficult to shape, chilling it briefly can make portioning easier.

Cinnamon baking chips provide much of this recipe’s signature cinnamon flavor. If substituting another baking chip, such as white chocolate, expect a noticeably different flavor profile.

Keep the dough balls similar in size so the cookies bake evenly. Overbaking is the most common reason this style of cookie turns hard instead of chewy.

Nutrition

Yields: 60 cookies

Recommended Serving Size: 1 cookie

The original recipe reports 151 calories per cookie, which is consistent with a rich cookie made primarily from shortening, sugar, flour, molasses, and baking chips. Actual values will vary somewhat by ingredient brand and cookie size.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 151 kcal
• Fat: 7.0 g
• Carb: 21.0 g
• Protein: 1.0 g

The supplied nutrition information also lists approximately 2 g saturated fat and 175 mg sodium per cookie.

Recipe Science

These cookies use shortening as their primary fat, combined with a relatively high proportion of sugar and flour. Shortening helps limit spreading while encouraging a tender texture, and molasses contributes both moisture and characteristic caramelized flavor. Baking soda provides leavening, while ginger and nutmeg reinforce the cinnamon flavor supplied by the baking chips.

The sugar coating serves more than a decorative purpose. As the exterior heats and the cookie expands, the coating contributes to the lightly crisp surface and emphasizes the characteristic cracks. The relatively short 8-10 minute baking time helps preserve moisture in the center. Allowing the cookies to remain briefly on the baking sheet after leaving the oven lets residual heat finish setting their structure without unnecessarily drying them.

For storage, completely cooled cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Freezing either portioned dough or baked cookies can extend their useful life. Because cinnamon chips contribute significantly to the finished flavor, substituting another chip works structurally but changes the character of the recipe.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: Based on the supplied nutrition data, one cookie contains about 10% of the FDA Daily Value for saturated fat and about 8% of the Daily Value for sodium, so neither reaches the 20% threshold considered high. The supplied data lists total sugar rather than added sugar, so an exact percentage of the FDA’s 50 g Added Sugar Daily Value cannot be established from the source. Because these cookies contain substantial added sweeteners, portion size is still worth considering, particularly when eating several cookies at once.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Soft and Chewy Centers: Shortening and molasses help create a tender cookie that stays pleasantly chewy.
• Big Cinnamon Flavor: Cinnamon chips deliver concentrated bursts of spice throughout every cookie.
• Beautiful Crackled Tops: A simple sugar coating creates an attractive bakery-style finish without icing or decorating.
• Made for Sharing: One recipe produces about five dozen cookies, making it especially convenient for parties, bake sales, and holiday cookie exchanges.
• Simple Technique: There’s no complicated shaping or decorating; mix, roll, coat, and bake.

FAQ

• Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. Cover the prepared dough tightly and refrigerate it. Let very firm dough sit briefly at room temperature before rolling so it is easier to portion.
• Why did my cookies turn out hard? They were most likely baked too long. Remove them when the edges are set and the tops have crackled; the centers will continue cooking as the cookies rest on the baking sheet.
• Can I use butter instead of shortening? Butter can work, but it may cause more spreading and will give the cookies a different texture and flavor. For results closest to the collected recipe, shortening is the better choice.
• What if I can’t find cinnamon chips? Another baking chip can be substituted, but it won’t reproduce the same cinnamon-forward flavor. Adding extra ground cinnamon can strengthen the spice profile, although it won’t replace the sweet pockets created by cinnamon chips.
• Can these cookies be frozen? Yes. Freeze completely cooled cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container with parchment between layers. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Conclusion

These Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice Cookies have everything I want from a cozy cookie; chewy centers, crackled sugary tops, and plenty of warming spice. Cooking and baking are always a little personal, so don’t be afraid to adjust the spices and make this collected favorite your own.

Would you serve these with cold milk, hot coffee, or a mug of cocoa? I’d love to hear your favorite pairing. Happy baking!