Spiced Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
'Tis the season for holiday baking, so let's step up our typical cookie game with these spiced holiday chocolate chip cookies! Along with warm spices, these soft and chewy cookies feature browned butter and fresh orange zest for a festive twist.
How to Make the Best Spiced Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookies
These spiced holiday chocolate chip cookies are the perfect addition to your festive baking lineup. With browned butter providing a deep, nutty richness and warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger creating a cozy aroma, these cookies are anything but ordinary. The fresh orange zest adds a bright citrus note that perfectly complements the chocolate and spices.
What makes these cookies truly special is the combination of textures and flavors. The browned butter base combined with dark brown sugar creates a tender, chewy center, while the generous amount of chocolate chips adds pockets of richness in every bite. The bourbon in the dough enhances the warm spice flavors without making the cookies taste alcoholic—it’s just enough to deepen the complexity.
Whether you’re serving these on a holiday platter, gifting them to friends and family, or simply enjoying them with a warm cup of coffee, these spiced holiday chocolate chip cookies are sure to become a seasonal favorite. Make them a day or two before serving, as they actually improve in flavor as they sit.
Spiced Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookies
'Tis the season for holiday baking, so let's step up our typical cookie game with these spiced holiday chocolate chip cookies! Along with warm spices, these soft and chewy cookies feature browned butter and fresh orange zest for a festive twist.
Ingredients
Dough
Dry Ingredients
Mix-ins
Instructions
Prepare the Brown Butter
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until it begins to foam. Continue to cook and stir frequently until it turns amber in color.
- Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl. Scrape the brown bits into the bowl with the melted butter as well.
- Allow the mixture to solidify but remain soft. To speed up the process, you can place in the refrigerator. You can also do this a few days in advance and store at room temperature to keep soft.
Prepare Dry Ingredients
- Stir together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix the Dough
- Cream together the solidified brown butter with dark brown sugar, white sugar, orange zest and vanilla extract in a stand mixer or mixing bowl with hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Scrape the creamed butter off the side of the bowl. Add one egg with the bourbon and beat until combined. Repeat with the second egg.
- Once both eggs are combined, scrape the dough off the side of the bowl again.
- Add a spoonful or two of the flour mixture at a time and stir until incorporated. Repeat until all the flour mixture is combined into the dough.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
Chill and Bake
- Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, form the dough into golf ball-size dough balls. The large size will keep the cookies extra soft. If you'd like, top with additional chocolate chips.
- Bake for nine minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- The brown butter can be prepared a few days in advance and stored at room temperature.
- Freshly grated orange zest adds a bright, festive twist to these spiced cookies.
- The large dough balls are key to keeping these cookies soft and chewy.