These honey cookies have a lovely honey flavor with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. The soft, chewy center contrasts the crispy edges. They're just right when you want a little something sweet.
Serve honey cookies with your coffee or tea or as an after school snack. I like to serve them as a dessert for Rosh Hashanah because the honey symbolizes the wish for a sweet new year. Also, these cookies are a great addition to a Hanukah or Christmas cookie platter. And the homey spices go well with Thanksgiving flavors. There are so many times of the year to enjoy these cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Many people in my Facebook cooking group requested a recipe for honey cookies to serve for Rosh Hashanah. So, I developed this recipe, and now I'm hooked too.
- Honey cookies are so tasty because they're chewy and crisp with hints of honey, vanilla, and spices.
- They're easy to make with ingredients that you probably have on hand.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and measurements.
These ingredient notes will help you make the most delicious honey cookies.
- Flour
- To insure your success, please measure the flour accurately. The best way to do so is by weight with a food scale.
- If you want to use a cup measure, then use the "stir, spoon, and level" method:
Stir the flour in it's container so that it's fluffed up. Then spoon the flour bit by bit into a dry measuring cup until it's heaping. Do not compact or tap the cup on the counter. Gently, level off the flour so it's at the very top of the cup by running a knife or spatula across the top.
- If you use the "scoop the measuring cup into the flour container" method, the flour in the cup will be more compacted which will result in more flour. The scoop method can yield up to 50% more flour than the recipe calls for, which will likely result in a dry baked good. - Honey
Honey is the featured ingredient so use a good quality honey. I like to buy honey at the farmers market, especially when I can taste the different varieties. However, get whatever is accessible to you. I think that wildflower, orange blossom, berry, or lavender infused would be particularly good honey flavors for this recipe. - Margarine or butter
- The recipe comes out well with margarine or butter. Use margarine/butter sticks and not spreads or tubs which are whipped and will not deliver the proper amount of the ingredient.
- Use unsalted because the recipe already has salt in it, and you don't want the cookie to be too salty. If you only have salted, then omit the added salt from the recipe.
- Use margarine if you want the recipe to be dairy-free or parve/pareve. Earth Balance vegan unsalted buttery sticks and Fleischmann's unsalted sticks are two recommended brands (not sponsored).
- Do not substitute with oil because the batter is already soft and would become even more so and then it would be difficult to shape the cookies. - Fine sea salt
I use fine salt for baking so that the saltiness is well-distributed throughout the baked good. I use sea salt because it has a pleasant, neutral flavor. If you want to substitute with another type of salt, the amount will vary as different kinds of salt have different amounts of saltiness. If you have table salt, use a large pinch of salt instead. If you have Diamond kosher salt, use a ½ teaspoon instead for this recipe. - Spices
Pumpkin pie spice can substitute for cinnamon or nutmeg. Or all cinnamon can be used in equal amounts. - Turbinado sugar
Turbinado sugar has big crystals that remain mostly intact after baking. It gives the exterior of the cookies a decorative look and slight crunch. Substitutes for turbinado sugar include other large crystal sugars such as demerara or sanding sugar. This is an optional ingredient.
- Other ingredients in the recipe:
granulated white sugar, baking soda, cornstarch, vanilla, and egg.
Step by Step Photos
See the recipe card below for complete directions.
Jump to RecipeHere are step by step photos to help you make delicious honey cookies.
STEP ONE: Whisk dry ingredients, and set aside.
STEP TWO: In a stand mixer (or hand mixer or by hand), cream the butter and sugar.
STEPS THREE AND FOUR: Add wet ingredients to the butter mixture, and blend until incorporated.
STEP FIVE: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and combine on low speed just until no flour is visible. Do not overmix. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes or until dough firms up.
STEP SIX: Make dough into balls and then roll into turbinado sugar if desired. Bake at 350°F for about 11 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden brown.
Top Tips
- Make sure to refrigerate the cookie batter before shaping them. The batter is soft and sticky so it needs to firm up before you can roll the balls.
- Do not overmix the dough; otherwise, the cookies may become more dense and cakey.
- These cookies are meant to flatten a lot during baking, so don’t be worried; their texture and flavor are incredible.
- Use a scale to measure the flour, or use dry measuring cups with the "stir, spoon, and level" method. Otherwise, you may have too much flour in your cookies which will make them dry.
Variations
- Mix by hand - These cookies can be mixed by hand. Make sure the butter is soft to start. It will take about 3-4 minutes to cream the butter/margarine and sugar with a rubber spatula or spoon. After that, the dough will be soft, and then easy to incorporate the wet ingredients and next the dry ingredients into the batter. Once you put the flour in, mix just until the flour disappears.
- Dairy-free and parve/pareve option - Use margarine sticks instead of butter to make these cookies dairy-free and parve/pareve.
- Different flavors - Try different spices like pumpkin pie spice or cardamom. Try orange blossom water instead of vanilla.
Make Ahead and Storage
How to make cookie batter ahead:
Make the cookie batter up to 2 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator.
How to freeze cookie batter:
Form cookie dough into balls and flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Once the balls are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, roll balls in turbinado sugar (optional) and bake from frozen. Add a few minutes to the bake time.
How to store baked cookies:
Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Cookies might not remain as crisp.
How to freeze baked cookies:
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Use a sturdy container to help prevent breakage.
To defrost, place the cookies on the counter for several hours. Crack open the container lid and place a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture so the cookies don't get soggy.
Other Dessert Recipes
- Italian Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Easy Mini Chocolate Croissants
- Homestyle Apple Cake (dairy-free & whole wheat)
- Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake
Other Rosh Hashanah Recipes
- Honey Mustard Chicken with Apples
- Baked Whole Salmon Fillet
- Sweet Apple Noodle Kugel
- Potato Latke Muffins (Mini Potato Kugels)
- Easy Carrot Soufflé
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Recipe
Honey Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand held mixer or by hand
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour 240 g measured with a scale OR use measuring cups with the "stir, spoon, level" method
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted margarine or unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar (150 g)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1⁄3 cup honey (113 g)
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- ½ cup turbinado sugar as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg, and set aside.
- Beat together the softened butter (or margarine) and granulated sugar. Use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or an electric hand mixer) on medium high speed for about 1-2 minutes until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Alternatively, this recipe can be mixed by hand in a large bowl with a silicone spatula.
- To the butter-sugar mixture, add egg, honey, and vanilla extract. Beat for 30 seconds on medium speed or until just combined.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix on low for several seconds until some of the flour has incorporated. Take care not to overmix the batter or the cookies may become cakey and more dense. Add the rest of the flour, and mix briefly on low until no visible flour is remaining. Do not overmix.
- Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight to chill.
- Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Once cookie dough is chilled, scoop heaping 2-tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into a ball (yielding 12-15 large cookies). For smaller cookies, scoop 1-tablespoon of dough per cookie (yielding 20-25 cookies). A cookie scoop is helpful for uniform cookies, but a spoon works as well.
- Optional: carefully roll dough balls into turbinado sugar until fully coated for a decorative sparkle.
- Place cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking pan, at least 2 inches apart. Slightly pat down the tops of each ball. Bake cookies in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Bake smaller cookies for 7-9 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Continue baking additional pans of cookies until you have used all the batter.
Notes
- Read the full post to get all the ingredients notes, tips, and step-by-step photos.
- Don't overmix the dough; otherwise, the cookies may be more dense and cakey.
- These cookies are meant to flatten a lot during baking, so don’t be worried; their texture and flavor are incredible.
- Use a scale to measure the flour, or use dry measuring cups with the "stir, spoon, and level" method. Otherwise, you may have too much flour in your cookies which will make them dry.
- Cookie batter can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
- Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Ruth says
Hi Dana!
These look great and I hope to try them soon. I wonder if you think they would work if I subbed gluten-free flour (King Arthur of Bob's Red Mill) for the regular flour. I have a gluten-free neighbor and wanted to make some for her.
Thanks for all your excellent recipes--and a Shana Tovah to you and yours!
Dana Shrager says
Hi Ruth, I haven't made these cookies with gluten-free flour. Maybe you can get some tips from this cookie recipe from gluten free blogger Sandi of Fearless Dining: https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-duvshaniot-israeli-honey-cookies/ If you make any adjustments to my recipe, I'd love to hear how they turn out.