These buttery Turmeric Cookies are perfectly chewy and delicious. They are classic sugar cookies made extra special and flavorful with turmeric!
These turmeric sugar cookies are made with a vanilla sugar cookie dough base. Turmeric gives the cookies their gorgeous golden orange color.
This was my first time baking with turmeric. It adds a slightly earthy, citrusy flavor and makes these cookies extra flavorful!
I love making cookies with less common ingredients. For more unique cookies, try my hibiscus cookies, cookies with rose water, and matcha cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Turmeric has a slightly citrusy, earthy taste. It gives these cookies their bright golden color just like my delicious Lebanese turmeric cake.
- They are the perfect for the holidays just like my cinnamon chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookies with pistachios.
- These cookies are drop style like these lemon and white chocolate cookies. No rolling pin, cookie cutters or icing needed.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some useful notes on some of the ingredients needed to make turmeric sugar cookies.
- Unsalted butter: You’ll need 1 cup (two sticks) of unsalted butter. The butter is going to be melted. No need to take it out of the fridge in advance to baking these cookies.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: Use a combination of granulated sugar and light or dark brown sugar. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh.
- Salt: Salt enhances and balances out the flavor of these cookies.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is a spice often used in savory foods like curries. It adds a gorgeous color and adds a unique taste!
- 1 egg and 1 egg yolk: Use 1 large room temperature egg and 1 egg yolk. Room temperature eggs are easier to incorporate into the dough.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- There isn’t a substitute for turmeric, but you can leave it out if you choose. The cookies won’t have the same bright color, but they will still be delicious.
- Dip cookies in turbinado or demerara sugar in place of granulated sugar.
Step by Step Instructions
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Step 1: (See photo 1 above). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted, remove from heat. Let stand five minutes. Stir in the turmeric.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above).Pour the butter into a heat safe bowl. Stir in the sugars. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and and vanilla until combined.
Step 3: (See photo 3 above). Mix or stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Step 4: (See photo 4 above). Scoop the dough into balls, about 2 Tablespoons of dough each. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely hard.
Step 5: (See photo 5 above) Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll cookie dough balls in granulated sugar. Set cookie dough balls about 3 inches apart and bake for 11-12 minutes.
Step 6: (See photo 6 above). Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
Tip #1: Spoon the flour into measuring cup. If you dredge the measuring cup into the flour, the flour will become compact. Too much flour can lead to dry cookies.
Tip #2: While the cookie dough is chilling, you can clean up the kitchen, line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven.
Tip #3: Keep unbaked cookie dough balls in the fridge while the first batch bakes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but they won’t have the same color or flavor. Add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract in place of the turmeric.
Turmeric is most commonly used in savory dishes. It’s especially delicious in rice dishes, soups and stews. It adds a pretty color and subtle flavor to my chicken tagine recipe and is delicious in my harira soup.
Yes. You can find turmeric in the spice section of most grocery stores. You can also buy ground turmeric online.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Turmeric Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups (343.75 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
- 2¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1⅓ cup (266.67 g) granulated sugar plus more for coating
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest optional
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Stir occasionally as the butter melts. Heat until butter just begins to bubble around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir the turmeric into the butter and let stand an additional minute.
- Pour the turmeric butter into a large heat proof mixing bowl.
- Add the sugars and lemon zest (if using). Mix with a whisk or a hand held mixer (or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) for 30 seconds or until well combined.
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients (the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt) and mix on low speed or use a spatula to stir together until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Use a medium sized, 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a measuring spoon to portion out the dough. Place dough balls side by side on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (You don't need to leave a space between dough balls, since you won't be baking the cookies on this baking sheet). Cover with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until completely chilled and hard.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Coat the tops of each cookie dough ball in the sugar. Set cookie dough balls about 3 inches apart and bake for 11-12 minutes. Bake until cookies appear set. The turmeric makes it a little challenging to notice when the cookies are finished. Mine typically take 11 minutes. Keep unbaked cookie dough balls in the fridge while each batch bakes. Take them out only when ready to bake.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Tyson
great job
Natalie
Thanks Tyson!
Wes
these were so good! I was a little worried since turmeric is such an earthy flavor, but they got the approval of even our most finicky eaters. I did make them vegan by substituting flax meal and water for the egg and egg yolk, and vegan butter for the butter. The texture was perfectly moist and tender with a wonderful contrast of the crunchy sugary top. A keeper recipe!
Natalie
Hi Wes, Thanks so much for making these and for taking the time to comment! I’m thrilled you enjoyed them and that they were a hit with everyone! Thanks for sharing your helpful recipe notes. Have a great week!
LN
These came out excellent! I made two small changes: I mixed the turmeric into the hot butter to “bloom” it and wake up the flavor instead of adding it with the dry ingredients, and I added about half a teaspoon of cardamom to the dry ingredients to complement the turmeric flavor. Delicious!
Natalie
Yay! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for sharing your recipe notes. Great idea to add the turmeric to the hot butter! I did that for my hibiscus cookies recipe and will definitely try it with these next time I make them 🙂 Thanks for your review. Have a great weekend!