Chai Sugar Cookies
These Chai Sugar Cookies are perfectly spiced, with chewy centers, and crispy edges. A seasonal flavor twist on the classic sugar cookie!
Why You’ll Love These
- Flavor Profile – Chai sugar cookies are infused with chai tea’s warm and aromatic spices. Chai is one of the perfect fall flavors. If you love chai tea you will love these sugar cookies!
- Customizable – You can tailor the recipe to your preferences by adjusting the spice levels.
- Easy to Prepare – This is a no-chill recipe for chai sugar cookies. They are quick and easy to make.
- Holiday Season – The warm spices in chai sugar cookies make them particularly appealing during the fall and winter seasons. They can be a festive addition to holiday celebrations.
- Gifting – These cookies are great for gifting to friends, family, and neighbors!
Some of our other favorite holiday recipes to make are Sugar Cookies with Heavy Cream, Butter Toffee Pretzels Recipe, Dark Chocolate Fudge, Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust, and Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread.
Key Ingredients
Please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Wet Ingredients – Unsalted butter, large egg, and vanilla extract.
- Chai Spices – Traditional chai spice contains ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground black pepper.
- Sugars – This chai spiced sugar cookie recipe uses granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Granulated sugar creates crispy outer edges, while dark brown sugar enhances moisture and creates a chewy center.
How to Make Chai Sugar Cookies
Tips
- Be sure to measure the flour properly. Aerate, spoon, and swoop level.
- Be sure the egg and butter are at room temperature.
- I use traditional chai spices for these chai cookies but you can adjust the spice levels according to your desired taste. If you prefer a stronger chai flavor, you can increase the amounts of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, or other spices.
- I highly recommend freshly grated nutmeg! Especially for this recipe where the spices are the star of the recipe.
- Mix the dough just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Test bake one or two cookies. Keep a close eye on the cookies while baking. Overbaking can result in dry cookies while underbaking may lead to an extra soft texture.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time in the center of the oven.
Variations
If you would like to drizzle a glaze over these cookies you can mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 to 3 tablespoons of milk together.
If you have some of the rolling sugar left add a teaspoon or two to the glaze mixture.
FAQs
Hard cookies are a result of overbaking. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges start to lightly brown. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet as they cool.
I prefer to freeze cookie dough balls and then roll in the sugar mixture before baking. Make the dough balls (uncoated), place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze them until solid, and then place them in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, this will help the sugar coating adhere much better. Bake as directed but it may take a couple of minutes longer.
Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag for 3 to 4 days.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
Chai Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp Ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp Ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp Fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
- 1 cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large Egg room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. In another medium bowl whisk together the sugars and spices. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture and place it in a small bowl for rolling the dough balls. Set aside.2 3/4 cups All-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp Baking powder, 1 tsp Baking soda, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- In another medium bowl whisk together the sugars and spices. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture and place it in a small bowl for rolling the dough balls. Set aside.1 cup Granulated sugar, 3/4 cup Dark brown sugar, 2 tsp Ground cinnamon, 1 tsp Ground cardamom, 1 1/2 tsp Ground ginger, 1/2 tsp Ground allspice, 1/2 tsp Ground cloves, 1/2 tsp Fresh ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld electric mixer), beat the softened butter with the sugar mixture for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and combine until fully incorporated.1 cup Unsalted butter, 1 large Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Use a tablespoon cookie scoop and roll the dough into balls then roll them in the reserved sugar mixture. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.