Chai Cookies
These are the best chai cookies! They are super chewy cookies, made with warm fall spices and brown butter, and rolled in spiced sugar. They’re the perfect cookie for fall and the Christmas holiday season!
If you’re looking for other fall desserts, try my chewy pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, apple cider cupcakes, apple pie cheesecake, maple pecan sticky buns or pumpkin cheesecake cookies!
Why You’ll Love These Chai Cookies
They have the best texture– These are chewy cookies! Each cookie has a soft center and crispy edges.
They are made with brown butter- This easy extra step takes the flavor of these cookies from good to amazing.
They have the perfect amount of spice- The dough is flavored with cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and other spices, then rolled in spiced sugar before baking. They’re like snickerdoodle cookies but way better!
Simple Ingredients for Chai Sugar Cookies
- Unsalted Butter– will be made into brown butter
- Light Brown Sugar– we’re using only brown sugar in the cookie dough to keep these cookies extra chewy
- Egg Yolks– make sure they’re room temperature
- Vanilla– as always I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, but vanilla extract will work perfectly fine as well
- Flour– just the right amount of all purpose flour helps give these cookies their perfect texture
- Ground Spices– cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, ginger and cloves are used to bring warm fall flavors to these cookies, you can also add a pinch of black pepper if you’d like
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder– equal parts are used to just slightly leaven these cookies
- Salt– brings out all the flavors in these cookies
- Granulated White Sugar– used for the spiced sugar
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including measurements and baking time!
STEP ONE: Brown the butter then let it cool completely.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
STEP THREE: In a large bowl whip the cooled brown butter with an electric mixer on high speed until it is fluffy, about 1 minute. Then add in the brown sugar and mix on high speed until creamed together, about 2 minutes. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
STEP FOUR: Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.
STEP FIVE: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine on low speed.
STEP SIX: Scoop the dough into 22 portions with a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in the spiced sugar mixture.
STEP SEVEN: Transfer the cookie dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 8 cookies at a time. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then serve!
FAQs
Do I have to brown the butter? I’ve only tested these cookies with brown butter so I’m not sure the ratios would work the same if the butter wasn’t browned. But luckily brown butter is super easy to make and adds the best flavor to anything it’s in!
How do I make these like Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies? Make a simple, kind of thick icing with powdered sugar, nutmeg and a little eggnog to put on top of the cookies!
How do I store these cookies? Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze them for up to two weeks!
Pro Tips
For best results, measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead, sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
When the cookies are straight out of the oven, scoot a large round cookie cutter around them to give them a perfect circular shape!
If you make these cookies please, please leave a star rating! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ and follow me on Pinterest also for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chai Cookies
Ingredients
For the Spiced Sugar
- 6 tbsp (75 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- pinch of ground cloves
For the Chai Cookies
- 1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups (275 g) light brown sugar
- 4 egg yolks, at room temprature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tbsp molasses
Instructions
For the Spiced Sugar
- Add the granulated white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves to a bowl. Whisk to combine.6 tbsp (75 g) granulated white sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/8 tsp ground allspice, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, pinch of ground cloves
For the Chai Cookies
- Add the butter to a pot and heat it over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and come to a simmer. Simmer until the butter is foamy, giving off a nutty scent and has browned. The whole process should take about 5-8 minutes. Remove the butter from the heat and transfer it to a small bowl. Pop it in the fridge and allow it to cool completely until it is solid but still malleable.1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- In a large bowl whip the cooled brown butter with an electric mixer on high speed until it is fluffy, about 1 minute. Then add in the brown sugar and mix on high speed until creamed together, about 2 minutes. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)1 1/4 cups (275 g) light brown sugar
- Add in the egg yolks, vanilla, heavy cream and molasses and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.4 egg yolks, at room temprature, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tbsp heavy cream, 1/2 tbsp molasses
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine on low speed.
- Scoop the dough into 22 portions with a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in the spiced sugar mixture.
- Transfer the cookie dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 8 cookies at a time, for 11- 12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then serve!
OMG sooo delicious!!! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe.
Why would you never mention that you need to bake at 350 degrees *Fahrenheit* haha. I think that’s an important detail to include so people in Europe and other parts of the world don’t end up burning their cookies. Otherwise all good!
Hi Marie. The recipe has been updated to indicate F not C! xx
Great recipe! Marie come on use your brain, why would cookies ever be baked at a celsius equivalent of 662° F. The rest of the recipe is not in metric why would someone think that one measurement would differ.
its so good i love the recipie
Delicious. Thank you so much! 🙂
These sound amazing. I haven’t read through the previous comments to know if someone has already asked, but do you have suggestions on how best to replace the egg yolks?
I’m sorry, Lori, but I wouldn’t recommend replacing the egg yolks! It helps with the dough coming together. Thank you for your comment!
Could I premake this dough and freeze it will the week before Christmas, and bake? Bake from frozen or thaw?
Normally I would give this recipe 5 out of 5 stars! The taste was incredible, they looked exactly the same and simply were perfect. The only thing that threw me off was the time instructions! Not a big deal I know, but idk what I made wrong, it took me nearly 2 and a half hours to make them. But maybe it’s my fault! Loved this recipe
Thank you for sharing your experience, Sarah and I am so happy these cookies turned out amazing for you!
These are delicious cookies; warm spice, chewy and sweet. And they make the house smell wonderful as they bake. These will be among my Christmas cookie assortments every year.
Thanks so much, Maggie! I’m happy you found a cookie recipe you love!
I’ve made this recipe 2 years in a row and absolutely love them. I am excited to make them for my next cookie exchange!
I will say, I think I prefer the texture without heavy cream and molasses. With it such tiny quantities, if you don’t have those ingredients on hand, I definitely don’t think it’s necessary to buy!
Thank you for sharing, Brisa! And I am really happy you found some tweaks that work for you!
Nice flavor but These spread too much. I weighed everything using a digital scale. As written, the recipe calls for 2 & 1/4 sticks of butter by weight and “cups”. That seems like way too much for the amount of flour. Is the butter amount a typo?
They taste amazing and have such a soft, wonderful texture to them.
So happy you loved them!
Can I make this recipe up and freeze ot and/or make the cookies and freeze them? If freezing is possible, how long can they remain in the freezer?
Genuinely some of the best cookies I’ve ever made. Added a cinnamon glaze on top and it was perfect