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!
The taste is definitely five stars. However, my cookies did not flatten out at all, even though I faithfully followed the recipe. Also, my first batch did not cook enough for 12 minutes at 350 so I increased my oven temperature to 380. I measured the dough before rolling and it made over 30 cookies. There was a lot of extra sugar/spice mixed remaining, which I used in my coffee.
can you make the dough ahead and bake the next day?
Hi Spencer! Yes you can! Just let it come to room temperature before baking 🙂
I’ve made these twice as the flavor is delicious however both batches did not spread out at all, giving mule a dense cake like cookie. I altered the flour in the second batch but they turned out the same, any suggestions-the taste is truly amazing. Thank you
Did you weigh the flour, or use a measuring cup? I find weighing the ingredient is grams results in a perfect cookie!!
Hi, my cookies were not flattening either I took my baking pan out of oven and gave it a little “bang” on my counter at the 9 min mark and they flattened perfectly
Super delicious cookies. The warm spices & browned butter make for the perfect rainy day pick me up. However, mine first batch didn’t spread out at all and needed extra cook time so for the following batches, I smushed them down and cooked for 15 minutes.
These are completely amazing. Would they come out the same if I doubled the recipe?
I’m so glad you like! Yes, doubling the recipe would result in the same cookies!
Very good me and my mom and brother and sister made them with our own special ingredient , cereal
These cookies are delicious! like other reviewers they seemed to take a lot longer to bake and they didn’t spread out. I baked them for about 22 minutes, flattening them with a spatula about halfway through, and they still seemed very raw when I took them out, breaking apart if I tried to pick one up because it was so soft. I left them to cool on the baking sheet for a while and they formed up nicely, still a soft cookie but stable and didn’t fall apart. They have a delicious flavor too! 4/5 stars not for flavor, just because of the baking process being different than the recipe stated. Great recipe and amazing cookies though!
Hi there! The cookies should only require 11-12 minutes. At 22 minutes I would think they would start to burn… If they are not spreading I would wonder if it’s because too much flour is being used. Either weigh your flour with a kitchen scale, or use the spoon and level method where you spoon the flour into a measuring cup and swipe the excess with the back of a knife. If you are just scooping a measuring cup into a bag of flour, you are using more flour than the recipe calls for. This would dry out the cookie dough and the cookies would not spread.
They tasted great, and had a very nice, soft texture. However, the first couple I made did not really spread, resulting in slightly underbaked cookies. With the next ones, I pushed them down by hand before they went into the oven, which solved the problem. There was also a lot of sugar topping left. Overall, they were good.
Oh, I also really liked that the amount needed was written below the instructions. Not having to scroll up to find the measurements was convenient.
I made a really silly mistake in this recipe, as I usually do. I wanted to strain the brown butter but needed a bowl so I emptied the spiced sugar mix into the dry ingredients because i completely forgot you rolled the dough in it! However, i continued, hoping that all the spiced sugar mix was used up when rolling anyway and they turned out a little crumbly but chewy in the middle but of course delicious. They had to bake for an extra 10 minutes and weren’t as flat as the picture but I’m sure that was because of my mistake. Overall, flavour was 9/10!
I would sugest you NOT strain the butter next time, all those browned bits add a tremendousd amout of flavor to your cookies. You’re adding spices so the brown bits will just blend in with the color from them!!
Hi! I would love to try these, but i was just wondering if I can bake them all at once on two trays and then just swap the position of the trays halfway? Thanks!
Hi Ellie. No, I don’t recommend doing that. I don’t think they would bake the same!
I tried them tonight. Even after I mixed the wet and dry ingredients it was still super dry so I added 3 tbsp of softened butter and baked them on two sheets for 11 mins and they were perfect!!
These cookies taste really good and are perfect for fall. I ran into a problem where my cookies spread too much and got close to burning. I followed the recipe exactly, maybe the amount of flour should be increased by one or two tablespoons. I had to lower the temperature I baked them at just to prevent them from burning.
SO GOOD!! Perfect fall dessert.
Just WOW. Followed the recipe to a T, and they look exactly like yours. They spread beautifully and cooked in 11 minutes at fan assisted oven at 180 C.
I even tested them first by making 1/4 of the whole recipe, I had no issues. I used a scale to measure the ingredients. They are all I need in life now. What is this texture?! Out of this world!
Of course they would be very soft to the touch as soon as you take them out of the oven, just be patient and wait for them to set, because they will!
I then tweaked the spices, I added freshly ground star anise and freshly ground fennel seeds, as well as crushed black pepper. W O W.
These deserve a formal prize!
These came out great. I weighed the flour to make sure I had the right amount and they are perfect. It’s like a snickerdoodle on steroids. So, so good!!
So good!! I weighed my flour and did not have any problem with the cookies spreading as mentioned in other reviews. Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to share these cookies with friends and family this fall.
quite literally the best cookie I’ve ever eaten. I also made some cinnamon icing for the top and my god it was insane.
I’m so glad you liked them!!
I’m wondering if you’ve tried these with plant butter. I have a friend with a dairy allergy, so I’m always looking for recipes that work well with plant butter.
Can this dough be frozen?
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!
Amazing cookies! I followed your recipe to the letter- eggs at room temp, butter browned and cooled, flour spooned, and the times given for how long to mix. Perfect! My house smells heavenly.
The dough came out wayyy too dry and cookies crumbled in my hands. It also just tasted of butter.
These we a huge hit at Xmas last year and I will be remaking them this year. A family party of about 35 and not one had something bad to say.
If your cookies didn’t taste incredible YOU definitely did something wrong.
Just Excellent!!
Will be pre making and freezing my dough this year to have a cookie cutting and bake party with gingerbread, sugar, oatmeal and these chai babies.
Hi, i was wondering if I freeze the balls of dough overnight and then bake them the next day, should I cover them in the sugar before the freezer or just before baking?
These are the best cookies I’ve ever tasted. I used a kitchen scale for precise measurements. I used a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop because that’s the only one I had. I did not roll in the sugar mixture because I wanted to do a buttercream drizzle with a few Christmas sprinkles to make them festive. I refrigerated them overnight. (Because I had other cookies to make) Popped in the oven at 350 for exactly 11 minutes. Let them cool 5 minutes. They are crisp but still soft and they melt in your mouth. They spread perfectly. Amazing. I know I will be making these for years to come.
I agree with the other ratings. Delicious flavor. However, cookies do not flatten. I weighed all the ingredients and followed exactly as written, and I found that halfway through, I needed to flatten. Flattening with a fork gave it a nice crisp texture on top which complemented the softer chewy cookie. For a 2TBS cookie, it required 15 mins and for a 1TBS cookie, it took 11 mins
I use this recipe all the time now. It’s perfect.
My first batch was great! Came out lovely – crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. When I made the second batch a week later, it was very different! The cookies were cakey and wouldn’t spread out. What could’ve gone wrong? I’m pretty sure I put the correct measurements for everything T-T
they tasted good, but the texture was terrible. felt like i was eating sand
skill issue
Cookies did not spread
skill issue
Delicious!!! I saw in the comments with everyone having issues with them not spreading so I pressed them down slightly before baking. They came out perfect!
its definitely a delicious cookie, but i think mine spread too much, when forming them with the cutter , i actually had to cut some bits off
I thought these were lovely cookies. I weighed the ingredients and the cookies spread perfectly (even the raw dough balls that I froze and baked directly from the freezer spread nicely) so I imagine weighing is everything here, given the other comments. The spices were nice… might add a bit more ginger for more kick next time. And the texture is a bit sandy… which I didn’t think was undesirable at all.
So simple but perfect blend of spices and brown butter. Everyone LOVES these. Great for gifting.
Followed the recipe exactly and these cookies came out amazing! So soft and delicious. My husband was impressed and these were a hit at work. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Can the cookies be frozen after baking?
Wow! I’m a huge fan of anything chai and these did not disappoint. Followed the recipe exactly as written, including bake time, and they were perfect. These are now a family favorite! Thank you!!!
These cookies are fabulous, most spiced cookies are rather bland these pop with lovely warm spice, and they are super simple to make!
They are a great flavour cookie! Mine did not flatten.
Taste is great but I think somewhere the measurements are wrong in the recipe because it’s not a nice chewy texture it’s almost two dry and the cookies did not spread out at all, would make again but I think I’d alter it a bit and maybe leave the egg whites in the recipe as well
skill issue
Delicious! Found best cooked same day and used the Taylor swift frosting instead of rolling in sugar spice. Tried both but both was too sweet for us. Your recipe is so good omg. Big chai drinkers here and this was a win and a keeper and a recipe to share with our friends.
Made these cookies and got raving reviews. It’s has the perfect texture with a medium thickness and a soft and chewy inside. I added a little extra cardamom because I’m reminiscent of my days in Copenhagen but spice levels were great.
Cookies turned out wonderfully!! I took each cookie and halved them which gave me about 44 all together for some small bite cookies. One issue I came across was that I should have used less of the spice sugar mix for the cookies as I managed to use all of it but it’s a bit on the too sweet side for me. I wonder, is it okay to forfeit the sugar mix all together?
The flavor is good. The cookies were flat as could be and spread so much. Instead of a 2” cookie they were a 4” cookie. I am a good baker but this recipe is off.
Something off with this recipe. I am a baker, followed instructions to a T, very dry and not the best texture. Flavor was good.
Great recipe. My cookies did not flatten out at all so I just took them out of the oven and smashed them down at about 8 minutes and then let them finish baking. The recipe also made 31 cookies for me lol
Best ever recipe, just made them and they turned out so soft and chewy, my kids love them. Lots of flavor.
I have tried to bake these about 5 times. I follow the recipe to a T and they turn out dry and sand textured every time. This time I did 2 yolk and 2 full eggs, they turned out chewier and more cookie textured but still bad. I am not sure what the issue is but I can’t get them to work for me no matter how promising the dough seems.
So tasty – like a snickerdoodle and a gingerbread cookie had a baby! I don’t think I let my butter cool off enough because I couldn’t get to that whipped consistency but they still turned out really well.
I’ve figured out why the cookies don’t flatten and spread when we follow the recipe. 1.25 cups of flour should weigh roughly 156g, not 280g. 2.25 cups of flour should weigh approximately 280g. So there’s a discrepancy between the measurements. The flavor is still delicious tho!
Forgive me. I obviously mixed up the lines of ingredients. So sorry!
5 star reciepe, My husband and I love the flavor. Its like the grownup version of snickerdoodles.
My coworker made these and brought them into work and I ate about 5 of them, they were so delicious!!! Although when I went to make the same recipe, mine sadly didn’t turn out as good (they spread out so thin and just barely hold shape) so I think I just personally messed up somewhere along the way, but anyways I really enjoyed the cookies and hope I can perfect the recipe for myself one day