Chai Cookies
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Pillowy soft Chai Spiced Cookies are deliciously fragrant and soft. Infused with cozy and warm chai spices, these easy chai cookies are a wonderful fall cookie recipe to try.
Chai Cookies Recipe
- Quick to make.
- Only 15 minutes of chill time.
- Can be made gluten-free.
- Lunch box friendly.
- Can be made with a pre-made chai blend.
A warm batch of chai-spiced cookies that are perfect for fall.
Similar to my cardamom spiced cookies and cinnamon cookies, these turn out slightly puffy with a soft and chewy texture that melts in your mouth.
They’re especially delicious when dunked into your tea or coffee, just like these soft vanilla melting moments and caramel chocolate chip cookies!
These easy chai spiced cookies or these homemade gingernut biscuits are perfect at the start of your week as they make great lunch box fillers for school and work.
Can you make these chai cookies using a pre-made chai blend or concentrate?
Although I haven’t tried this myself, if you would like to, I recommend using 1 1/2 tablespoons of your favorite powdered chai blend instead of the individual spices.
If you would like to add a glaze or icing, try whipping up a quick mixture of icing/confectioners sugar with milk or water and a touch of vanilla extract for delicious vanilla chai cookies.
To make these into dirty chai cookies, add a touch of instant powdered coffee to the cookie dough when the spices are added.
For coffee-infused cookies, my mocha cookies are delicious!
Or make a glaze/icing using the same method as above for the vanilla glaze but instead add instant coffee.
📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
All purpose flour – is also known as pain flour in Australia. To make these gluten-free chai cookies, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for baking, using the same quantity, which is 1 1/2 cups (225g).
Chai spices – if you would like to use a pre-made chai blend, substitute the individual spices for 1 1/2 tablespoons of your powdered chai blend. However, this recipe has not been tested using a pre-made chai blend.
Unsalted butter – to substitute with salted butter, use the same quantity and do not add the additional 1/4 teaspoon salt to the recipe.
Brown sugar – not dark brown sugar. Measure your brown sugar by lightly packing it into your measuring cup or weighing it using kitchen scales.
🥣 Step By Step Instructions (with photos)
How to make these easy chai cookies from scratch in 8 easy steps!
Step one: To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Step two: In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter to the bowl, and using electric hand beaters, beat butter for a few seconds until it turns creamy.
Step three: Add brown sugar and beat with the butter for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
Step four: Beat through the egg and vanilla until well combined.
Step five: Add half of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until a crumbly dough forms.
Step six: Gather the dough together using your hands to form a ball of dough. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step seven: To form cookies, scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough, or weigh out 40g (1.4oz) per cookie and roll it into a smooth ball. Place onto the lined sheet and flatten it down slightly using the palm of your hand into a thick disc.
Step eight: Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops look set with slight cracks and the edges are lightly golden.
💭 Tips For Recipe Success
- Before starting, bring your butter and egg to room temperature. This ensures they emulsify properly with the rest of the ingredients.
- You will need to bring the dough together using your hands after beating in the flour.
- Only flatten the cookies, halfway, like a thick disc, not completely flattened. The cookies do spread slightly and puff up.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to the wire rack. They’re delicate when still warm.
How to store chai cookies
Store: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freeze: Arrange cooled cookies in a single layer in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x
Chai Spiced Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) all purpose flour, scoop & leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt, or Kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar, not dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using either electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attached, add softened butter to the bowl.
- Beat butter for a few seconds until it turns creamy.
- Add brown sugar and beat with the butter for 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add egg and vanilla, and whisk for 20 seconds until well combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
- Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until a crumbly dough forms.
- Turn off the beater and gather the dough together using your hands to form a ball of dough.
- Transfer the bowl with the dough inside to the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. TIP: if your bowl is too large for the fridge, wrap just the dough in cling/saran wrap and chill in the fridge.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Remove the dough from the fridge.
- To form cookies, scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough, or weigh out 40g (1.4oz) per cookie and roll it into a smooth ball.
- Place onto the lined sheet and flatten it down slightly using the palm of your hand into a thick disc.
- Repeat with remaining cookie dough, leaving a small 3cm (1-inch) gap between each to allow for slight spreading.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops look set with slight cracks and the edges are lightly golden. TIP: the cookies may still look undercooked on top but they'll firm up and set while cooling on the baking sheet.
- Remove and cool cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes.
- Gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
- Store in a sealed airtight container, at room temperature for 4-6 days.
These are delicious!!! I’ll admit I use plain white flour and brown sugar…but so crisp and spicy. Yum! I don’t form into balls, just slice and place on tray and they’re perfect.
Hi Lauren! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies! I think using regular flour and brown sugar would have made these so so delicious, even more like a bakery style cookie! Great idea slicing them up, even bigger cookies to enjoy! 🙂
It looks so tasty, can’t wait until I try it!
Hi Nar, thanks so much! I hope you enjoy these, super yummy!