Chai Cookies
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These pillowy soft Chai Cookies are infused with warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Perfect for cozy afternoons or holiday gatherings, they’ll fill your kitchen with the wonderful aroma of fall and winter spices!
Chai Cookies Recipe
Made with a soft, buttery dough and packed with aromatic spices, these chai cookies are the perfect balance of warmth and sweetness.
The dough is quick to prepare and, once chilled, the cookies bake up perfectly soft with a delicate, slightly crisp edge. They’re perfect for pairing with a hot drink or sharing with loved ones.
These cookies not only fill your home with the comforting scent of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves but also make for a delightful treat during cozy gatherings or as a thoughtful gift.
Can I use store-bought chai spice mix?
Absolutely! If you prefer a shortcut or already have a pre-made chai spice mix at home, you can use it in place of the individual spices. Just substitute the total amount of spices in the recipe (6.5 teaspoons) with an equal amount of your chai spice blend. Keep in mind that store-bought mixes vary in flavor intensity, so taste and adjust the amount as needed to suit your preference.
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What can I use if I don’t have all the spices listed?
If you’re missing some of the spices like nutmeg or cloves, you can substitute them with a bit more cinnamon or cardamom. However, for the best chai flavor, I recommend using the full spice mix.
Can I add mix-ins to these chai cookies?
Yes! Feel free to get creative and add your favorite mix-ins to the dough. You can incorporate chocolate chips for a sweet contrast, chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans for some crunch, or dried fruit like cranberries or raisins to complement the warm spices. You can add up to 3/4 cup of mix-ins, but just be sure not to overload the dough, as it may affect the texture of the cookies. Mixing in a small handful of extras will give your chai cookies a fun twist!
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.
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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 Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter and brown sugar, then beat for 1 minute until the mixture becomes creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract, whisk for 20 seconds until well combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add half of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until a crumbly dough forms.
- Form Dough Ball: Turn off the beater and gather the dough together using your hands to form a ball of dough.
- Chill Dough: Transfer the bowl with the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
Tip: If your bowl is too large for the fridge, wrap just the dough in cling film and chill it in the fridge.
- Preheat Oven: While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 180ºC (356ºF) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Shape Dough into Balls: Remove the dough from the fridge. Scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough (or weigh out 40g per cookie) and roll it into a smooth ball.
- Flatten Cookies: Place the dough balls onto the lined baking sheet and flatten them slightly using the palm of your hand to form a thick disc. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving a small 3cm (1-inch) gap between each cookie.
- Bake: 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 slightly undercooked on top but will firm up while cooling on the baking sheet.
- Cool on Baking Sheet: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to Wire Rack: Gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Freeze:Â 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.
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!