Chai Cookies

These soft and chewy Chai Cookies are loaded with warm chai spices in the cookie dough inside, in a layer of chai spice sugar rolled on the outside, and in the drizzle of a sweet, melt-in-your-mouth chai glaze. These fall treats are basically your favorite Chai Tea Latte in cookie form!

These beginner-friendly cookies are perfect for fall and might just need a place at your Thanksgiving dessert spread. They're super quick and easy to make in a few simple steps with no chill time required - and are made using simple common spice and baking ingredients.

Why You'll Love this Chai Cookie Recipe

• Cozy chai flavor. The spices in these chai spice cookies are the same as in your favorite milky chai tea latte, including cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. These chewy cookies pair well with all things fall and are perfect for cold weather holidays.
• Easy 3-ingredient glaze. This homemade chai glaze is so good, you'll want to add it to everything. Made with just milk, confectioner's sugar, and a chai spice blend, it's the perfect way to top these chai cookies.
• Ready in 30 minutes. Unlike other cookie recipes, you can have these delicious chai cookies table-ready in only 30 minutes, no downtime necessary. You bake them immediately after making the dough, though you may need to work in batches to bake them all. Who doesn't love a no chill cookie?

Ingredient Notes

To make these delicious Chai Cookies, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

Ingredients in Chai Spice

We make our own blend of chai spices using the following spices. You can also substitute this with a store-bought chai spice blend.

• cinnamon - ground cinnamon is essential for chai cookies - don't skip it!
• ginger - ground ginger works best, but you can add a tiny bit of ginger paste to the wet ingredients if you don't have the dry stuff.
• cardamom - if you don't have cardamom or don't like the taste, you can omit it or add more cinnamon and nutmeg in its place.
• cloves
• nutmeg - both ground nutmeg and freshly grated nutmeg will work.
• allspice - if you don't have all of the aforementioned spices, a pumpkin pie spice blend will usually include all but the cardamom! A chai spice blend will include all of them.

Chai Cookie Ingredients

• unsalted butter - you can use salted butter if that's all you have available, but unsalted butter will give you more control over the flavor and has a lower water content than its counterpart.
• white sugar - cane sugar or coconut sugar work well, but any other sugar alternatives will change the overall taste of the cookies, so keep that in mind.
• brown sugar - brown sugar gives the cookies a chewy texture. If you don't have brown sugar on hand, you can make your own by adding 1-2 tablespoons of molasses per cup of white sugar.
• eggs - make sure your eggs are at room temperature before adding them. You can quickly bring them up to temp by covering them with warm water for 5-10 minutes.
• vanilla extract - you can use an equal measure of vanilla bean paste for a deeper vanilla flavor.
• all-purpose flour - a 1:1 gluten free flour blend can be used in place of the regular flour to make these gluten free.
• baking powder - use a 1:2 ratio of baking soda to cream of tartar for a baking soda substitute.
• baking soda - if you're out of baking soda, use more baking powder at a 3:1 ratio of the original measure of baking soda.
• salt
• confectioners' sugar - any powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered sugar substitute can be used for the glaze.
• milk - heavy whipping cream, half and half, or a nut milk will also work.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, cookie scoop, large baking sheet, and wire rack.

How to Make the Best Chai Cookies

First, make the homemade chai spice blend.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all of the spices until well-combined. Set aside.

Next, prepare the chai cookies.

1. Prep. Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare 1-3 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (I typically do 1 and then work in batches for even baking).
2. Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla, until smooth and well-combined.

3. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 4 teaspoons chai spice blend, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, until well-combined.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet. Add the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold together with a spatula until well-combined.

5. Make chai sugar. In a small mixing bowl, make the chai sugar by mixing together the white sugar with the remaining tablespoon of chai spice.
6. Scoop and coat cookies. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the cookies out and roll each cookie in the chai-spiced sugar.

6. Bake. Place the cookie balls on the prepared baking sheet. You can fit about 5-6 cookies onto each prepared baking sheet. Place the sheet(s) into the oven and bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to turn slightly golden.

7. Chill. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to fully cool.

Finally, add the glaze.

Once the cookies are fully cooled, begin making the glaze by adding the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cookies with a spoon.

How to Serve

These Chai Cookies are a delicious treat served on its own, as part of a fall dessert spread, or with a warm cozy drink. Some of our favorites to serve with this are:

• Chai Tea Latte
• Pumpkin Spice Latte
• White Hot Chocolate
• Golden Milk Turmeric Latte

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

You can store unglazed baked chai cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Glazed cookies should be stored in the refrigerator for the same duration because they contain dairy.

How to Freeze

Place cookies on a lined baking sheet and freeze uncovered for 1 hour until frozen solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to three months.

Freezing Cookie Dough

You can also freeze cookie dough by chilling balls of cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before transferring them into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag in a single layer. Then freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake them straight from frozen by adding a few minutes to the baking time.

FAQ

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