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    Broken Oven Baking » Recipes » Cookies

    Chai Sugar Cookies

    Published: Jan 23, 2021 · Modified: Jul 25, 2022 by Kayla Burton · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    I'm not much of a chai tea drinker, but these Chai Sugar Cookies are so good I could eat an entire batch of them! They're perfectly soft, chewy, and flavored with warm chai spices! I like to dunk them in my espresso drink to resemble dirty chai latte cookies. They also pair super well with tea, of course, or a cup of warm apple cider!

    A stack of chai sugar cookies.

    These chai tea cookies are a great dessert to share at any occasion, but are especially wonderful during the holiday season! Bring them to your next cookie exchange for a fun twist on a classic snickerdoodle or sugar cookie.

    Jump to:
    • Why We Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Storage
    • More Recipes You'll Love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why We Love This Recipe

    • You only need 9 ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make this easy cookie recipe!
    • These chai cookies have a soft center with a slight crunch on the outside.
    • It's like a fall version of snickerdoodle cookies!
    • It's a comforting cookie to enjoy throughout the fall and winter time.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make chai cookies.
    • Chai spice - While this is often sold as its own pre-packaged spice, you can easily make your own at home (see recipe card notes below)! It's a simple combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and allspice.
    • Lemon extract - This is a secret ingredient that my grandma always puts in her sugar cookies! It enhances the flavor, making them even more delicious! This ingredient can be found in most grocery stores near the vanilla extract. However, if you don't have it on hand, it can be omitted.

    See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Want extra chai flavor? Mix a little bit of chai spice with the sugar that you roll the dough balls in before baking them!
    • If you're a fan of star anise, feel free to add a pinch of it into the cookie dough along with the chai spice.
    • Next time, try browning your butter in a pan over medium/low heat and letting it cool and solidify before mixing with the sugar. This will give a warm, nutty flavor that's perfect for colder months!
    • Try drizzling a maple syrup icing on top of the cooled cookies! You can find a recipe for one in my Maple Chai Donuts post.

    This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

    Step by Step Instructions

    Whisking flour, baking soda, salt, and chai spice in a bowl.

    Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and chai spice.

    Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and lemon extract mixed together in a bowl.

    Step 2: In a large bowl using an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together the unsalted butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.

    Chai sugar cookie dough in a bowl.

    Step 3: Carefully stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed, just until the flour streaks disappear.

    A hand holding a chai cookie covered in sugar.

    Step 4: Roll cookie dough balls in sugar, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 350°F until the edges start to tan (about 10 minutes). Let the cookies cool on the sheet until they're firm enough to transfer to a wire rack.

    Expert Tips

    Tip #1 - Weigh your dry ingredients in grams using a food scale (see "metric" tab in the recipe card below). This is the most accurate way to measure your flour and will help ensure you end up with soft cookies rather than dry, puffy ones. If you do use measuring cups, be sure to use the spoon and level method rather than packing the flour into the cups.

    Tip #2 - Use a cookie scoop to make the dough balls so that the cookies are all equal in size and bake evenly.

    Tip #3 - Bake one cookie sheet at a time on the middle rack of your oven. I also recommend having an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is actually at the temperature it's supposed to be at.

    Recipe FAQs

    Why are my cookies hard and crunchy?

    This could be a result of over-baking the cookies. Be sure to take them out of the oven right when the edges start to tan. The cookies will continue to bake on the hot pan outside of the oven, so taking them out before they're golden brown will keep the centers soft.

    Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

    No, chilling the dough is not necessary.

    Can I use homemade chai spice mix?

    Yes! Premade chai spice or homemade mix will both taste great in these cookies.

    A chai cookie sitting on top of a coffee mug.

    Storage

    Room Temperature: Baked chai cookies can be stored here in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I recommend adding a slice of bread to the container as it will absorb moisture, keeping the cookies soft for longer!

    Refrigerator: The chai cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Let it thaw at room temperature before scooping, rolling in sugar, and baking.

    Freezing Instructions: Wrap the cooled cookies tightly in plastic wrap and/or a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 3 months. You can also freeze cookie dough balls to bake at a later time for up to 1 month.

    More Recipes You'll Love

    • Maple Chai Donuts
    • Dirty Chai Macarons
    • Coconut Pecan Cookies Recipe
    • Browned Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

    Did you try this recipe? I'd love to see it! Tag @brokenovenbaking on Instagram & Facebook and leave a ⭐️ review below!

    📖 Recipe

    Chai Sugar Cookies

    Kayla Burton
    These easy sugar cookies are soft, chewy and perfectly flavored with chai spice! They only require 9 ingredients and less than 30 minutes of baking.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save for LaterSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 30 cookies
    Calories 147 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking sheet
    • Medium cookie scoop
    • Mixing bowls
    • Scale/measuring cups
    • Measuring spoons
    • Whisk
    • Spatula

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
    • 1½ cups granulated sugar plus more for rolling
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour weighed in grams or spooned and leveled
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon chai spice*

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Individually add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract and mix well.
    • Whisk the dry ingredients together and add them to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined.
    • Make 1" dough balls and roll them in sugar. Place them evenly around a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    • Bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes (or until the bottoms are lightly tan).

    Notes

    *To make your own chai spice, combine:
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 teaspoon allspice
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon ginger
    Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread for 3 days, or store in the freezer for 3 months. Cookie dough can be refrigerated overnight and baked the next day or frozen for up to 1 month.
    The provided nutrition information is an estimate, the calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 216IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy says

      November 26, 2021 at 7:27 pm

      Curious about the spice measurements. I noticed ginger was a tbsp. I wanted to be sure as all other measurements said 1tsp. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kayla says

        November 26, 2021 at 7:51 pm

        Hi Amy! Yes the tablespoon of ginger is correct, thanks for checking!

        Reply
    2. Madison says

      October 07, 2021 at 5:50 am

      5 stars
      Such good flavour and from a cookie dough that's so quick and easy to make? This is a keeper! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kayla says

        October 07, 2021 at 1:41 pm

        Thank you so much, Madison 🙂 I'm happy to hear you enjoyed them!!

        Reply
    3. Hailey says

      February 20, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      Everyone, even non chai lovers and all 6kids loved them. Stayed soft all week! Our favourite new cookie👌😀

      Reply
      • Kayla says

        February 20, 2021 at 8:15 pm

        Yay I'm so happy to hear the non chai lovers enjoyed them and they kept well! Thank you for making my recipe, Hailey!!

        Reply
    4. Shae says

      February 01, 2021 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      These chai sugar cookies turned out amazing!! Like a grown up snickerdoodle! I omitted the lemon extract just because I didn’t have it on hand, but they were still delicious. If you love chair tea lattes, you’ll love these cookies! I love that the recipe is written in grams as well as cups, too.

      Reply
      • Kayla says

        February 01, 2021 at 7:23 pm

        Yes definitely a grown up snickerdoodle, I love that! I'm so glad they were just as good without the lemon extract! Thanks so much for trying these cookies 🙂

        Reply

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    About Kayla

    Hey, I'm Kayla! I'm a self-taught baker, recipe developer & food photographer in Chicago! This blog is a way for me to share recipes, tips, and everything I love related to baking & photography. If you have any questions or want to connect, I'd love to hear from you!
    About Kayla →

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