Chai Sugar Cookies

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!

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

• 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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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