I'm not really one to drink much chai tea. In fact, I didn't even start to like tea until a couple of years ago, but these chai sugar cookies are so good I could eat an entire batch of them! They're so soft and perfectly spiced! I like to dunk them in my latte to resemble a dirty chai. They also pair super well with tea, of course!
What Inspired These Cookies?
Every 4th of July, my friend's family generously hosts a bunch of us at their lake house in Wisconsin. It's the only time we all get to see each other since moving across the country after high school.
This past year was the first time I've seen them all since starting my baking blog! While talking about it with my friend's mom and sister, his sister asked if I had a recipe for chai cookies. Specifically, she wanted to know how to make them. Should she roll them in chai spice, add it directly in the cookies, or somehow incorporate chai tea into them?
Before the conversation with my friend's sister, I had never even thought of making chai cookies! They sounded delicious though, and I was determined to come up with a new recipe for her!
My first instinct was to add chai spice to sugar cookies. My grandma has always made the best sugar cookies. They're perfectly soft and refreshing with the hint of lemon extract! I don't know much about tea, but lemon goes well with it, right? I knew this sugar cookie recipe would be amazing with chai spice.
After a few test rounds, I got the chai spice to sugar cookie ratio on point! Then, I had to decide whether or not I wanted to roll them in extra sugar or not. I tried both ways and thought the sugar rolling not only added a tasty touch of sweetness, they made the cookies shine!
Pairings & Spices:
Dunk these cookies in your favorite coffee or tea. The chai spice compliments these drinks perfectly!
Chai spice mix is super easy to make! All you have to do is combine:
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp ground ginger
Then, you'll have 3 tablespoons of mix! This recipe only uses ⅓ of it, so you'll have some leftover (or you can triple this cookie recipe!) I store my extra chai spice in a plastic bag labeled with the date I made it on. You could also save your old spice containers, clean them out really well, and store it in those!
Ways to Store These Cookies:
The cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you're storing it in the freezer, I recommend rolling it into balls first so you can just plop them on the cookie sheet without having to deal with the dough thawing.
The baked cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container with half of a piece of bread (or smaller). The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and stay soft longer. Or, you can store them in the freezer and let the cookies thaw or microwave them for 30-60 seconds prior to eating.
Did you try these Chai Sugar Cookies?
Tag @brokenovenbaking on Instagram and rate & comment below!
Chai Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons chai spice*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 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
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons ginger
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.
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 🙂
Everyone, even non chai lovers and all 6kids loved them. Stayed soft all week! Our favourite new cookie👌😀
Yay I'm so happy to hear the non chai lovers enjoyed them and they kept well! Thank you for making my recipe, Hailey!!