A blend of cozy spices add warmth and flavor to these chai sugar cookies. They’re easy to make, delightfully chewy, and a jazzed up way to enjoy a classic cookie recipe!
What do you get when you combine sugar cookies with snickerdoodles and chai spices? You get this chai sugar cookie recipe! It has a sugar cookie base, but the dough is rolled in a spiced sugar mixture just like snickerdoodles.
Why You’ll Love These Chai Sugar Cookies
- Sugar cookies, but better. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly love a good sugar cookie, but sometimes they feel a little ho-hum compared to all the other options out there. This is a great way to add some new interest to an old-fashioned favorite.
- No cookie cutters required. No rolling out the dough either! While a lot of sugar cookie recipes require rolling and cutting (see my cut-out sugar cookies), this one simply calls for rolling the dough into balls.
- Chewy, not crispy. Sugar cookies can go either way, with some recipes crisp and others soft and chewy. These chai sugar cookies fall into the chewy category.
- Cozy flavor. The chai spices in these cookies give them a cozy, warm flavor that’s perfect for fall or winter, but still appropriate for year-round baking.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Chai spices – Ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves give these chai sugar cookies their warm flavor.
- Granulated sugar – You’ll need some for the dough and some for rolling the dough.
- All-purpose flour – Here’s how to measure flour.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
- Egg – Let this come to room temperature; it will mix more smoothly into the cookie dough.
- Vanilla extract – I like to use homemade vanilla extract, but a high quality pure vanilla extract is also excellent.
How to Make Chai Sugar Cookies
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets.
- Make the spiced sugar. Stir together all of the spices; take 1 teaspoon of this and mix it with 1/4 cup of sugar.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the remaining spices with the dry ingredients.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and remaining sugar, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Finish the dough. With the mixer on low, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until combined.
- Form the cookies. Roll the dough into balls, with about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Then, roll the balls in the spiced sugar. Set the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake. One pan at a time, bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer them directly to the racks to finish cooling.
Tips for Success
- Soften the butter. If the butter is cold when you cream it with the sugar, it will stick to the beaters and won’t blend in evenly with the rest of the ingredients. Here’s how to soften butter for baking.
- Don’t over–mix the dough. After adding the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix just until the ingredients are combined. This keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
- Chill the dough if it’s too sticky. If you find the dough too sticky to handle (which can happen on a hot, humid day), chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Check for doneness at the lower end of the baking time. Ovens can vary, so start checking your cookies around the 10-minute mark to ensure your chai sugar cookies have that perfect chewy texture.
- Know the basics. Read over my baking tips for beginners.
Variations
- Make them into sandwiches. I think these chai sugar cookies would be extra special with a generous smear of brown sugar cream cheese frosting sandwiched between them.
- Add a white chocolate drizzle. If you want to dress these cookies up for a special occasion, try drizzling melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies.
- Mix in chopped nuts. Fold finely chopped walnuts or pecans into the dough for a little crunch.
How to Store
Transfer the cooled chai sugar cookies to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
You can freeze these chai sugar cookies either before and after baking. To freeze after baking, place the cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers; freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
To freeze before baking, follow the recipe up to the point of baking. Freeze the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months; to bake, follow the original recipe directions, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
More Recipes for Chai Lovers
Chai Sugar Cookies
A blend of cozy spices add warmth and flavor to these chai sugar cookies. They’re easy to make, delightfully chewy, and always a hit!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup (150g + 50g) granulated sugar
- 2 & 1/4 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Stir together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture with 1/4 cup sugar.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and the remaining spice mixture. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.
- Using 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, form the dough into balls. Roll each dough ball in the spiced sugar mixture. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one pan at a time for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool the cookies on the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies directly onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
To store: Transfer the cooled chai sugar cookies to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Freeze the cookies either before or after baking for up to 3 months. To bake dough from frozen, simply add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
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