Below you will find tips and tricks to help achieve the best chai sugar cookies.

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What is Chai?

Chai is a traditional spiced tea from India known for its rich, aromatic flavor. While “chai” simply means “tea,” many people associate it with spiced black tea prepared with milk and a blend of spices. Common spices include cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper, creating a warm, comforting taste. Chai tea can be enjoyed hot or iced, but a hot dirty chai latte (with a shot of espresso) is my go-to coffee shop drink!

What Do Chai Sugar Cookies Taste Like?

Chai sugar cookies offer a delightful balance of sweet and spicy flavors. The buttery cookie base is complemented by warm chai spices, creating a rich, comforting profile with hints of sweetness and warmth. The texture is soft and tender. These cookies are like a warm embrace on a chilly day!

What Do These Cookies Have to Do with Taylor Swift?

These cookies are inspired by Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies, originally shared on Tumblr, where she adapted a vanilla sugar cookie from the Joy the Baker blog. Taylor’s version incorporated chai spices from a tea bag and was made as a drop cookie. In my version, I’ve transformed them into rolled cookies and added baking chips that melt into the dough while baking, creating a nod to Taylor’s original with a fresh twist.

How to Make Chai Sugar Cookies?

To make chai sugar cookies, start by preparing a spiced flour mixture and gradually incorporate it into the creamed butter and sugar. For an extra twist, fold in chopped cinnamon chips for added flavor and color. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator before rolling it out and cutting shapes with a cookie cutter. Once baked and cooled, finish the cookies with a powdered sugar glaze.

Ingredients

Baking Soda – This recipe uses baking soda instead of baking powder. Accidentally swapping them isn’t a big deal, but baking powder may cause the cookies to rise more than desired.

Room Temperature Ingredients – Use room-temperature butter and eggs to ensure a smooth, even texture.

Chai Spices –  You’ll need common chai spices, though cardamom can be more expensive. Specialty stores often sell bulk spices by weight, making it easier to buy just what you need.

Cinnamon Chips (Optional) – These add a flavorful twist but can be hard to find whole. Try chopping them into smaller pieces, which will make the dough easier to cut with cookie cutters. I was able to find them at my local Walmart, but you might be able to find them online as well.

Supplies Needed

Stand mixer or hand mixer. I prefer to use a stand mixer for this recipe as the dough is stiff and hard to mix by hand. Mix the dough using the paddle attachment.

Rolling pin and flour for dusting

Cookie cutters

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I absolutely love parchment paper. It is an awesome invention. You can use the parchment paper multiple times while baking batches of cookies and they will come off the cookie sheet with ease. I like the Kirkland brand from Costco, but there are other options you can find online or in the grocery store.

Oven thermometer (highly recommended)

Chai spices purchased in jars and small amounts purchased in bulk (bags)

Tips and Tricks

‍Doubling the Recipe: You can double the recipe if you have a large mixer or want to add in the last of the dry ingredients by hand. When making cookies I prefer to make two separate batches of dough. I find that the ingredients get incorporated better than trying to make a double sugar cookie recipe. That is too much dough for my stand mixer to hold. You can also half the recipe if you wish.

Creaming Ingredients: Don’t worry if the butter and sugar mixture appears chunky or curdled after adding the eggs. Just keep going and the cookies will still turn out fine. This can happen if the eggs are added too quickly (all at once) or if the eggs are too cold.

Chilling the Dough: Chill dough for at least an hour. The dough can also be refrigerated overnight or even frozen for a later date.  

Roll out the Dough: I do not roll out all the dough at one time. Roll out in batches and try not to reuse the scrapes too many times. Dough that has been rolled out over and over will make for a tougher cookie. Another alternative is to roll out the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill or freeze it in sheets. Shapes are easier to cut out and transfer when the dough is cold.

Rolling Tip: Roll out dough on a floured surface or you can also roll between two sheets of parchment paper. You may need to add more flour to the surface as you are working with the dough and the dough becomes warmer. You can also put the dough back in the fridge.

The trick to cookies with uniform thickness is your rolling pin. A rolling pin with guides is a game-changer for sure! It prevents you from pressing or rolling too hard and you can adjust the thickness. I have the Joseph Joseph rolling pin which is popular for a reason. I love mine and would highly recommend it.

Baking Time: Baking time may vary depending on the size of your cookie cutter. I bake test batches to figure out the baking time since I often bake a variety of sizes and shapes. Try to bake similar-sized cookies on the same baking sheet.

Set up an assembly line process when cutting out and baking cookies. I typically have three stages: rolling out dough with the rolling pin, chilling cut-out shapes in the fridge, and baking a batch of cookies in the oven.  Chilling the cut-outs before baking will help them keep their shape and minimize spread.

Oven Temperature: Using an oven thermometer is essential, as oven temperatures can vary. Ensuring the correct temperature will help you achieve the best cookie results. If you overbake these cookies, they will be dry and tough.

Variations

Flavor Twist: Substitute cinnamon chips with espresso chips, or add 1 tablespoon of espresso powder to the glaze for a hint of coffee flavor.

Spice Swap: Try apple pie or pumpkin pie spice in place of chai spices for a seasonal variation.

Sugar Topping: For a pretty touch, especially if you are going to serve them unfrosted, sprinkle the tops of the cookies lightly with granulated sugar before baking (like Taylor Swift chai cookies).

Frosting Options for Chai Spiced Cookies

These chai spice cookies are delicious on their own, but a glaze or icing adds presentation and extra sweetness. To keep them similar to Taylor’s, I use a powdered sugar glaze, though royal icing works well for a firmer finish. If using royal icing, skip the sugar coating to balance the sweetness. Here is my Royal Icing recipe.

Can You Freeze Chai Sugar Cookies?

Yes! You can freeze both the cookie dough and the baked cookies (without glaze). Simply glaze after defrosting for best results.

Related Recipes You’ll Love

If you like these spiced cookies and are looking for another cozy fall recipe, try my Cake Mix Pumpkin Muffins or Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.