Chai Cookies — Everything you love about regular snickerdoodles, but with the added bonus of chai spices!! Soft, pillowy, and the cinnamon-sugar coating makes them irresistible!!
Chewy Chai Spice Cookies
I love snickerdoodle anything. I’ve made various cookies, bars, blondies, breads, and cakes with snickerdoodle flavors.
I also adore chai spices and decided that chai snickerdoodles had to happen.
The chai spice cookies are easy to make and are slightly chewy around the edges with soft, pillowy centers. The chai spices give the cookies so much depth of flavor. Cozy, comfort-food cookies that warm you up inside.
Snickerdoodles are a perfect cookie to chai-i-fy. They already have a cinnamon-sugar coating and the soft, buttery dough soaks up the warming notes of the chai spices beautifully.
I used The Best Snickerdoodles as the dough base and to develop the chai flavor I used a blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves — both in the dough and in the coating the cookies are rolled in before baking.
To make sure the cookies are packed with robust chai flavor, I used Winter Spice Chai Tea from Teabox in the dough. Teabox has hundreds of varieties of tea on their website, the quality is top-notch, and their prices and shipping times are great.
What’s in the Chai Cookies?
To make the chai cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Chai tea leaves
- Spices
- Cream of tartar
How to Make Chai Cookies
If you’ve made classic snickerdoodles before, then you can definitely handle this chai spice cookies recipe!
Cream together the butter and sugars, then mix in the dry ingredients and the (many) spices. Scoop the dough into balls and chill for at LEAST 3 hours before baking.
Just before baking the cookie dough balls, roll them in a spiced sugar mixture.
Can the Cream of Tartar Be Omitted?
Cream of tartar (sold in the baking or spice aisle) is a leavener that gives the cookies lift, lightness, provides the classic snickerdoodle flavor, and it’s key in this recipe.
If you don’t have it on hand but must make snickerdoodles immediately, try my White Chocolate Snickerdoodles or Soft and Chewy Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies.
Tips for the Best Chai Tea Cookies
I like the bolder flavor all the spices add in both the dough and the coating, but you an always dial the spices down if you prefer things a bit milder.
Make sure to chill the dough and don’t overbake for perfect snickerdoodles.
Both the baked chai cookies and the raw cookie dough can be frozen. If you plan on freezing the dough, do not roll it in the spiced sugar mixture. Wait to do so until you’re ready to bake the cookies.
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Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chai tea leaves, pulsed in food processor until finely ground
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
For Rolling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Dough – To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the add the flour, chai tea, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cream of tartar, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop or your hands, form approximately 12 equal-sized mounds of dough (2 heaping tablespoons each), roll into balls, and flatten about halfway.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray.
- For Rolling – In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and stir to combine.
- Dredge each mound of dough through cinnamon-sugar.
- Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked in the center; don’t overbake for soft, pillowy cookies. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Snickerdoodle Desserts:
The Best Snickerdoodles — Soft, pillowy puffs that are so irresistible! The closest recipe to Mrs. Fields snickerdoodles that you’ll find!
Soft and Chewy Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies – Part soft sugar cookie, part chewy snickerdoodle, with tons of rich vanilla flavor!
Soft and Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles – 3 favorites combined! Soft molasses cookies, chewy gingerbread and crinkly snickerdoodles!
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake — A cinnamon-sugar filling runs through the center of this soft, buttery cake that’s also coated with cinnamon-sugar! Everyone loves this easy cake that tastes like snickerdoodle cookies!
The Best Snickerdoodle Bars – They taste just like snickerdoodle cookies in fast and easy bar form! Soft, chewy, buttery…So irresistible!!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Blondies – Soft pumpkin bars, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles, and buttery blondies rolled into one!
Cinnamon-Sugar Mini Donut-Topped Snickerdoodle Cake – Can’t decide between donuts or coffee cake for breakfast? You can have them both in this soft, easy, one-bowl, no-mixer cake that’s a crowd favorite!
Snickerdoodle Bread – Bread that tastes like snickerdoodle cookies! Loaded with cinnamon chips and a cinnamon-sugar crust!
Post is brought to you by Teabox. The recipe, text, images, and opinions expressed are my own.
These were amazing! I just used normal chai tea. Do you think it would work if I used earl gray tea next time?
These were amazing! I just used normal chai tea. Do you think it would work if I used earl gray tea next time?
Thanks for the five star review and glad they were amazing!
I think Earl Gray would work but it will be a little more ‘tame’ tasting since Earl Gray to me has no where near the flavor and oomph factor compared to Chai but it will work.
These look delish. Do you think they’d still be good without tea leaves? I want the spices, but not the caffeine.
Yes they’ll still be good – different flavor entirely but still good.
These came out absolutely PERFECT. I didn’t have any cardamom, so had to do some substitutions with the spices, but otherwise followed your instructions to the letter and they are amazing. Baking another batch right now!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad you’re baking another batch!
These sound super-yummy! Snickerdoodles are my go-to cookie when I have to have a dairy-free option, because I find they take to coconut oil so well! (Although, nothing beats a buttery snickerdoodle, in my opinion). I have a question, and hear me out on this one: if I wanted to add a bit of black pepper to the rolling mixture, how much should I do? Or with all is the other spices, would it be unnecessary?
I’ve had desserts with black pepper in them (and some chai spice blends do contain it)….I would start with 1/4 tsp at the most and know that you may or may not love the result. They could be what you’re looking for, or may not be, never know til you try!
I’m going to make these for a cookie exchange/tea party I’m attending this wknd. However, since this was a last minute invite I’m going to substitute International Café Instant Chai. I don’t have Chai Tea leaves. I sure hope it works.
Sometimes those instant coffee-like beverages turn out almost ‘creamy’ like there’s coffee creamer in them and I don’t know if this is that type of product or not, but if it is, not sure how that will effect the texture of the dough. Good luck!
Good point! I wondered about the creamer ingredient (& sugar), too. So, I did my hair (it’s my lazy day off) & ran to the store for Chai tea bags. I just finished making them and they’re better than I imagined!
Glad you opted for just regular tea leaves and so happy that they’re better than you imagined! :)
These look fantastic! And I love the idea of using the chai tea bags!
I love snickerdoodles. I can’t wait to try these.
Annamaria
Ooo I LOVE chai latte! Sooo, I’m guessing I’ll love these?
Maybe I can have one of these dipped in my chai latte?!
That needs to happen. Like, right now.
One of these dipped in a chai latte sounds perfect!
Confession: I’ve never had chai. !!!!! But I MUST make these cookies for my mom. She’d love them (and I bet I would too!)
No chai, ever? You’d be in heaven! The warming spices, the cinnamon and sugar, oh these were so good!
Aren’t you Ms. Innovative?! I would never have thought to use tea leaves in a cookie. I have chai teabags–I might cut open a couple of them to try this out. Have to buy cardamom, though … I love it when you challenge me to try something new in a recipe.
You’ll love it! The whole flavor profile, with all the spices working together, it’s just so warming and comforting! And cutting open a few tea bags sounds perfect :)
These look like my ultimate snickerdoodle. I love love love all the spices in chai! Can’t wait to try these :)
These cookies look amazing! I’ve never actually made snickerdoodles before but these ones look amazing!”
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
Oooooh lala! I love the Chai taste you added in this! Go bold or go home! ;) I so have to try these out! It’s such a good idea to take a basic and classic cookie up a notch! You nailed it!
Go bold or go home! <-- Isn't that the truth! Bland anything is not my jam!
I love cardamom, Chai tea and snickerdoodles so these look wonderful! I always like seeing a nice twist on a good classic–variety is the spice of life!
You’ve got that right about variety being the spice of life! These cookies had such a nice ‘pop’ and twist on the classic!
My husband is obsessed with chai lattes, and I can see these cookies being the perfect pairing! I mean, who wouldn’t love these two flavors together? Maybe I’ll make them to surprise him!
Some people are major chai fiends :) I went through a phase a year or two ago where I had to have something chai every day! These cookies and your hubby’s chai lattes will be a perfect match :)