There’s something about the scent of warm spices that feels like a hug, and these Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies are exactly that—a soft, chewy, aromatic embrace in every bite. For me, they’ve become more than just a treat; they’re my go-to comfort food, especially when I’m dreaming up Christmas dessert ideas. Infused with cardamom, ginger, and a whisper of black pepper, they offer a wonderfully unique twist that makes them stand out among all the usual Christmas cookies recipes.
If you love making your holiday baking feel special, these are a must-try. They are, without a doubt, some of the most unique Christmas cookies you can add to your tray, perfect for planning your holiday cookies Christmas spread. I adore how they bring a cozy, sophisticated flavor to the table, making them a stellar addition to any list of Christmas baking ideas.
Whether you’re in the thick of a holiday baking marathon or simply want to create some memorable Christmas sweets to share, this recipe is a joy. It’s become one of my favorite Christmas baking ideas because the dough requires no chilling, so you’re never far from a warm, spiced cookie. I hope these chai-spiced gems bring as much aromatic warmth and happiness to your kitchen as they do to mine.
Looking for Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies inspiration? You'll love what we have! Explore more Christmas Cookie recipes or discover our Dinner Ideas favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies
Warm & Cozy Flavor: A symphony of spices creates a complex, comforting taste.
Perfect Texture: Soft and chewy centers with thin, crisp, buttery edges.
No-Chill Dough: Skip the wait and enjoy warm cookies in record time.
Amazing Aroma: Fills your home with pure, undiluted coziness.
Ingredients & Tools
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 280 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Tools: Stand mixer or electric hand mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper, a medium bowl, a small bowl for the spiced sugar, and a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop (highly recommended!).
Notes: Using room temperature butter and egg is non-negotiable for a dough that creams beautifully. Each spice is crucial for an authentic chai flavor.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 145 kcal |
| Protein: | 1.5 g |
| Fat: | 7 g |
| Carbs: | 19 g |
| Fiber: | 0.5 g |
Serves: 24 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- What does “softened” butter really mean? Your butter should be cool to the touch but yield easily when you press it. If it’s greasy or shiny, it’s too warm. The ideal is about 65°F (18°C)—it will cream perfectly with the sugar, creating tiny air pockets for lift.
- Is the black pepper really necessary? Honestly, yes! Don’t skip it. It doesn’t make the cookies spicy; it just provides a very subtle, warm background note that enhances all the other spices and mimics the gentle heat you get from a real cup of chai.
- Can I use pre-made “pumpkin pie spice”? You can, in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be as complex or authentic. The magic of these cookies is in the specific balance of cardamom and ginger with the pepper. If you must substitute, use 4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom.
- Why no cream of tartar? Many classic sugar cookie recipes use it for chew, but we’re achieving our perfect texture through the combination of baking soda and powder, and most importantly, not over-baking them. Trust the process!
How to Make Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Prep and Preheat. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This is a fast-moving recipe, so you want the oven ready to go. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon—this is for rolling the dough balls later, giving them that classic crackly, sparkly finish.
Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all the spices—that’s the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, black pepper, and cloves. Whisking is key here; you want to ensure the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour so every bite is perfectly spiced and rises evenly.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and 200g of granulated sugar together on medium-high speed. You’ll want to beat it for a good 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is very light, pale, and fluffy. This step is what incorporates air into your cookies, so don’t rush it! Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
Step 4: Add the Wet Ingredients. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed just until they are fully incorporated, which should take about another minute. The mixture might look a little curdled at first, but it will smooth out as you mix. Again, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is homogenous.
Step 5: Incorporate the Dry Ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and spice mixture. Mix only until the flour streaks have just disappeared. The moment you can’t see any more dry flour, stop mixing! Over-mixing at this stage is the primary culprit for tough, dense cookies. The dough will be soft but not overly sticky.
Step 6: Scoop and Roll. Using your cookie scoop (or a tablespoon), portion out the dough into roughly 1.5-tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball between your palms to smooth it out, then roll it generously in the cinnamon-sugar you prepared earlier. You want a nice, even coating of that sparkly sugar.
Step 7: Bake to Perfection. Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them as they will spread. Bake for 9-11 minutes. The trick is to pull them out when the edges look set and are just starting to turn a light golden brown, but the centers still look puffy and underdone. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet out of the oven.
Step 8: The All-Important Cool. This is the hardest part—let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a full 5 minutes before you even think about moving them. They need this time to firm up. After 5 minutes, you can transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll be fragile, so use a thin spatula and be gentle.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Not recommended; store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies or unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Reviving: Warm in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes to refresh crispness.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A simple vanilla bean panna cotta — The cool, creamy, and delicate flavor of the panna cotta provides a beautiful, elegant contrast to the warm, spiced crunch of the cookies.
- A sharp, tangy apple and fennel slaw — Served on the side of a roast chicken dinner, the crisp, refreshing slaw cleanses the palate, making each bite of cookie afterwards taste brand new and exciting.
- A rich, savory butternut squash soup — Dunking a corner of a warm cookie into a creamy, savory soup is an unexpectedly delightful sweet-and-savory experience that just works.
Drinks
- Masala Chai Latte — The most obvious and perfect pairing. The warm spices in the drink echo and amplify the flavors in the cookie, creating a deeply harmonious and cozy experience.
- Cold brew coffee with a splash of oat milk — The smooth, low-acidity coffee doesn’t fight with the spices and the bitterness provides a fantastic counterpoint to the cookie’s sweetness.
- A glass of chilled Riesling — The wine’s natural sweetness and bright acidity cut through the richness of the butter and spice, leaving your palate refreshed and ready for another bite.
Something Sweet
- Dark chocolate and orange pots de crème — The intense, bitter chocolate and bright citrus notes are a sophisticated partner that stands up beautifully to the complex spices without overwhelming them.
- Cardamom-spiced rice pudding — Doubling down on the cardamom theme creates a wonderfully cohesive dessert course that feels both comforting and a little exotic.
- Ginger-molasses ice cream — Sandwich a scoop between two slightly warm cookies for the ultimate ice cream cookie sandwich. The ginger in the ice cream is a direct flavor bridge to the cookies.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using melted or overly soft butter. This will cause your cookies to spread way too much in the oven, resulting in a flat, greasy cookie instead of one with a perfect, soft center and crisp edge.
- Mistake: Over-measuring the flour. The most common baking error! Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, as this packs in too much flour and leads to dry, cakey cookies.
- Mistake: Over-baking the cookies. I’ve messed this up before too, waiting for them to look “done” in the center. They continue to set as they cool, so take them out when they still look a bit under-baked for the ideal chewy texture.
- Mistake: Over-mixing the dough after adding the flour. This develops the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough, bread-like texture instead of a tender, delicate crumb. Mix until just combined, no more.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Weigh your ingredients. For truly consistent, professional-level results every single time, use a kitchen scale. A gram of flour is always a gram, but a “cup” of flour can vary wildly depending on how you scoop it.
- Tip: Grate your own spices. If you can, buy whole cardamom pods and grate your nutmeg fresh. The flavor of freshly ground spices is exponentially more vibrant and aromatic compared to pre-ground ones that have been sitting on a shelf.
- Tip: Create a “spice bomb”. If you make chai or these cookies often, mix a large batch of the spice blend and keep it in a small jar. It saves time and ensures the spice ratio is perfect every time you bake.
- Tip: Use a cookie scoop for uniform baking. This isn’t just for neatness. Cookies that are all the same size will bake at the same rate, so you don’t end up with a tray of some burnt and some undercooked cookies.
FAQs
Can I make the dough ahead of time and chill it?
You absolutely can, and it will still work wonderfully, though the texture will be slightly different. Chilling the dough will result in a slightly thicker, puffier cookie as the butter firms up. If you do chill it, let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before scooping and rolling, as it will be very hard straight from the fridge. The no-chill method is designed for that perfect spread and crisp edge.
How should I store these cookies to keep them soft?
The key to keeping them soft is an airtight container. Once completely cool, place them in a container with a tight-fitting lid. If you want to ensure maximum softness for days, you can add a piece of bread to the container. The cookies will draw moisture from the bread, staying soft while the bread goes stale. It’s a fantastic little baker’s hack!
My cookies didn’t spread much. What happened?
This usually points to two potential issues. First, your butter might not have been soft enough to cream properly with the sugar, so not enough air was incorporated. Second, it’s possible you measured the flour a little too heavily, which adds excess dry ingredients that absorb more moisture and inhibit spreading. Next time, try weighing your flour and ensuring your butter is at the perfect “softened” stage.
Can I freeze the baked cookies or the dough?
Both options work great! For baked cookies, let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature. For dough, scoop the balls, roll them in sugar, and freeze them solid on a baking sheet before bagging. You can bake them straight from the freezer, just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Is the black pepper noticeable in the final cookie?
It’s perceptible, but not in a “this is spicy” way. It provides a very subtle, warm background note that hits at the very end of the bite, enhancing the other spices and making the flavor profile more complex and authentic to a true chai experience. If you’re skeptical, try it with just an 1/8 of a teaspoon first—I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies: A No-Chill Holiday Recipe
Cozy up with these Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies, a soft and chewy holiday baking treat. They're infused with aromatic cardamom and ginger for a uniquely comforting Christmas dessert.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
-
225 g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
-
200 g granulated sugar (plus extra for rolling)
-
1 large egg (at room temperature)
-
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
-
280 g all-purpose flour
-
1 tsp baking soda
-
0.5 tsp baking powder
-
0.5 tsp fine sea salt
-
2 tsp ground cinnamon
-
1.5 tsp ground ginger
-
1 tsp ground cardamom
-
0.5 tsp ground allspice
-
0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
-
0.25 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
-
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This is a fast-moving recipe, so you want the oven ready to go. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon—this is for rolling the dough balls later, giving them that classic crackly, sparkly finish.01
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all the spices—that’s the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, black pepper, and cloves. Whisking is key here; you want to ensure the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour so every bite is perfectly spiced and rises evenly.02
-
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and 200g of granulated sugar together on medium-high speed. You’ll want to beat it for a good 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is very light, pale, and fluffy. This step is what incorporates air into your cookies, so don’t rush it! Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.03
-
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed just until they are fully incorporated, which should take about another minute. The mixture might look a little curdled at first, but it will smooth out as you mix. Again, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is homogenous.04
-
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and spice mixture. Mix only until the flour streaks have just disappeared. The moment you can’t see any more dry flour, stop mixing! Over-mixing at this stage is the primary culprit for tough, dense cookies. The dough will be soft but not overly sticky.05
-
Using your cookie scoop (or a tablespoon), portion out the dough into roughly 1.5-tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball between your palms to smooth it out, then roll it generously in the cinnamon-sugar you prepared earlier. You want a nice, even coating of that sparkly sugar.06
-
Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them as they will spread. Bake for 9-11 minutes. The trick is to pull them out when the edges look set and are just starting to turn a light golden brown, but the centers still look puffy and underdone. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet out of the oven.07
-
This is the hardest part—let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a full 5 minutes before you even think about moving them. They need this time to firm up. After 5 minutes, you can transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll be fragile, so use a thin spatula and be gentle.08
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