Can I use chai tea bags instead of the ground spices?

While you can open a chai tea bag and add the contents to the dough, it won’t give the same bold, layered flavor as using individual ground spices. Traditional chai cookies get their signature depth from a custom blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice — which is much stronger and more aromatic than pre-mixed tea leaves.

Why did my chai cookies spread too much or not enough?

Cookie spread is usually tied to butter temperature and flour measurement. Make sure the brown butter is fully cooled but still soft before mixing. Also, use a kitchen scale to measure your flour accurately (1 cup = 125g). Too much flour results in dry, dense cookies, while too little leads to flat, over-spread cookies.

How can I make these chai cookies ahead of time?

These chai cookies are perfect for prepping in advance. Simply roll the dough into balls and freeze them on a tray. Once frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag. When ready to bake, roll them in the spiced sugar and bake from frozen — just add an extra 1–2 minutes to the bake time. You can also store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Chai Cookies – Best Spiced Cookie Recipe for Fall

Name: Chai Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 41 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter – browned for deep, nutty flavor; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour – provides structure; 1 tbsp ground cinnamon – adds warm chai flavor; 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger – provides subtle heat; 1/2 tsp ground allspice – enhances complexity; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg – aromatic and sweet; 1 tsp ground cardamom – signature chai spice; 1/4 tsp ground cloves – adds depth; 1/2 tsp baking powder – mild leavening; 1/2 tsp baking soda – helps cookies spread; 1/2 tsp salt – balances sweetness; 1 1/4 cups (275 g) light brown sugar – provides chewiness and rich flavor; 4 egg yolks – adds richness and soft texture; 2 tsp vanilla – enhances overall flavor; 1/2 tbsp heavy cream – improves dough texture; 1/2 tbsp molasses – deepens flavor; 6 tbsp (75 g) granulated white sugar – for rolling; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (for rolling) – enhances outer flavor; 1/4 tsp ground ginger (for rolling) – chai accent; 1/8 tsp ground allspice (for rolling) – spice layer; 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (for rolling) – sweet spice; 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (for rolling) – signature chai note; Pinch of ground cloves (for rolling) – bold finish

Description

These chai cookies are chewy, cozy, and bursting with warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Made with brown butter and rolled in chai-spiced sugar, they’re the perfect fall and holiday treat.

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter – browned for deep, nutty flavor
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour – provides structure
1 tbsp ground cinnamon – adds warm chai flavor
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger – provides subtle heat
1/2 tsp ground allspice – enhances complexity
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg – aromatic and sweet
1 tsp ground cardamom – signature chai spice
1/4 tsp ground cloves – adds depth
1/2 tsp baking powder – mild leavening
1/2 tsp baking soda – helps cookies spread
1/2 tsp salt – balances sweetness
1 1/4 cups (275 g) light brown sugar – provides chewiness and rich flavor
4 egg yolks – adds richness and soft texture
2 tsp vanilla – enhances overall flavor
1/2 tbsp heavy cream – improves dough texture
1/2 tbsp molasses – deepens flavor
6 tbsp (75 g) granulated white sugar – for rolling
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (for rolling) – enhances outer flavor
1/4 tsp ground ginger (for rolling) – chai accent
1/8 tsp ground allspice (for rolling) – spice layer
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (for rolling) – sweet spice
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (for rolling) – signature chai note
Pinch of ground cloves (for rolling) – bold finish

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Instructions

Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden and nutty (5–8 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and chill until soft but solid.
Mix granulated sugar with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and cloves in a small bowl for the spiced sugar coating.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the cooled brown butter until fluffy (1 minute). Add brown sugar and beat on high until light and creamy (2 minutes).
Add egg yolks, vanilla, cream, and molasses. Beat on medium speed until smooth and pale (1 minute).
Gradually mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined.
Use a 2-tbsp cookie scoop to portion the dough into 22 balls. Roll each in the spiced sugar mixture.
Place dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets (8 per sheet). Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 11–12 minutes.
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Weigh your flour (125 g per cup) to prevent dry or overly spread cookies.
Use a round cutter to shape cookies immediately after baking for a perfect look.
Cookies can be frozen as dough balls and baked straight from the freezer.
Don’t skip browning the butter — it adds a rich, nutty depth.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 weeks.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 190
Sugar: 13g
Sodium: 95mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 24g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 2g
Cholesterol: 45mg