THE Taylor Swift Chai cookies she adapted from my blog years ago. A classic sugar cookie loaded with real chai spices and topped with a nutmeg glaze. Perfect for the Autumn Girlie aesthetic. See also: Taylor’s Strawberry Chai Cookies and Taylor’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Every fall for the last few years my blog lights up with new visitors. New visitors who have come to my blog is search of THE Taylor Swift Chai Cookies. We all know our dear Taylor loves to bake, loves cats, she seems to be a cozy, flannel wearing, autumn loving gal… I mean, it absolutely makes sense that she pop by Joy the Baker for this VERY vintage Giant Vanilla Sugar Cookies.
Taylor Swift took that old 2009 sugar cookie recipe, mentioned adding chai spices and an eggnog glaze, and because she’s Taylor Swift – set the internet ablaze. Good on ya, girl! You’re doing it right, and your baking has so many people searching for the perfect sugar and spice cookie.
Apparently if you live like Taylor Swift for a week you must make a batch of these cookies. I mean… I knew those Giant Vanilla Sugar Cookies were perfectly chewy and tender, but I finally took our friend Tay’s advice and spiced them up just right.
Here’s what you’ll need for Taylor Swift Chai Cookies:
• softened unsalted butter and a neutral oil. We’ll use a mix of fats to bring together this soft and tender cookie.
• granulated sugar and powdered sugar. The powdered sugar will help absorb some of the moisture from the oil and make the cookies tender and chewy.
• all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt.
• chai spices: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, cloves, and a pinch of black pepper.
• an egg for binding
• vanilla extract
• powdered sugar for the glaze
• a hint of nutmeg
• milk or eggnog to create a glaze
First, whip the butter alone in a bowl just to ensure it’s softened super well.
Beat in the oil as best you can. The oil may not fully incorporate into the butter and that’s ok. Just get it all in the bowl.
Add the granulated sugar, powdered sugar and spices to the bowl with butter and oil.
I like to add the spices to the sugar and fat for this Taylor Swift cookie recipe because the fat helps distribute the warm spice flavors really well. Fat always helps flavor.
Add the egg and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients. Set aside the hand mixer and stir in the flour into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon or spatula.
The batter will feel soft – somewhere between a cookie dough and a cake batter.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour to allow the flour to absorb the moisture and the butter to rechill.
Once chilled, scoop the dough into two tablespoon portions. I use a cookie scoop then shape the dough into thick disks.
Coat each cookie dough round in cinnamon sugar before placing a few inches apart on a parchment lined baking pan.
While the cookies bake, whisk together an easy glaze with powdered sugar, milk (or better yet, eggnog) and extra ground nutmeg.
Spoon a teaspoon of glaze into the center of each cookie and sprinkle with nutmeg and allow to set.
Taylor is on to something. These are the sweetest fall cookies. Soft and tender for days!
Serve with chai tea? Too much? More is just enough.
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Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minues
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: about 2 dozen cookies 1x
- Category: dessert
Description
A perfect Autumn cookie with chai spices and extra nutmeg inspired by Taylor Swift.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like canola or sunflower oil)
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean pod
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Cinnamon sugar for rolling
For the Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for sprinkling the top of the cookies
- 3 tablespoons whole milk or eggnog
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter in a large bowl on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the vegetable oil. It may not fully incorporate with the butter, but that’s ok. Add the granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and all of the spices. Beat to combine.
- Add the egg and vanilla, beating on medium speed until completely incorporated.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt all at once using a wooden spoon or the mixer set on low.
- The dough will be soft. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes just so it’s easier to handle.
- For large cookies, dollop 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. For smaller cookies use 1 Tablespoon for each cookie. Press the dough evenly with your fingers or palm to 1/4-inch thickness. Roll each cookie dough in a small bowl of cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes for larger cookies or 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients to thick but spreadable. Spread each cooled cookie with graze just over the center, leaving the edges of the cookie free of glaze. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh nutmeg if you have it. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Photos with my friend Jon Melendez!
174 Responses
Hi! I thought I’d share this info with you since I’m of Indian heritage. Chai means tea in Indian. So when you say chai tea you’re saying tea tea. It’s redundant. Looking forward to trying your recipe.
Thank you for that – I’ll edit it to reflect this!
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a few years but for some reason never made them. I’m glad I finally did because they’re absolutely delicious! (Add some cinnamon chips for a little extra flavor.) The cookies are supposed to go to a church potluck tomorrow, but I might need to make another batch…
Can I use this recipe on a magazine I’m making for my friends if I give you credits? Thanks!
These are on our today’s bake list. Like the idea of ice cream sandwiching them also. The recipe name has my girls excited to get going. Here’s to your cookie inspiration and a huge shout out to TS!
Hello This was a great recipe. My cousin and me made them together. I give her a shout out because she made me a swifty. I defiantly are making this again.(* ^ *)
I’ve had these cookies but not made them myself yet. My question is, can I use a Tbsp of a bought Chai spice blend as a substitute for the individual spices the recipe calls for?
Hello! I think that would work fine! I just wouldn’t suggest tea bags as substitute. Happy baking!
Can this dough be rolled out and cut shapes out of it?
Hi Lindi. This particular cookie dough might be too soft to roll and cut.
I’m not sure what on earth I could’ve done. They’re dry, grainy, and crisp all over. Everything in the recipe is correct. First batch i flattened them with a spatula but second I didn’t.
Hello! I would probably say the mixing process wasn’t as long as it should have been. Check the batter while mixing to see if the sugar has dissolved yet, if not keep mixing. My advice would be to set a timer for 5 minutes, scrape down the sides in between, check for graininess, and keep mixing. Best of luck to you!
Love love love these cookies! Made them with my bestie while listening to taylor ?. I was wondering if the the dough can be frozen?
I am making this recipe ?? But there’s one question, my dough is not quite firm after I took it out of the refrigerator, what seems to be the problem that I should fix here?
Delicious cookies. Awesome job taytay!!
Can I use royal icing?
Delicious recipe! Love the tenderness of the crumb. I slightly increased spices and used Garam masala spice in the icing .
Can I use shortening instead of butter? Dairy free needed
I’d try it out, maybe back off the oil a bit. I would wonder if you could use shortening for the entire thing instead of the oil/butter combo, I would experiment a bit. I hope they turn out for you!
I hate Taylor, so I almost didn’t make them, but I loooved these cookies!! Favorite cookie I have ever had!
Why hate when you can love?
I don’t mean to be dramatic, but I think these are the best cookies I have ever made. I have always preferred softer cookies, and these are absolutely delicious. I subbed dark brown sugar for granulated sugar and added the contents of a chai tea packet in addition to the spices and it came out great!
Made them few times now and they are amazing! I just wanted to ask if the recipe can be doubled or do I need to make a separate batch every time?
Do you know if you can freeze the dough to bake at a later time?
I’d say yes! Just set them on the counter while the oven is preheating. Make sure you double plastic wrap them for the freezer!
This recipe is great! But what temperature do I set the oven, and do I preheat it? My Cookie’s came out a little crumbly because I wasn’t sure when to take them out, or when they would be done. Other than that, they tasted great and I will definitely makes them again.
After reading the comments, I doubled the spices. These are delicious!! A soft, buttery, delicate cookie. I didn’t add the icing– I didn’t think the cookies needed them. They were sweet enough. I can’t wait to make this again!
These cookies are so delicious! Easy to make and a total crowd pleaser for holiday gatherings! Thank you!
Do these end up being soft & chewy? Or a more crumbly cookie?
First batch I cooked a little longer and they came out crispier. Took them out a couple of minutes earlier for 2nd batch and they were softer. Both delicious, just a personal preference.
Hi! What is the ratio for the cinnamon sugar to coat the cookies? Also, I have a chai spice mix from King Arthur. Would you know about how much might equal the amount of spice you used?
Hello! I think the ratio is relative. I tend to not like a ton of cinnamon so I did half a cup of sugar to 1 tsp, but it entirely depends on your taste! And the chai spice sounds lovely, I’d check the ingredients to see if they’re equivalent but just do the math of how much the spice equals (probably a tablespoon give or take). Happy baking!
I’d eat anything Taylor Swift for me. Dennis ?
I did not see chia in this recipe, can you freeze these?
Hello! There is chai in this, but not chia seeds. And I would say you can freeze these, double wrapped, for up to a month. Set out on the counter to come to room temp then roll into balls. Happy baking!
Why didn’t this recipe call for chai tea? Can it be added to this recipe?
Howdy! Chai dried for steeping tends to be much gentler than the spices. If you can find chai spice or get the individual spices, that payoff is much better, I promise!
Good sugar cookies but absolutely no chai flavor or scent. I even double the tea bag. Disappointed.
Hey there! I would use spices before I used tea, if I’m being honest. Chai in dried tea form tends to have a way gentler flavor than using spices. Hope that helps you for next time!
This is my second year making them and I think I’ll continue making every year! I doubled the spices and found that to be the trick for me. Also when I made 1 tbsp sized cookies the texture was more sandy, but 2 tbsp size was perfect (same batch of dough). Thanks for a great fall recipe!
I tried these, and I don’t know what I did wrong, but the the cookies were still mushy and deflated after 30 minutes in the oven and then crumbled apart. I used baking powder instead of soda and I had to make them on a wire rack instead of a normal baking tray. Apart from that I followed the recipe exactly. Where did I go wrong?
Baking powder is not as “strong” as baking powder. Therefore, a 1 to 1 substitution may result in some issues. King Arthur Baking suggests using three times the amount of baking powder when subbing for baking soda.
Baking powder is baking soda and a handful of other things. An insufficient amount of leavening agent will definitely cause that sort of situation, but cooking on a wire rack instead of a flat sheet tends to make the cookie sort of “fall apart” because the bottom doesn’t caramelize like it should.
Baking powder instead of baking soda? That makes A HUGE DIFFERENCE and not an even swap AT ALL. They are NOT the same.
is this like taylor swifts exact recipe? or is it just similar, because i want to try her exact recipe.
Also, if i use her recipe that was posted everywhere and then this glaze, would that still work?
Hello! Taylor’s recipe is adapted from Joy’s sugar cookie recipe. So absolutely sure thing!
Hi, I am about to make these. I love Taylor Swift!
Jeanette, my daughter just made these tonight and we also don’t use canola or sunflower oil. She used coconut oil and they were delicious! We always use coconut oil in baking and it works great!
How much in grams is a stick of butter, please?
113 grams in a stick of butter!
I’m making these cookies for the first time and wanted to know how they taste?
Like a sugar cookie and a chai latte shook hands then immediately got married – trust me!
Cookie is good, glaze doesn’t make sense. It’s too thick based on the recipe, it won’t form a cohesive mass to spread
Did you maybe do tsp? I did the same and realized it was tbsp so I added more to equal 3 tbsp and it was perfect!
Can these be cut out and decorated with royal icing?
Hello, Abby here, I answer for Joy when she cannot be near a computer. To answer your question, YES!
I made these cookies a couple years ago and they were great. I want to make some for Christmas this year and I’m wondering what you would recommend for freezing them so I could make them in advance. Thank you!
I will make sure we get back to this with an answer for you soon! Hold tight and thank you for rating the recipe!
Can i somehow use chai concentrate rather than the spices?
Hi! Adding a liquid concentrate would severely alter the consistency of the cookie. If you’re able to find a pre-made chai spice (not tea leaves) or get the spice ingredients it will fare much better.
Mason, my grandson(a declared SWIFTIE) and I (Narnie) purchased all the ingredients at Target and rushed home to make Taylor Swift Chai Sugar cookies! We made them along with Joy on her video. We had so much fun. We added all the spices (we will try the chai tea bag short cut next time to compare!) measuring all the ingredients to a “T”! Our result was DELICIOUS! We sent you a video as we inhaled our cookies! This cookie is “The 1”!
Hi! I try not to use canola or sunflower oils. May I substitute with all butter?
Thank you!
Hello! I’m Abby, I reply when Joy is unable, but the answers come straight from her! The answer is… absolutely yes, it would be super delicious! Happy baking :)
Is it possible to adopt the recipe for almond and oat flour instead? If so, how?
Thank you!
I’m not sure about almond and oat flour specifically, but I’ve baked these cookies with a gf all-purpose baking blend like King Arthur Baking’s blend. The flour blends are helpful because they often have ingredients that help bind baked goods, like guar gum. Otherwise I fear these cookies won’t hold together well.
Is the dough freezable?
Someone else just asked this! I’ll make sure to return with an answer for you soon. Hold tight!
SO SO SO GOOD!
i’m a big big swiftie and i got to combine my loves cooking and taylor swift. these cookies are seriously so good. i also added pumpkin spiced chai to me which i think added a lot!
My daughter has made these twice now and they’re the best cookie I’ve ever had. I’m counting my calories lately and will happily skip a meal for these. Do you have an approximate calorie count?
Gosh Lynne. I don’t have a calorie count for these cookies but let me see if I can get one for you. Hold tight!
adding all the ingredients up and dividing by 24 (2 dozen cookies) it comes out at approx. 192 per cookie :)
Hi! Am I allowed to substitute the spices for a tea bag of chai instead? And if so, how can I substitute it, do I still have to follow the exact measurements or can I just dump a tea bag in?
Thank you!
I prefer to use the spices for these cookies because chai tea bags are mostly made with black tea leaves. If you really prefer to use the tea bag, I’d say 2 to 3 tablespoons would be good. Just keep in mind they’ll taste more like tea than this recipe. Either way though, you have cookies!
Thank you so much for your reply! This was very informative. Yes, I will try using the tea bag and I don’t mind the tea taste haha!
Can you use a whisk instead of a mixer?
Rename to “Taylor’s Version” ?
Also, what part of your recipe did she change?
:) Definitely Taylor’s version. She took a sugar cookie recipe I posted on my blog ages ago and added all the chai spice and nutmeg glaze.
Hi there!
Made these today for the first time, really happy with how they turned out. I’m just wondering – what might have caused them to turn out a bit dryer and crumblier than expected? What could I do differently next time? Thank you!
Evie
I’m so glad you liked them! These cookies can be a bit crumbly but if you feel like they were dry, that’s not ideal. Too much flour might be the culprit. Have you tried weighing the flour to 250 gram exactly as opposed to measuring by volume?
The taste is delicious but I deff I itely want to try to add a bit more flour like other commenters suggest. Also, I’m wondering how these would be if you replaced the butter and oil with cream cheese? Have you tried anything like that?
No, I haven’t tried anything like that.
Prepping to make these for a friend. Do you use fresh ground ginger or dried ginger?
Dried ground ginger would be best here!
Just wondering how everyone’s glaze is looking. The picture has a pretty white glaze, more like a frosting. When I follow the recipe, I get a translucent glaze.
Mine was a little translucent in the glass bowl, but when it put it on the cookie it was more opaque.
so easy to make and they taste soooo good! would definitely reccomend
They were delicious!!! Best cookies I’ve ever had. I added some caramel it was delicious.
would a hand mixer be okay to use? I don’t own a stand a mixer.
That would be fine, yes!
has anyone tried subbing in almond flour? would it be okay to do this or will it make the
I would not recommend “unblanched” almond flour. Just tried it and it didn’t work. They splat with no volume and didn’t stay together.
I made these yesterday and they were SO GOOD.
So sweet. So yummy. I love the textures of the cookie and the glaze…today I took a nap and when I woke up I had a sweet tooth and this cookie hit the spot.
My mom got me a stand mixer for Xmas and this is the FIRST thing I’ve made using a mixer ever, and the FIRST cookie I’ve made from scratch ever. I was expecting to mess something up but it turned out close to perfect (one of the trays I cooked maybe 2 minutes too long, but that’s okay because half were crunchier and crisp, the other half were softer).
2 things~ I didn’t use any cardamom, it was too expensive to buy that day LOL but it’s the only spice I left out, and I couldn’t notice any lacking. It was totally chai. My daughter and myself love drinking that Tazo chai latte stuff and it smelled and tasted a lot like that~ cozy and autumny/wintery and delicious. The other thing is that instead of cinnamon sugar for rolling, I used the cinnamon toast crunch cereal brand’s “cinna dust” because i already had it in the cabinet and it was close enough. It did the job!
Besides that I followed the recipe to a t, although because of a few comments mentioning texture and not mixing certain ingredients enough, I mixed things slightly longer. Maybe 30-60 seconds longer.
I glazed only half of the cookies because some in my family don’t like eggnog (crazy!) but they all loved the cookies. My eggnog-loving neighbor loved it, the neighbor kids loved them, and my mom loved it!
3 people on my Facebook friends list made this recipe! And I’ll be making it a few times every year!
I made these last year and experienced the compressed sand texture others are complaining about, but I thought they had so much potential so I came back to them again this year. I followed another commenter’s suggestion and really whipped the butter and added more flour, roughly another half cup (I had doubled the recipe). They turned out absolutely incredible. Another alteration I made was adding some cloves and ginger to the icing, I thought it gave it a really bright, somewhat unexpected and delicious flavor. Thank you for this wonderful recipe :)
I really wanted to like this recipe and was so excited to make it. The mix of spices was perfect. I followed the instructions meticulously and ended up with dry, sandy-textured cookies as soon as they cooled. Would love some tips on how to prevent that from happening since others have commented that the same thing happened to them.
Hi, do u think the dough can be made before the day of baking?
Yes, absolutely!
How many does 1 escape make?
Hi!
I was wondering if you think gluten free flour would work okay for this recipes?
Thanks!
I made this recipe today and they turned out great. I noticed the comments about a sandy texture and made sure to really whip for a few minutes the butter and oil together and then whipped a few minutes more to incorporate the sugars. I ended up adding about 1/3 c more flour to the recipe and was able to roll out the dough once chilled and cut into shapes. Great recipe! Will definitely make these again!
Is it an okay idea to freeze the dough in cookie form and bake them another day? I’m traveling for a cookie swap and want to serve them as fresh as I can.
I am hoping to make these for my Christmas cookies this year but was wondering what adjustments I need to make for high altitude? I live at 7000 feet.
Just pulled these out of the oven & the texture is samdy. Think I am going to try with more butter next time because I don’t like crispy cookies & I don’t like sandy cookies. Hmmm.
Hi. Made this batter last night and it ended up in fridge overnight which in cookie making usually is a good thing as it intensifies flavors. However, having tasted the first batch, they are flavorful but super sandy :( very bummed out about this as I was so looking forward to adding them to my holiday cookie rotation. I don’t believe I will be making them again, as I don’t enjoy this texture at all.
I made these last year and they were fabulous! I made them last night and I ran into the same problem a few others had….the sandy texture. Any tips on what could have caused it? I’m making another batch tonight and will see what happens. I’m thinking something to do with the butter or maybe because I sifted the confect. sugar? I had a few lumps so I sifted but maybe that made it too light. Would love to not do a repeat fail! :)
i am a huge swiftie and made these the night before midnights came out. i ate these and cried while listening. amazing album and cookies ????
Okay, I made these cookies yesterday side by side with the way that Taylor made them using the chai tea bag. I will say that these are good. If you like and are looking for a really spice filled cookie they are excellent. But I have to say using the chai tea bag creates a softer spice and gives this slightly delicate tea flavor that is wonderful. I do not want to take away from these because they are very good. They are just two different cookies.
I would recommend these! The spice was bold but not too much. I loved the texture – soft yet relatively sturdy. I had to add extra powdered sugar to my glaze because it was spreading too much, maybe because my kitchen was a little warm. Yum! Definitely perfect cookies to eat with a cup of tea or chai!
I made these this morning and there are only 4 left. My family ate all of them in one day! Will definitely make these again.
This recipe is easy but produces INCREDIBLE cookies. I used 3 teaspoons of chai powder instead of the spices. These cookies are so tender and SO delicious. Thank you!
I have chai powder but it’s sweetened. Did you omit the sugar at all?
Hi, I’m so excited to try this recipe out but I was wondering how to use cookie cutters with this recipe, Im thinking I should I roll the dough flat then use the cookie cutter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on it, is there a better way to do this though?
I would think this would be pretty difficult with this dough but if you attempt this, I would chill the dough, roll into disks between wax paper and freeze again until solid before attempting to cut. They also spread a bit in the oven so they would need to be cold before baking as well. Even with all of these steps, I’m not convinced it would work out very well. You’re probably better off adding chai spices to a dough meant for cutting into shapes.
These are delicious. I would say I’m an experienced baker. Not a professional by any means but I am the baker in my friend group lol. I made these and they ended up having the texture of compressed sand. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I thought maybe not enough butter? I used one egg like the recipe said. I did accidentally use soybean oil, so I’m wondering if maybe that could be why? I googled it and apparently a lot of people use soybean oil in pastry recipes so idk what happened :/ I guess I just want a professionals opinion on what I did wrong so I can remake them perfectly thank you so much!
Mine did the same thing! The texture was very off-putting. I’m also a baker and have no clue what went wrong. Hopefully they reply soon!
Hi Holly! I’m so sorry you had a sandy cookie – that’s certainly not what you want! This is a unique cookie recipe because it includes vegetable oil and powdered sugar – creating amore crisp cookie. I wonder if this is an issue with the sugar. Perhaps it needs to be worked into the batter better after the egg is incorporated. I’m going to make a batch of these cookies this week to be sure.
Hi Joy – checking in to see if you had a sandy texture, and any recommendations you have. Looking forward to baking these this week! Thanks so much xo
Hi! Also checking in about the sandy texture. I love everything else about the cookie and enjoy them as is, but getting rid of that texture issue would make them A++ :)
Hello, I haven’t made these cookies yet, but looking at the comments I was wondering what kind of powdered sugar (conventional or organic) was used in the recipe? I’m asking, since organic powdered sugar is all I have and since it has a different starch, I wonder if that would affect my cookie’s texture.
Thanks.
I didn’t use organic powdered sugar. I just used regular.
This has happened to me too, whenever I make them. Slightly dry, sandy texture. I tried using just a touch more butter (2/3 a stick) and I thought that helped. I also don’t flatten mine and just let them cook like little biscuits so maybe that has an effect on the texture.
Did you move the cookies right after you took them out? When I picked a warm one up it crumbled, but after I waited for the rest to cool completely, they hardened a little and didn’t fall apart.
I had a question about the chai spice. If we don’t have all the ingredients for chai spice, can we use chai tea bags instead? And if so how many?
Hi there! I think you could use chai bags in a pinch but it’s mostly black tea leaves and a little spice. Even if you had some of the spices (say cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and pepper are easier to get than maybe star anise especially if you don’t use it often) it would be more potent. I say experiment with the tea bags it might be a pleasant surprise!
I tried it with teabags and there was no discernable chai flavor.
Hi! Can the batter be frozen?
This recipe is adding way too much “grease”. 2 cups total (oil and butter) for 2 cups flour?
Its the greasiest dough ever!
Its a 1.15 cup butter/oil for 2 cups max.
I’m so disappointed :((
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a while and finally made during a snowstorm this week. It seemed fitting. They are so warm and comforting. And the icing made them feel like a real dessert rather than a snack, which is how I normally think of cookies. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
can i sub the flour for whole wheat or oat flour?
These are so deceivingly delicious!! The gentle whisper of chai is so warm and inviting. I didn’t even make the glaze yet and I’m sold on these cookies! Thanks for a very cool twist on the sugar cookie??
I have made a number of GF sugar cookies and they have all come out tasty and easy roll out. I have used ready made flour blends and homemade blends. I will try with this spice combination of this recipe and I am sure they will come out great
While these cookies were tasty, the mouth feel was a bit off putting. Not sure if the oil and butter mixture or mixture of icing sugar and granulated creates this texture.
Love this recipe. I used 3 1/2 T of King Arthur Flour chai spice blend for all of the spices and used Diamond Crystal kosher salt. I loved the texture of the cookie — I believe the addition of oil and the confectionary sugar were the key here. Used a large cookie scoop and a local dairy’s egg nog for the icing. A+ recipe and a keeper for sure.
Made these and they were amazing. Wanted to make a variation for my daughter who is gluten intolerant and subbed Cup 4 cup. Not happy with result- too chalky. Anybody have any idea of how to make them GF and tasty?
Hi Lynn, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1/1 GF replacement flour and it sourced perfectly!
I don’t have a neutral oil on hand. Can I double the butter?
Yes, you can!
They taste great! by any chance do you know around how many calories are in the cookie including the glaze?
They were very good! However, for the icing, I had to add much more eggnog than 3 tablespoons to get a good glaze. If you’re making the recipe, I would just decrease the amount of powdered sugar used, probably by half.
So good but my cookies aren’t chewy! Bummer
These cookies are even better the next day. I got impatient and popped them in the freezer for 15 minutes instead of chilling in the fridge for an hour. Think that was a mistake as the cookies fall apart very easily. Can’t say these blow me away but it’s a really nice light cookie. I appreciate that they use ingredients I always have on hand so I can make them when the mood strikes.
I’ve seen people just cut open a chai tea bag and use that for the spices rather than adding the spices individually. Do you think that would work here?
Chai tea bags are made up mostly of black tea and it that sounds like something that appeals to you – yes, go for it!
I love the texture of these cookies – I think it must be the veg oil. The glaze really enhances the cookie and they are not too sweet.
I made these today. Really great. My son and husband said they were the best cookies they ever had!?! These will become a staple in our house.
Made these cookies for turkey day and they were as big a hit as the brown sugar cranberry tart. (A few rule-breakers happily sampled them for hors d’oeuvres!) I also wrapped them in folded parchment paper, deli style, and gave them to my yoga teacher and a few friends after our early morning Gratitude Day practice! Raves all around. I saved a few for me and had one a day with my morning tea. They keep really well. Ate my last one the Saturday after the holiday. :-( Thank you, Joy! Thank you, Taylor!
I made these and they are amazing! adding in the different spices I was getting a little nervous by just how much i was adding since theyre cookies, but it works and balances perfectly. not to sweet, not slap in your face spice, just perfect and pleasant little cookies to have in the autumn. thanks for the recipe, I love it!
Can’t wait to try them out!!
These are amazing I reduced the sugar a little added white choc chips and browned the butter, definately a keeper.
This swiftie just made these for friendsgiving and they are so good! Will make again.
Just made these for some Christmas goodies and they’re amazing! I used brown sugar because I forgot to get granulated and they still came out tasting just like chai tea.
I wanted to make these cookies but I know the one ingredient called for kosher salt and I don’t have kosher salt. Can I use fine sea salt or iodized salt instead?
Fine sea salt would be great!
OMG what a way to ring in Red (Taylor’s Version). Yum! I’ve eaten half my weight in these already.
I want to double the recipe and I noticed that the 2 tsp vanilla extract becomes 4 tsp, but the 1 vanilla bean remains as 1 bean as doubled. Should that be 2 beans? I happen to have fresh vanilla beans.
If you double the recipe, you can add two vanilla beans if you have them on hand! Or one vanilla bean and 2 teaspoons of extract!
Baked these and ice cream sandwiched them! Worked fabulous. Short texture, not too hard frozen. I also found the dough super easy to work with – softer, but not nearly as sticky. Made rolling dough balls a breeze. Thanks for the motivation!
Making these for the Red (Taylor’s Version) release! How much more “fall/autumn” could it get!!
Would be okay to use a chai tea bag for the spices? Since they’re pretty much the same thing or would the tasting be off?
Chai tea bags also contain black tea along with the spices so I prefer just the spices but if you don’t mind the black tea in your cookies, you’re welcome to go for it!
Just made these as written and they are so good! I love a good chai especially when the temps get cool. I will definitely be making these again. The spice blend was perfect without being over powering.
Recipe sounds great. Do you think using fresh grated nutmeg would be too much using the same amount you’ve mentioned in your recipe or did you use store bought, which I’m assuming would not be as strong?
Hey Holly
Nutmeg is nutmeg – freshly grated is always way better and much more practical way of storing.
I made these cookies for a few friends as part of food care packages and they received rave reviews! I substituted Earth Balance butter and a flax egg to make them vegan, and used one cup white flour and one cup whole wheat. I did not make the icing and while I’m sure it’s delicious, the cookies were not lacking without out it. As is required, I also snuck a few bits of dough while it was chilling. Thanks to you and Taylor for a delicious recipe that I’m sure will become part of my regular rotation!
Made these last night, sans glaze. Tasted them, yummy like a snickerdoodle, fresh from the oven. The next day though: BANG! Spices are much more pronounced, and just so tasty! The pepper really adds something; you can’t really taste it but it does enhance everything.
Took some to a helpful friend and RAVES!
Definitely adding to Christmas cookie list!
I am so excited to make your version of Taylor’s version of your recipe (which I think you adapted?)! I have been making these for at least the past five years. I tint the icing a bit to make it more exiting :)
I was so happy today to find your newest holiday magazine at the grocery store in my small town in British Columbia! It’ll join the treasured ranks of the 2020 Joy the Baker holiday magazine! You’re amazing.
Such a smart cookie and business decision to post this! ??I have decided to embrace that I love Taylor Swift and that I love fall everything and pumpkin spice. I’m basic. It makes me happy. And I’m going to make these cookies!
Thank you so much for this recipe. One question. Does the frosting
harden?
Nancy
The frosting does not harden like royal icing does. If you’d like hard icing, add some meringue powder and make more of a royal icing!
Hey Joy! I think under the glaze section you mean 3 Tbs. whole milk or EGGNOG, not nutmeg…am I right?
Question about the glaze setting up – would it set up enough to stack and ship for Christmas?
Thanks so much.
Anna
Can we get a link to pin your recipes directly from these pages? Not sure if I’m just technologically slow (…I am) but I have trouble searching your Joy The Baker pinterest page for specific recipes and I’d love to save this one for next month when I elbow deep in Christmas baking!
If you hover over any of Joy’s photos a “pin me” button should pop up in an upper corner! You can also download an add-on to your internet browser that you can use to pin from any site.
Ahhh I knew it was probably me! I usually look at this website on a laptop and am not moving my mouse around much, just scrolling down so I’ve been missing this! Thank you for the tip!
Can this dough be made ahead of time and frozen?