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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.
PrintTaylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies
A perfect Autumn cookie with chai spices and extra nutmeg inspired by Taylor Swift.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minues
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: about 2 dozen cookies 1x
- Category: dessert
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!
Zoe
OMG what a way to ring in Red (Taylor’s Version). Yum! I’ve eaten half my weight in these already.
★★★★★
Holly
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.
joythebaker
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!
Jen
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!
★★★★★
Tara
Making these for the Red (Taylor’s Version) release! How much more “fall/autumn” could it get!!
★★★★★
Hayley Carter
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?
joythebaker
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!
Sarah Endris
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.
★★★★★
HOLLY
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?
Lisa
Hey Holly
Nutmeg is nutmeg – freshly grated is always way better and much more practical way of storing.
Jess
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!
★★★★★
Jennyquack
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!
★★★★★
Adrianna
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 :)
Amy
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.
Jackie
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!
Nancy Marie Carlson
Thank you so much for this recipe. One question. Does the frosting
harden?
Nancy
joythebaker
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!
Anna Oswald
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
Adriana L
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!
Mary
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.
Adriana L
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!
NickleB
Can this dough be made ahead of time and frozen?