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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.
Print
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!
Pattie
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.
★★★★★
Lynn
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?
Jacqueline
Hi Lynn, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1/1 GF replacement flour and it sourced perfectly!
Pegg
I don’t have a neutral oil on hand. Can I double the butter?
joythebaker
Yes, you can!
nat
They taste great! by any chance do you know around how many calories are in the cookie including the glaze?
★★★★★
Maggie
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.
★★★★★
Heather D
So good but my cookies aren’t chewy! Bummer
★★★★★
BP
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.
★★★★
Sydney
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?
joythebaker
Chai tea bags are made up mostly of black tea and it that sounds like something that appeals to you – yes, go for it!
ERIN
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.
★★★★
Jodi
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.
Alison
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!
r
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!
★★★★★
samantha campanini
Can’t wait to try them out!!
Sam p
These are amazing I reduced the sugar a little added white choc chips and browned the butter, definately a keeper.
★★★★★
Scarlett
This swiftie just made these for friendsgiving and they are so good! Will make again.
★★★★★
Loren
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.
★★★★★
Allison
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?
joythebaker
Fine sea salt would be great!