These are the Taylor Swift cookies you’ll want to bake for your Midnights listening party. Chewy, chocolate centers with crisp edges and a salty, bejeweled top. They’re the perfect Taylor-inspired bake and midnight snack.
This very afternoon, in the year of our lord 2022, I found myself on a Zoom meeting with the uber cool Vulture to talk about how these Chai Cookies have gone viral ahead of Taylor Swift’s new album release. New album or not, those chai sugar cookies are super popular every October because they’re inspired (and baked ) by Taylor herself. The journalist asked me if I was aware of any of the deep theories associated with Taylor’s new album Midnights and… you know that perforated line straight face emoji? That was me. I’m 41 years old enough to not understand deep Swiftie culture but baker enough to take inspiration from Taylor Swift’s love for butter and sugar.
To catch you up to speed, years ago Taylor Swift took this old old recipe for Vanilla Sugar Cookies, added chai spices and a nutmeg glaze and shared it with her fans. Ever since, Swifties have flocked to that old old post every October since, so I made a proper recipe for it.
Here’s the thing – I’m writing this as though I don’t scream-sing the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” in my car once a week. Like I didn’t teach myself how to play “Exile” on the piano so I could sing both parts of the duet in the privacy of my own home. I’m a fan, and I’m turning Taylor and I’s shared love into a tradition.
Consider these October’s Taylor Swift cookie – bejeweled with chocolate candies andd inspired by the pandemic instagram baking we all found ourself doing.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these Taylor Swift Cookies:
• all-purpose flour
• quick cooking oats
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• unsalted butter (here’s why we use unsalted butter if you’re curious)
• large eggs (did you know this is why we use large eggs?)
• vanilla extract
• baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon
• lots of chocolate – I choose Ghirardelli Baking Wafers or Valrhona Dark Chocolate AND Trader Joe’s Candy Coated Chocolate Pieces.
• flaky sea salt
This is a classic cookie recipe so there are no huge curveballs. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, quick cooking oats, a teaspoon of cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. It’s important to evenly combine the ingredients for the baking soda and cinnamon alone. Set the mixture aside. Pat yourself on the back. You’ve done the right thing.
Use either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream together butter and sugars on medium speed.
The sugar and butter will be pale and fluffy – that’s the start of an aerated batter and a chewy cookie.
Add one large egg at a time, beating into the batter in between.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamy butter and egg mixture and incorporate until the oats and flour are just incorporated but a few flour streaks remain.
Scoop and sprinkle in chocolate by the handfuls. Just really go for it.
If you’re an aesthetic maniac like me and simply cannot tolerate a primary color candy coated chocolate, find these pleasingly muted candy colors at Trader Joe’s. That maroon? Worth braving that parking lot.
Before chilling, portion the cookie dough on a quarter baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Right before baking, press a chocolate disk and a few colorful chocolate pieces into the top of the cookies. Sprinkle with sea salt. Be generous with all of the toppings before the dough eventually hits the oven but don’t skimp on that hour of rest time to chill the dough beforehand.
This year’s version of Taylor Swift cookies are crisp around the edges and chewy, chocolate-y through the centers. Oats give the cookie just a hint of sturdiness and a toothsome chew. They’re just right. Now excuse me while I bake another batch with Midnights on repeat.
Other cookies you should bake this season:
Browned Butter Oatmeal Apple Cookies
Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Print
Taylor Swift’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 11-13 minnutes
- Total Time: about 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: about 2 dozen cookies 1x
- Category: cookies, dessert, holiday
- Method: baking
Description
The gooiest and most hearty Chocolate Chip Cookies made with oats, a hint of spice, and candy coated chocolate pieces. A must bake!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (80 grams) quick cooking oats
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6–8 ounces large chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli Grand Chips), reserving a few for topping
- 6–8 ounces candy coated pieces (I like the colors from Unreal or Trader Joe’s), reserving a few for topping
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and oats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with electric hand beaters or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract on low speed.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until almost fully combined. Leave a few flour streaks in the dough and add chocolate chips and candy pieces, reserving a few for topping the dough before baking.
- Scoop the dough into wax paper or plastic wrap, a thick disk is fine, and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour to allow the moisture to distribute through the dry ingredients and the butter to harden slightly. Alternately, you can portion the dough into 2 tablespoon cookie dough balls and refrigerate the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. The dough can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or well wrapped in the freezer for 1 month.
- Thirty minutes before baking, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Place 2 tablespoon dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Press a few chocolate chips or chocolate pieces into each dough ball, and use the heel of your hand to gently press the dough into a thick disk and sprinkle with sea salt if you’re feeling it. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to rest on a baking sheet for 10 minutes to set before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. You’ll of course eat one as soon as they’re cool enough to handle. Store any cookies you don’t snack on or share in an airtight container at room temperature for as long as they last. They’re best within 5 days or so.
Keywords: cookies, oatmeal, chocolate chips, taylor swift, baking, holiday
KL
These are fantastic! Mine spread a little bit more than expected, but they still taste great. I used 1/4 tsp of cinnamon (personal preference) and equal parts semi-sweet chocolate chunks, TJ’s m&ms, and TJ’s caramel sea salt chips.
★★★★★
Melissa
Just here to tell you that I contemplated taking piano lessons so I could learn to play Exile.
Laura
I liked these. I’m a sucker for anything monster-ish. The cinnamon was overpowering though, I would cut that in half. Honestly recipes that involve extended chilling just don’t do it for me in terms of effort and results. They spread a lot without re-chilling the dough once I rolled them into balls. Estimated baking time was perfect (12 mins).
★★★★
AmbalaCakes
Very nice recipe
★★★★★
Emily
Made them gluten free with King Arthur Measure for Measure and only had chocolate chips + chocolate chunks, and they’re incredible. All hail TS!
Erika
My 2nd cousin is a huge Taylor Swift fan. I might try to bake a batch of these and send to her at college.
Joy the Baker
You have my full support!
Jodie
Hey Joy this looks great! I’m not a “Swifty” but I’ll definitely make these. Any possible way of getting all the ingredients weighed out in grams? Thanks
Joy the Baker
Hi Jodie, I typically only offer the dry ingredients in grams or ounces. The rest should be easy enough with a set of teaspoons! Happy Baking!