These Chai Sugar Cookies combine warm chai spices with fresh orange zest for an unexpected twist on classic sugar cookies. Rolled in chai-spiced sugar before baking, they have a lightly crisp exterior and soft, chewy centers. Best of all, theyāre easy to make in under 45 minutes and bake up perfectly round!
My inspiration for these cookies came from my sprinkle sugar cookies. I loved their soft, chewy texture and wanted to create a version with warmer flavors for my fall baking collection.
During my first round of testing the recipe, I loved the combination of sugar cookies with my homemade chai spice, but something was missing. I didnāt want to add a glaze, so I started experimenting with other flavors. Fresh orange zest turned out to be exactly what these cookies needed! It adds a subtle citrus note that complements the warm spices without overpowering them.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter: Use softened butter so it creams easily with the sugar. I prefer unsalted butter because it lets me control the amount of salt in my cookies, but if you use salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe to Ā½ teaspoon.
- Chai spice: I always make a batch of homemade chai spice at the beginning of the season and use it for these cookies. During testing, I found that a generous amount of spice was needed to give the cookies a distinct chai flavor. If you donāt have a prepared blend, Iāve included the individual spice measurements in the next section!
- Orange zest: Finely zest the orange using a microplane so it distributes evenly throughout the dough. I also like to rub the zest into my granulated sugar to bring out even more orange flavor. This helps release the fragrant oils from the zest into the sugar.
Please see the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and measurements.
How to Make Chai Spice for These Cookies
If you prefer to make just enough chai spice for this recipe, you can mix the following spices together in a small bowl:
- 1 Ā¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Ā½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Ā½ teaspoon ground cloves
- Ā¼ teaspoon ground allspice
This makes 4 teaspoons of chai spice. Use 3 teaspoons in the cookie dough, reserving the remaining 1 teaspoon for the sugar coating.
Tips for Perfect Chai Sugar Cookies
- Donāt skimp on the spices. The chai flavor should be noticeable without overpowering the sugar cookie base. Using the full amount of spice in both the dough and sugar coating gives these cookies their distinct chai flavor.
- Roll in chai-spiced sugar. The coating adds another layer of chai flavor and gives the cookies a delicate texture on the outside without making them overly sweet!
- Check visual cues too! These cookies take about 12-13 minutes to bake, but I always look for lightly golden edges. The cookies should also be puffed, with centers that look set but havenāt browned.
- Allow time to set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This gives them time to firm up so they donāt break when moved.
Storage and Freezing Tips
Storing: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing cookie dough: Scoop the dough into balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, roll the frozen cookie dough in chai-spiced sugar and bake, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time as needed.
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Chai Sugar Cookies
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
Description
These Chai Sugar Cookies combine warm chai spices with fresh orange zest for an unexpected twist on classic sugar cookies. Rolled in chai-spiced sugar before baking, they have a lightly crisp exterior and soft, chewy centers. Best of all, theyāre easy to make in under 45 minutes and bake up perfectly round!
Ingredients
- 346 g (2 ā cups) all-purpose flour
- Ā¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chai spice*
- 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 250 g (1 Ā¼ cups) granulated sugar + 50 g (Ā¼ cup) for rolling
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 large egg + 1 yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350Ā°F/177Ā°C. Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and 1 tablespoon of chai spice.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter,Ā 250 g (1 Ā¼ cups sugar), and orange zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl, add in the egg, yolk, and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium-low speed until just combined.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining 50 g (Ā¼ cup) sugar and 1 teaspoon chia spice.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, scoop the dough, roll each cookie into a ball, then roll it in the sugar-spice mix until coated.
- Arrange the cookies on the prepared sheet pans, leaving 3 inches of space between each one.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes or until edges are just set and the centers are puffed. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the hot pan. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
*If you prefer to use individual spices, you can mix 1Ā¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, Ā½ teaspoon ground ginger, Ā½ teaspoon ground cloves, and Ā¼ teaspoon ground allspice.
Storage:Ā Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
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