Famous Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles (Crispy, chewy, perfect.)

If you’ve never made chai spiced snickerdoodles, you’re in for a treat. This is the best snickerdoodle cookie we’ve ever tasted.

Firstly, I need to admit my obsession with chai-spiced-anything. It’s been ongoing thing for the last few years.

And then when I recently gave up coffee, it became a little more intense (if that’s possible).

I have chai spiced hand lotion AND lip balm in my purse, and a cup of chai tea sitting on the table as I write this.

You can try to convince me there is a cozier, better-smelling scent (and flavor) than chai spice, but it will be a hard sell!

Vertical image of cookies cooling on a wire rack with text "Best homemade snickerdoodle recipe - with chai spice!"

Needless to say, it was past time to try some chai spiced snickerdoodle cookies. And once I did, they became famous in my (recipe) book.

If you, too, are chai-crazy, you might love this recipe as much as I do.

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Essential ingredients for Chai Spiced Cookies

The typical chai flavor can actually include a different combination of spices.

The most common are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and black pepper.

Five small white ceramic dishes with cinnamon, ginger, pepper, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg.

Some chai blends also use star anise, allspice and fennel.

It is really a matter of preference as to what spices you include, although we’re going pretty traditional with this recipe.

Read next: Iced Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies

Steps for Making Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles

What I love about snickerdoodles is they are like making an easier version of a sugar cookie.

There’s no need to chill the dough, and then roll it out, etc.

You will start by blending the butter and sugars in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer in a large bowl).

Blending butter, sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer.

Then add the wet ingredients (eggs and vanilla). If you have access to farm-fresh eggs, they make the best baked goods!

Next, the blended dry ingredients go into the wet mixture to create a sticky dough.

The dough is then rolled into balls in the remaining chai spice blend.

Dough balls spaced apart on parchment paper and rolled in chai spice mixture.

You’ll bake the cookies just until the edges are set, for about 10 minutes.

These chai spiced snickerdoodles should have slightly crispy edges and a soft, chewy center once they’re done. (Don’t overbake!)

Top view of baked cookies on a stoneware platter on top of plaid flannel tablecloth.

You will love the delicious aroma that will fill your home as you bake these!

Chai snickerdoodles are so good, you’ll want to make a double batch to eat now, or freeze the dough for another round later on.

Enjoy!

Yield: 24-36

Spiced Chai Snickerdoodles

Chai spiced snickerdoodles on a plate on plaid flannel background, with a bite out of one cookie.

Delicious, chewy and crispy chai spice snickerdoodles will become your new favorite cookie.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chai Spice Mixture:

  • 3 Tablespoons cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For Cookie dough:

  • 2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons of the chai spice mix (above)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mixture to roll dough in:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons chai spice mix (above)

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
    2. For the chai spice mix - mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.
    3. For the cookies - In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter, sugar and brown sugar. Cream until smooth.
    4. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix again until smooth - scraping down the sides and mixing again when needed.
    5. Mix together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl: flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and the 2 Tablespoons of chai spice. Add to wet mixture and mix well, scraping the sides and mixing thoroughly. The dough will be sticky.
    6. For the coating - in a small bowl, combine the sugar and chai spice. Whisk to combine.
    7. Using a heaping tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop out enough dough to form a golf ball sized ball. Roll in the sugar coating and place on the parchment lined baking sheets. Allow about three inches of spread around each cookie (6 per cookie sheet is best). Flatten each ball slightly with your palm to help cookies spread. Once each cookie is rolled, dipped and flattened, sprinkle a little extra remaining sugar coating over each cookie for some extra sweetness.
    8. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. The edges should just be set and slightly browned and the center no longer shiny. Allow to cool.

Notes

I like to store any remaining chai spice mix in the freezer to use for the next batch later on.

You might also like:

Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies with Icing

Toasted S’mores Cookies

Easy Cake Mix Cookie Bars

Frosted Mocha Brownies

Vertical image of cookies on a cooling rack with text overlay "Chewy, crispy Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles"

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