These soft and chewy Taylor Swift chai sugar cookies made with warm chai spices and topped with a nutmeg glaze frosting are the perfect warm and cozy cookies for all my fellow Swifties.
Taylor Swift is the main character of the world right now. And as a verified major Swiftie who’s listened to, cried to, and memorized every one of her eras, it would be a disservice to not recreate her famous chai cookies recipe.
These chai sugar cookies are slightly adapted from the original Taylor Swift recipe for a more gentle sweetness. This chai tea cookies recipe features a chai tea bag along with added cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger for a more pronounced chai spice flavor.
If you love chai spices and cookies, you will love these Taylor swift chai sugar cookies. Here are the top three reasons why you should make this chai cookies recipe.
Soft and chewy. These chai tea cookies have a soft and chewy texture that is infused with delicious chai spices.
Fall/Winter Vibes. The warm cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and chai tea bags in these chai sugar cookies are giving major fall and winter vibes.
Easy to make! There’s nothing better than making a chai cookies recipe, that is foolproof and easy to make.
Kitchen Equipment
You will need the following items of kitchen equipment to make this Taylor Swift cookie recipe.
Kitchen Scale: a kitchen scale is necessary if you want to have the most foolproof chai tea cookies. Measuring the right amount of flour is crucial for the perfect cookie.
Mixing Bowls:mixing bowls are one of my main kitchen essentials for almost all of my recipes. You will use them to measure out your ingredients and mix the dry ingredients.
Round cookie cutter: For perfectly round cookies, I recommend using a large round cookie cutter and swirling the freshly baked chai cookies on the baking tray to create perfect circles.
Ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients for this chai sugar cookie recipe at your local grocery store. I’ve linked all the ingredients that I used for these Taylor Swift cookies for you below.
All-Purpose Flour:all-purpose flour creates a tender yet hearty crumb for these chai tea cookies. Make sure to measure your flour with a scale! If you don’t have a scale, make sure to fluff up the flour before spooning it into your measuring cup and lightly leveling it off with a knife. Do not pack the flour into the cup!
Baking Soda:baking soda aids in the rise of the chai spice cookies so the final texture is not too dense.
Salt:salt balances and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
Chai Tea Bag: the original Taylor Swift recipe calls for a whole bag of chai tea.
Unsalted butter: use unsalted butter to control the salt content in your cookies and make sure the butter is room temperature to easily mix it with the sugar.
Vegetable Oil: adding vegetable oil gives the chai tea cookies a soft crumb and chewy texture.
Granulated sugar: these chai sugar cookies are sweetened with granulated sugar
Powdered Sugar:powdered sugar also adds additional sweetness while also creating an extra tender texture.
Large Egg: the egg binds the cookie together and gives the cookie its soft and chewy texture.
Vanilla Extract:vanilla extract adds another level of warm sweetness to this chai cookies recipe.
Cinnamon Sugar
Cinnamon Sugar: The cinnamon sugar coating creates an additional warm and sweet flavor around the cookie. This step is optional if you prefer a less sweet cookie.
Icing
Powdered Sugar:powdered sugar is the base for the icing it contains a small amount of cornstarch which allows it to thicken and dry.
Whole Milk or Eggnog: in Taylor Swift’s recipe, she uses eggnog, but for a lighter glaze, you can use milk instead.
GroundNutmeg and Cinnamon:nutmeg and cinnamon add additional warm spice flavors to the spiced chai cookies.
Substitutions and Additions
You can make any substitutions or additions to this chai sugar cookie recipe based on your preferences. I’ve listed some suggestions for you below.
Substitutions
Flour: you can substitute the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour which will change the texture and flavor of the chai tea cookies.
Brown sugar: if you’d like more depth in the sweetness, you can substitute the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
Coarse sugar: if you don’t like the grainy texture of a sugar-coated spiced chai cookie, you can use coarse sugar instead.
Additions
Nuts: You can add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for more of a crunch.
Chocolate: you can make chocolate chip chai cookies by adding chocolate chips to your batter.
Food coloring and sprinkles: you can customize your Taylor cookies based on your favorite era by making them colorful and decorated with sparkly sprinkles!
How to Make Chai Sugar Cookies
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this Taylor Swift chai cookies recipe. I recommend measuring all the ingredients first before you begin.
Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and chai tea until combined. Set aside.
Combine the butter, oil and sugar. In a large mixing bowl or the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute then add the vegetable oil, sugar, and powdered sugar and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to combine.
Add egg and vanilla. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined.
Combine dry ingredients. Next, slowly combine the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix to combine.
Chill. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center position. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop and cover in cinnamon sugar. In a small mixing bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough. Roll each dough in the cinnamon sugar until covered.
Gently flatten the cookie dough. Place the cookie dough balls onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Using your palm or a flat-bottomed glass gently press down the dough balls until they are about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly golden brown along the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon. When the cookies have cooled completely, spoon the glaze over the center. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookies
Measure your flour with a scale! Adding too much flour to the cookie dough will make it taste like flour. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. The second best is to fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into a measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Use room-temperature butter and eggs. Room-temperature butter and eggs will be easier to blend into the chai spice cookie dough to create a smooth, uniform textured batter.
Use an oven thermometer! Not all ovens are created equally. The best way to know the most accurate temperature is to place an oven thermometer in your oven and adjust your oven accordingly.
Chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the cookies will allow the butter to solidify and allow the flour to hydrate which improves the taste and texture and prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly.
Gently flatten the dough before baking. If you’d like a more evenly baked cookie without a hump in the center, use a flat-bottomed glass and press the dough down until it is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
Use a cookie cutter for round cookies. For perfectly round chai sugar cookies, I recommend using a large cookie cutter and swirling the freshly baked Taylor Swift cookies on the baking tray to create perfect circles.
Storage Instructions
You can store these Taylor Swift chai cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze: you can freeze the baked chai sugar cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
To freeze the dough, scoop out the balls of dough into a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then freeze in the freezer for 2 hours or until solid. Then remove the balls and store them in a freezer-safe container.
To bake, roll them in the cinnamon sugar and bake at 330 degrees F for 3-5 minutes longer directly from the freezer.
Frequently Asked Q’s and A’s
What are Taylor Swift’s chai cookies?
Taylor Swift chai cookies were created by Taylor Swift in the fall of 2014! She adapted a sugar recipe from Joy the baker where she added a chai tea bag and her cinnamon eggnog icing.
What do Taylor Swift’s chai cookies taste like?
Think of a traditional sugar cookie infused with a chai tea bag and warm spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. They are soft and lightly chewy in texture and then frosted with a nutmeg glaze.
Can I make these chai sugar cookies in advance?
Yes! You can easily bake and freeze this chai tea cookie recipe for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can mix the batter, scoop, chill and freeze the batter for up to 3 months.
These soft and chewy Taylor Swift chai sugar cookies made with warm chai spices and topped with a nutmeg glaze frosting are the perfect warm and cozy cookies for all my fellow Swifties.
Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and chai tea until combined. Set aside.
Combine the butter, oil and sugar. In a large mixing bowl or the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute then add the vegetable oil, sugar, and powdered sugar and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to combine.
Add egg and vanilla. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined.
Combine dry ingredients. Next, slowly combine the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix combine.
Chill. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center position. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop and cover in cinnamon sugar. In a small mixing bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough. Roll each dough in the cinnamon sugar until covered.
Gently flatten the cookie dough. Place the cookie dough balls onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Using your palm or a flat-bottomed glass gently press down the dough balls until they are about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake. Bake each tray of cookies one at a time for 9-11 minutes or until lightly golden brown along the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon. When the cookies have cooled completely, spoon the glaze over the center. Enjoy!
Notes
Measure your flour with a scale! Adding too much flour to the cookie dough will make it taste like flour. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. The second best is to fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into a measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Use room-temperature butter and eggs. Room-temperature butter and eggs will be easier to blend into the chai spice cookie dough to create a smooth, uniform textured batter.
Chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the cookies will allow the butter to solidify and allow the flour to hydrate which improves the taste and texture and prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly.
Gently flatten the dough before baking. If you’d like a more evenly baked cookie without a hump in the center, use a flat-bottomed glass and press the dough down until it is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
Use a cookie cutter for round cookies. For perfectly round chai sugar cookies, I recommend using a large cookie cutter and swirling the freshly baked Taylor Swift cookies on the baking tray to create perfect circles.
Storage Instructions: You can store these Taylor Swift chai cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze: you can freeze the baked chai sugar cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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