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A soft and chewy sugar cookie speckled with cozy chai spices and dipped in an eggnog glaze. The internet-famous Taylor Swift chai cookies deserves a spot in your cookies box because they’re easy to make and the flavors give off the coziest holiday vibes.
Do you love chai? Try our white chocolate chai blondies or chai whoopie pies next.
Table of Contents
It’s no secret Taylor Swift is a trendsetter. Of the many trends she’s started, her chai cookies might be my favorite. We’re suckers for chai-flavored everything (case in point chai whoopie pies and white chocolate chai blondies).
We knew we needed to tackle taylor swift’s chai cookies. She originally modified Joy the Baker’s vanilla sugar cookies with chai spices and eggnog icing to make some epic chai sugar cookies.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients to make Taylor Swift Chai Cookies. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Flour: we tested this recipe with all-purpose flour and 1:1 gluten-free (Bob’s Red Mill) and both worked well.
- Leavens: this cookie dough relies on both baking soda and baking powder to help them rise. Make sure your ingredients are not expired for the best results.
- Unsalted butter: we always use quality butter when we’re baking cookies. You can also use vegan butter to keep them dairy-free.
- Sugar: for sweetness and texture.
- Chai spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, salt and black pepper.
- Eggs: large eggs are best for baking. We’re using an egg and an egg yolk for an extra chewy texture.
- Vanilla extract: we always have this on hand so it’s easy, but if you’re feeling fancy go ahead and use a real vanilla bean.
- Eggnog icing: eggnog (can sub milk), confectioners’ sugar, and nutmeg (optional).
Chai Tea Bag or Chai Spices?
Taylor’s version of the recipe calls for a chai tea packet. However, a packet of chai tea is mostly comprised of black tea with a bit of spice.
Using the actual spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and allspice will give you a deep chai flavor. I recommend using the spices over the crushed tea, however, the tea will work in a pinch.
You can add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg if you have those on hand.
How to Make Taylor Swift Chai Cookies
Here are the simple steps to make Taylor Swift Chai Cookies with photos. Jump down to the recipe card for the full recipe and video.
Step 1. Chai Mixture. Mix the chai spices and sugar in a medium bowl. Remove 1/3 cup of it to roll the cookies before baking.
Step 2. Dry Ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 3. Wet Ingredients. Beat the butter and remaining chai sugar for 2-3 minutes. Then add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
Step 4. Combine the Dough. Slow add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low.
Step 5. Roll in Chai Sugar. Scoop the cookie dough into 1.5 Tablespoons, roll into a ball, then roll in reserved chai sugar.
Step 6. Bake. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until they’re puffy. They will spread a bit, but they should be thick and chewy, like brown butter oatmeal cookies.
Step 6. Make Eggnog Icing. Mix the powdered sugar, eggnog or heavy cream and nutmeg together in a medium bowl.
Step 6. Ice the Cookies. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes then dip them upside down in the icing, shaking off excess. The icing will harden as it sets.
Icing Tip!
The icing should be thick. You’re going to think you didn’t add enough eggnog to the powdered sugar at first. Keep stirring, it will come together. Add just a tiny bit more eggnog as needed, it’s better to be too thick than too thin.
We’re massive fans of the eggnog frosting on our melt-in-your-mouth eggnog cookies, however, we’re going for more of an icing texture on top of the cookies.
Expert Cookie Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: this includes the butter and eggs. The butter needs to be at the correct temperature to reach the desired thick and chewy texture. The cookies will flatten and spread if the butter is too warm. Adding cold eggs to the room temperature butter and sugar is also not ideal. It will cool the butter down and change the texture.
- Use a cookie scoop: get the cookies the same size so they bake evenly.
- Don’t add extra eggnog to the icing: the icing is better off too thick than too thin and running down the sides of the cookies.
How to Store
Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Baked cookies, with or without icing, can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and enjoy!
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Taylor Swift Chai Cookies
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Ingredients
Chai Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spoon and leveled (can sub 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Eggnog Icing
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons eggnog or heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, salt and pepper. Remove 1/3 cup of it to a small bowl for later when you’re ready to roll the cookies.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar with the spices on high speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Do not skip this step.
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, another 1-2 minutes, until the yellow streaks are gone and the dough is light and fluffy. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. The dough should be thick.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls, 1.5 Tablespoons each. Roll them into the chai-sugar topping and arrange them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. They will be soft and puffy. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
- While they’re cooling, make the frosting. Mix the powdered sugar, eggnog or heavy cream and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Spoon the icing over the cooled cookies and allow to set.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment paper
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh these are delicious! Perfect amount of spice and great texture! It is impossible to eat just one. Perfect addition to my Christmas cookie tray! #whatwemade
Thanks!
my best friend and i hosted a soup party tonight and i made these cookies for dessert! such a hit with everyone! the eggnog frosting was so good and everyone was asking for the recipe! also when making these, i ate a substantial amount of the dough…loved these cookies!! definitely will make them again
#whatwemade
oh my gosh love this! Also how do I get invited to the next soup party!
Wow! These cookies are a new favorite in our household. My husbands number 1 cookie has always been a snickerdoodle and this just beat that out. The classic sugar cookie mixed with the warm spices of a chai latte is such a burst of flavor. Such a good holiday cookie to bring to parties! #whatwemade
Wow thank you Olivia!
#whatwemade. I really love these cookies. I will add them to my Christmas collection. I did have extra sugar mixture so I sprinkled on top of glaze. They were eaten and gone in 2 days. Thank you Molly
Thanks Renee!!
These cookies (pre-glaze) are incredible. They really remind me of snickerdoodles, but with a slight bit of extra warmth to them – delicious! I will be skipping the glaze and instead drizzling with a bit of apple cider caramel that I made for another recipe, but I am so impressed.
That sounds delicious! Thanks!
These are so good and a new Christmas cookie staple in my house. Highly recommend!
Can you leave the cookies at room temperature with the egg nog/ whipping cream in the icing?
these were so delish!!!
These turned out amazing! I followed the recipe exactly except I only added 1/2 teaspoon on cardamon (just personal preference). I ran out of glaze/frosting but I think I made my cookies slightly smaller so I had more. I will definitely make these again.