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    Home » Baking » Soft Chai Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

    Published: Oct 9, 2020 Last Modified: Oct 9, 2020 by Bessie Bakes · 20 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    Soft Chai Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

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    The most soft and buttery chai snickerdoodle cookies ever! via @bessiebakes

    Imagine biting into a melt-in-your-mouth, soft and buttery Chai Snickerdoodle, cookie coated in sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves.  The aroma of chai spices and buttery cookies being baked in the oven is quite intoxicating.

    A cup of hot tea, coffee, or milk might encourage you to slow down and take a deep breath while sinking your teeth into these buttery gems.

    Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies on an oval plate

    Snickerdoodle cookies are my absolute favorite cookie that my grandmother used to bake growing up.  She even used to call me snickerdoodle, so whenever I think of these cookies I am immediately transported back in time and feel a sense of connection with her.

    Not only do they hold a special place in my heart, but they are absolutely DIVINE and quite possibly some of the best cookies I have ever eaten!

    The only slight change I’ve made to the recipe is adding a lovely chai spice blend to coat the cookies in, instead of just cinnamon and sugar.  I’m pretty positive my grandmother would even approve!

    A bowl of chai spices with sugar
    A bowl of chai spices with a spatula and pink napkin

    How to enhance the flavor and texture of these cookies

    1. If you can’t find ground cardamom in your local grocery store (here is an Amazon affiliate link–>), grind whole cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle (take them out of their green shell first) with the other spices to help create friction.  Or you can put them in a Ziploc bag and pound them with a small pan or rolling pin.  Don’t worry if they don’t completely grind into a powder.  Those tiny speckles of cardamom will enhance the aroma and flavor of the cookies.
    2. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar right off the bat, cream the butter first with the salt until it’s the consistency of thick mayo to create an even lighter and fluffier texture.  Then add the sugar to the butter and cream once more.
    3. Lastly, don’t over-bake the cookies!  Take them out of the oven just after they just start to crack on the surface.  If they are still a little underdone, they will still continue to bake outside of the oven.  You might have to sacrifice one cookie to test for doneness once they have cooled for a few minutes.  If they are still gooey in the center, stick them back in the oven for 1-2 minutes.  SET THE TIMER TOO!!!
    4. Although chilling the dough seems like a hassle, it really helps the gluten relax and enhances the soft and buttery texture. Place in the fridge for two hours or up to overnight to allow the dough to chill.  This step is very important because it helps the dough to relax and improves the texture.  If you are like me and are in a hurry, simply place the logs in the freezer for one hour or then it’s ready to be baked.
    Butter and sugar mixed in a bowl
    Chai Snickerdoodle cookie dough on parchment
    Snickerdoodle cookie dough wrapped in a parchment paper log

    How to shape the snickerdoodles

    Since we have the cookie dough chilling in a log shape, simply slice the cookie dough slices about an inch wide and roll them in a ball in your hands.

    Sicnkerdoodle cookie ball rolled in chai spices
    Chai Snickerdoodle cookie ball in spices
    Chai Snickerdoodles on parchment paper

    What if my cookies don’t crack on the surface?

    It may be hard to tell but the photo of the cookies below had teeny tiny cracks on the surface. Sometimes the cracks are bigger, but sometimes they are really small.

    Either way, I would recommend taking them out of the oven right at 8 minutes and letting the rest and testing one cookie out since it’s easy to over-bakes these cookie.

    Chai Snickerdoodles baked on parchment paper

    “No joke, these are some of the best cookies I’ve ever had.”

    Comment from this pin on Pinterest

    Chai snickerdoodle cookies held in a hand on a plate
    Chai Snickerdoodle cookie cut in half

    Bon Appétit Ya’ll,

    Leslie O.

    Chai snickerdoodle cookies on a white plate

    Chai Snickerdoodles

    Aromatic Chai spices update the most buttery, tender snickerdoodle cookies!
    4.50 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cookies
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 24
    Author: Bessie Bakes

    Ingredients

    Wet Ingredients

    • 2 sticks butter softened to room temp
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla

    Dry Ingredients

    • 2 3/4 cup All purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

    Chai Spice Sugar Mixture

    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 tsp ground cloves
    • 1 tsp cardamom whole pods or pre-ground
    • 5 TBSP sugar

    Instructions

    For the wet ingredients

    • Bring the butter to room temperature. With an electric beater or stand mixer, beat the butter and salt for 1-2 minutes until it's the texture of thick mayonnaise. Add the sugar and beat for another 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
    • With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl to incorporate the eggs.
      Butter and sugar mixed in a bowl

    For the dry ingredients

    • Sift the flour and baking powder together. Keep the mixer on low speed and slowing add in the dry ingredients in stages until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl periodically. STOP MIXING as soon as the ingredients are incorporated!

    Options for Chilling the Dough

    • Press the dough into one long log or two shorter logs and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours, or up to overnight. 
      Snickerdoodle cookie dough wrapped in a parchment paper log
    • If you are short on time, you can also freeze the logs for one hour until they are chilled.  

    For the Chai Spice Sugar Mixture

    • While the dough is chilling, grind the cardamom if using whole pods. Remove the seed from the shell and mix with the other spices. Grind together in a mortar and pestle or in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin or the back of a small pan. It's ok if the seeds aren't completely ground.

      You can certainly use pre-ground cardamom instead.  Mix the remaining 5 Tbsp. sugar with the spices on a plate or bowl and set aside.
      A bowl of chai spices with a spatula and pink napkin
    • Unwrap the chilled dough and cut into 1-inch slices. Roll into balls and roll into the sugar and spice mixture to coat.
      Sicnkerdoodle cookie ball rolled in chai spices
    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    • Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet 3 inches apart.
      Chai Snickerdoodles on parchment paper
    • Bake for 8-10 minutes until they just start to crack on the surface. DON'T OVERBAKE! Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack before serving. If you are unsure if they are set in the middle, open up one cookie after they have cooled a bit. If they are still gooey, put back in the oven for 1 minute at a time. SET A TIMER!!
      Chai Snickerdoodles baked on parchment paper

    Video

    Notes

    The cookie dough can be kept frozen for up to one month.
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Bessie.Bakes or tag #BessieBakes!
    The Best Soft Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies #snickerdoodles
    soft chai snickerdoodle cookie recipe

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Hamilton says

      December 14, 2015 at 3:03 pm

      These look so yummy! I can’t wait to sit down with a hot cup of earl grey and a plate of these with a friend!

      Reply
      • Leslie Osborne says

        December 14, 2015 at 3:59 pm

        Oh earl grey is my favorite tea! I think that would be a perfect tea to compliment these cookies.

        Reply
    2. Sandhya says

      December 15, 2015 at 4:40 am

      I love the addition of chai spice to the snicker doodles!

      Reply
    3. LydiaF says

      December 15, 2015 at 6:02 pm

      5 stars
      I already love snickerdoodles and the idea of adding chai spices just takes them over the top! Wonderful!

      Reply
    4. Tracy @ Served from Scratch says

      December 16, 2015 at 12:53 am

      This is my husband’s favorite cookie! What a delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • Leslie Osborne says

        December 16, 2015 at 3:55 am

        This is my grandmother’s beloved recipe with the simple twist of chai spices. I really think it’s the best snickerdoodle I’ve ever had!

        Reply
    5. Nellie says

      December 16, 2015 at 2:41 am

      Genius! Coating these snickerdoodles with chai spice & cinnamon & sugar! Yes! I can’t wait to bake these & make my house smell SO yummy!!!

      Reply
      • Leslie Osborne says

        December 16, 2015 at 3:54 am

        Oh totally Nellie! I’m making these for Christmas Eve again myself:)

        Reply
    6. Sara @ Life's Little Sweets says

      December 16, 2015 at 5:46 am

      5 stars
      Wow, one of my favorite cookies with chai? What a winner, thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
    7. Claudia | Gourmet Project says

      December 16, 2015 at 2:17 pm

      5 stars
      I’m a chaiaholic, so this recipes goes right on my to-do (soon) list!

      Reply
    8. Choclette says

      December 16, 2015 at 9:02 pm

      5 stars
      Never tried a snickerdoodle, but they sound wonderful with all those chai spices. I might just have to try some 🙂

      Reply
      • Leslie Osborne says

        December 16, 2015 at 9:16 pm

        Oh gosh, you really should try them, especially this recipe, as my grandmother made the best snickerdoodles ever! Not-too-sweet and buttery, tender cookies.

        Reply
    9. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

      December 16, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      4 stars
      I can just image the lovely smells as you make these.

      Reply
    10. Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says

      December 16, 2015 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      The chai spices are such a yummy addition to this recipe. Snickerdoodles are one of my Christmas time favorite and it looks like you’ve managed to improve on them!

      Reply
    11. Platter Talk says

      December 17, 2015 at 3:28 am

      5 stars
      We love snickerdoodles anything! These cookies fit the bill just perfectly!

      Reply
    12. Melissa says

      November 20, 2017 at 11:41 pm

      I love snickerdoodles and adding chai spices would make them that much better. I can’t wait to try these.

      Reply
    13. Kate says

      December 20, 2017 at 10:26 am

      2 stars
      The order of ingredients in the list is confusing to me. Normally the list follows the order you add them to the recipe. So I decided to not pay attention to the order and follow the recipe, but the salt is not discussed. When should it be added?!

      Reply
      • Leslie Osborne says

        December 20, 2017 at 10:33 am

        Sorry for the confusion! If you read the second sentence of the first step in the instructions it says, “With an electric beater or stand mixer, beat the butter and salt for 1-2 minutes until it’s the texture of thick mayonnaise.” This is when you add the salt.

        I’ll switch the order of the list of ingredients so it makes more sense. If you make these cookies, please feel free to come back and let me know how they turned out.

        Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    14. Lesya says

      December 20, 2018 at 8:46 pm

      5 stars
      Bessie!! Your video includes vanilla while your written recipe does not. I questioned it when I got to the eggs, double checked and went on. My dough is in the freezer… hope it still tastes good 😣

      Reply
      • Leslie Osborne says

        December 20, 2018 at 10:02 pm

        Thank you for catching that! Actually, I added vanilla in the video even though my grandmother’s recipe doesn’t call for it. It will still taste wonderful. It’s such a habit to add vanilla to every cookie recipe that I wasn’t even paying attention. It tastes great both ways, but I’ll add it to the recipe to reflect the video too. Let me know how they turn out! Take care.

        Reply

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