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Chai snickerdoodle cookies on a white plate
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Chai Snickerdoodles

Aromatic Chai spices update the most buttery, tender snickerdoodle cookies!
Course Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 24

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.