Chai Snickerdoodles Cookies are the best Christmas cookies, they have quickly become a family favorite. It's just about as easy to make as regular snickerdoodles and is the absolute best! Paired with Eggnog icing, they are our take on Taylor Swift Chai Cookies.
The inside is so soft, and slightly chewy, it's the perfect texture. The cardamom in the chai spice is the perfect complimentary flavor to the traditional cinnamon sugar. It gives it a nice oomph and really takes them to the next level for flavor.
These cookies are especially popular during the holiday season, but are delicious year round as a fun snickerdoodle alternative. Check out other fun variations below!
Take these to a cookie party with our Candy Cane White Chip Cookies, Molasses Crinkles Cookies and our Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies. Also check out our Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar.
How to Make Chai Cookies
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for best results.
- These are made just like any other cookie. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Start by beating the softened butter and sugar together until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat about another minute, then scrape down the sides and beat to combine.
- Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cardamom and salt. Mix until just combined. What I like to do is measure in the flour then the other dry ingredients on top. Then I use my (clean) fingers to gently give it a quick little mix. Nothing fancy or extensive, just enough to break up the baking soda, salt etc. so as to prevent little clumps of them.
- Once the dough is mixed, make the chai sugar mixture. Place the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg in a bowl and mix to combine.
- Form dough balls, around 1 ¼" diameter and roll into the chai sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet. I like to put about 12 on a sheet, as snickerdoodles tend to spread out a lot while baking. Bake 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done when the tops turn matte and the edges are set.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing. Enjoy!!
For the frosting: I like to use slightly softened butter for frosting/ icing. The butter should feel cold to the touch, but should make an indent when pressing you finger into it. Beat butter for 1 minute then add eggnog and nutmeg and beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Place frosting in a ziploc baggie and snip just the tip of one of the corners off. Squeeze frosting through the hole in any design you'd like!
Substitutions and Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- brown sugar- for a thicker, caramel-y cookie, substitute half the sugar for brown sugar.
- white chocolate- instead of eggnog frosting, melt white chips or almond bark then follow directions for putting on cookies.
- chai powder- use chai powder instead of cardamom in the cookies and instead of the cinnamon and cardamom in the sugar mix.
- vanilla- for a warm vanilla caramel-type flavor add in 1.5 teaspoons vanilla at the same time as adding the eggs.
- ginger- for that yummy chai ginger flavor add ½ teaspoon ginger seasoning to the sugar mix.
- chocolate- substitute ½ cup of the flour for 7 Tablespoons of cocoa powder for a fun chocolate variation.
- pumpkin- make our yummy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles and add 1 teaspoons cardamom with the flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons cardamom to the sugar mix.
- dirty chai cookies- add 1 Tablespoon espresso powder with the dry ingredients.
Top Tips
Don't over mix the dough after adding the dry ingredients! Mix only until combined or your cookies will be tough instead of soft.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
These cookies freeze really well. I like to freeze them while they are still slightly warm. It makes them suuuper soft when thawing and eating.
Recipe
Chai Snickerdoodles with Eggnog Frosting
Ingredients
Cookie:
- ¾ cup salted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¾ cups + 2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chai mix:
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoons cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Frosting:
- ¼ cup salted butter add ⅛ teaspoon salt if using unsalted
- 2 Tablespoons eggnog
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the dough:
- Preheat the oven to 400*F
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and beat about another minute, then scrape down the sides and beat to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
For the Chai:
- Mix ingredients together in a small bowl.
Make the Cookies:
- Form dough into balls then roll into chai sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done when the top is matte and the edges juuuust start to darken.
For the frosting:
- Get slightly softened butter- A little softened, but also still a little cold. Beat butter for 1 minute then add eggnog and nutmeg and beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined.
- Place frosting in a ziploc baggie and snip just the tip of one of the corners off.
- Make sure cookies are cooled completely then decorate lightly in favorite design.
JCW says
These were so incredibly good. Best snickerdoodles I've ever had. The flavor was amazing and the texture was perfectly soft and chewy. Will make again and again and again. Outside Christmas season, I'll make these without the eggnog icing.
Zach says
I LOVE snickerdoodles, so I was skeptical at first, but they're so good! Another win for Nicole and Andrea.