Chai Sugar Cookies
With warm, cozy spices and the sweet, buttery flavour of a good sugar cookie, these chai sugar cookies are guaranteed to be a hit! Enjoy them with a warm cup of tea for the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
Chai sugar cookies are the bee’s knees! They’ve got all the warmth of a hot mug of chai, but in the form of a snackable cookie. And this version is vegan thanks to a few simple ingredient swaps!
Using plant-based butter and milk makes this chai sugar cookie recipe completely dairy-free, and there’s no need for eggs either. The vegan butter gives the cookies that rich sugar cookie flavour and texture—you’ll never guess these cookies are vegan.
As a bonus, your kitchen will smell absolutely divine as these bake up in the oven!
Why You’ll Love This Chai Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Cozy flavour. There’s something about those warm chai spices that feels like a hug for your soul. If you adore the flavour of chai, you’ll love these cookies!
- Easy to make. This recipe is a cinch to make, no more difficult than making vegan sugar cookies or vegan chocolate chip cookies.
- Great for any occasion. Whether you’re craving a cozy treat during the colder months or looking for a unique cookie recipe to add to your holiday baking lineup, chai sugar cookies are always a good choice.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Chai spices – You’ll need cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
- Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour, but a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour will also work.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Vegan butter – Use store-bought or homemade vegan butter.
- White sugar – You’ll need some for the dough and some for rolling the cookies.
- Brown sugar – I recommend light brown sugar, which has a milder flavour than dark brown.
- Vanilla extract
- Plant-based milk – Use a variety that’s unsweetened and unflavoured.
Can I Use a Chai Spice Blend in This Recipe?
Yes, you can use a pre-made chai spice blend in this recipe instead of the individual spices listed. If you’re using a blend, you’ll need about 2 1/2 teaspoons. Keep in mind that depending on the blend you use, the flavour may vary slightly from the homemade mix.
How to Make Chai Sugar Cookies
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the spice blend. Whisk together the chai spices and reserve ½ teaspoon for rolling the cookies.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and the rest of the spices.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the vegan butter and sugars on medium-high speed until they’re light and fluffy.
- Add the rest of the liquid ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low speed, then add the plant milk and vanilla.
- Finish the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix on lowest speed just until combined.
- Make the spiced sugar coating. Mix ⅓ cup of sugar with the reserved spices for rolling the cookies.
- Form the cookies. Scoop 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Then, roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
- Soften the butter. For best results, make sure your vegan butter is softened to room temperature before starting the recipe. This will help it mix evenly into the rest of the ingredients.
- Don’t overmix. When adding the dry ingredients to the wet, be careful not to overmix. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Don’t reuse hot baking sheets. If you don’t have enough cookie sheets for all of the cookies and have to reuse one, make sure you let it cool completely between batches. Adding cookie dough to a hot baking sheet will make the cookies spread and may over-bake the bottoms.
Variations
- Drizzle melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies for a pretty finishing touch.
- Or, dip half of each cookie into dark or white chocolate for some extra decadence.
- Add chopped candied ginger to the cookie dough for some extra warmth and an added chewy texture.
- Fold chopped walnuts or pecans into the dough before baking to add some crunch.
How to Store
Store chai sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
You can freeze chai sugar cookies either before or after baking for up to 3 months. If freezing before baking, roll the dough into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Freeze for an hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling in spiced sugar and baking as directed.
If freezing after baking, allow the cookies to cool completely before placing them in a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw at room temperature and serve.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Gingersnap Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
Enjoy friends! If you make this chai sugar cookies recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Chai Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅓ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 1 ¾ cup flour, 220g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened (115g)
- ⅓ cup white sugar, 67g
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, 73g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plant-based milk, 60g
For rolling:
- ⅓ cup white sugar, 67g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, ground cloves and allspice spices and set ½ teaspoon aside for rolling the cookies.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and the rest of the spice mix.
- Beat the vegan butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. On low speed, mix in the plant based milk and vanilla; the mixture will curdle slightly.
- Add dry ingredients and mix on lowest speed just until combined. This will take about 20 seconds; it’s important to not overmix at this point.
- Mix the final ⅓ cup of sugar (listed under "for rolling) with the reserved ½ teaspoon of spices for rolling the cookies.
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Then roll it in the spiced sugar and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough. Leave about 2 inches of space between the cookies.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges begin to brown lightly.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- To store: Store chai sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- To freeze: You can freeze chai sugar cookies either before or after baking for up to 3 months. If freezing before baking, roll the dough into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Freeze for an hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling in spiced sugar and baking as directed. If freezing after baking, allow the cookies to cool completely before placing them in a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw at room temperature and serve.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Hi! I would love to try these but I’m not seeing flour in the ingredient list. How much do we need? I will try it with gluten-free flour and let you know how it goes 🙂 They look amazing!
Hi N,
The flour amount is right under the spices, 1 ¾ cup/220g! Enjoy so much!
Absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to make!
These are DELICIOUS and have lots of yummy flavor without being too sweet – absolutely wonderful! My only question for Jessica is, I printed this recipe several days ago and, at that time, step #7 said to “scoop 3 tablespoons”, which I did – they seemed rather large and only made 10. So, thinking I’d lost my mind, I went back into your site and this recipe now says to “scoop 1.5 tablespoons” – was it adjusted recently? No big deal – I will make them smaller next time and will be happy to have even more to enjoy!