Warm Spiced Chai Gingerbread Cookies

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I’ve always been torn between my love for gingerbread cookies and my obsession with chai tea. Every December, I find myself dunking gingerbread cookies into my evening chai, thinking there has to be a better way to combine these two comfort foods. Well, after years of wishing, I finally created it.

These spiced chai gingerbread cookies bring together the warm spices of traditional gingerbread with the cardamom, cinnamon, and black tea notes that make chai so cozy. The result is a cookie that tastes like the holidays and your favorite coffee shop had a delicious baby. I make a double batch every time because my family goes through them faster than I can brew a pot of tea.

Want soft and chewy cookies? I’ve got the technique for you. Prefer them with a little crisp around the edges? Just bake them a minute longer. Either way, your kitchen will smell like the most welcoming bakery in Portland.

What Kind of Flour Should I Use?

All-purpose flour is your best bet for these spiced chai gingerbread cookies, and it’s what most people already have in their pantry. You’ll want to avoid cake flour since it’s too soft and will make your cookies too tender to hold their shape during rolling and cutting. Bread flour, on the other hand, has too much protein and will make your cookies tough and chewy rather than that perfect tender-crisp texture you’re after. If you’re measuring by cups rather than weight, make sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off – packing it down will give you too much flour and result in dry, crumbly cookies.

Options for Substitutions

These spiced cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Spices: Don’t have all the spices? You can use 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice instead of mixing individual spices. If you’re missing cardamom, just add a bit more cinnamon and ginger.
• Molasses: If you don’t have molasses, you can substitute with honey or dark corn syrup, though the flavor will be a bit different. For a closer match, mix 3/4 cup brown sugar with 1/4 cup water.
• Brown sugar: You can make your own by mixing 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons molasses, or just use all granulated sugar (though you’ll lose some of that rich flavor).
• All-purpose flour: This is one ingredient you shouldn’t substitute – all-purpose flour gives these cookies their perfect texture and structure.
• Heavy cream: For the icing, you can use milk instead of heavy cream, but start with less (about 2-3 tablespoons) since it’s thinner. You can also use half-and-half.
• Instant espresso powder: Skip this if you don’t have it, or substitute with 1 teaspoon of very strong cooled coffee. The cookies will still taste great without it.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making gingerbread cookies is adding too much flour, which creates tough, dry cookies instead of the tender, chewy texture you want – start with the base amount and only add extra flour one tablespoon at a time if your dough is too sticky to handle.

Another common error is rolling the dough too thin, as these spiced cookies need to be at least 1/4 inch thick to maintain their soft center and prevent them from becoming hard and crispy.

Don’t skip chilling the dough for at least 2 hours before rolling, because warm dough will spread too much during baking and lose those clean, sharp edges that make gingerbread cookies so appealing.

Finally, watch your baking time carefully – these cookies are done when the edges are just set but the centers still look slightly soft, as they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven.

What to Serve With Spiced Chai Gingerbread Cookies?

These warm, spiced cookies are perfect alongside a hot cup of coffee, chai tea, or even a glass of cold milk for dunking. I love serving them as part of a holiday cookie platter with other festive treats like sugar cookies and shortbread. They also make a great dessert after a cozy winter meal – try them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. For something extra special, crumble them over yogurt or oatmeal for a breakfast treat that tastes like the holidays.

Storage Instructions

Store: These spiced cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to layer them between sheets of parchment paper to keep the icing from sticking together. They actually taste even better after a day or two when all those warm spices have had time to meld together.

Freeze: You can freeze the baked and decorated cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Just make sure they’re completely set first, and separate each layer with parchment paper. The dough also freezes beautifully – just wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge before rolling and baking.

Make Ahead: This is one of my favorite cookies to make ahead during the holidays! You can bake the cookies up to 3 days before decorating and store them in an airtight container. The icing sets up nicely and won’t smudge after about 2 hours, making them perfect for gift-giving or cookie exchanges.

Preparation Time	25-40 minutes
Cooking Time	8-10 minutes
Total Time	33-50 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 4300-4700
• Protein: 28-34 g
• Fat: 170-190 g
• Carbohydrates: 670-740 g

Ingredients

For the chai sugar:

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

For the cookies:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) land o lakes unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2–4 tbsp extra if needed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) land o lakes unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1–2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup land o lakes heavy whipping cream
• Assorted sprinkles for topping

Step 1: Prepare the Chai Spice Sugar

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a shallow bowl or glass jar, combine the ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, freshly grated nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves, and granulated sugar.

Mix well until thoroughly combined to create the chai spice sugar.

Set this mixture aside for later—it’s perfect for sprinkling over the cookie dough before baking.

Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) Land O Lakes unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2–4 tbsp extra if needed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the molasses and vanilla extract, mixing for about 1 minute.

Add the egg and continue to mix until well combined.

Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt.

Mix until a dough forms and pulls together into a ball.

If you notice the dough is too wet to roll out, add 2–4 tablespoons of extra flour as needed until it’s workable.

I always check the dough with a quick pinch to see if it holds its shape—if not, don’t be afraid to add a little more flour.

Step 3: Shape and Chill the Cookies

• cookie dough from Step 2
• chai spice sugar from Step 1

Divide the cookie dough in half.

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one portion of dough to 1/4 inch thickness.

Dust your cookie cutters with a little flour and cut out gingerbread shapes.

Use a floured spatula to transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle each cookie with a generous amount of the chai spice sugar from Step 1.

Cover the baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 20–30 minutes until the cookies are firm.

Gather and reroll any leftover dough scraps, and repeat the process with the second portion of dough.

Step 4: Bake and Cool the Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake the chilled cookies on the middle rack for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

I sometimes bake a little test cookie to make sure I don’t overbake—a soft center keeps them perfectly chewy.

Step 5: Prepare the Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Land O Lakes unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1–2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Land O Lakes heavy whipping cream

While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting by whisking together the melted unsalted butter, powdered sugar, optional instant espresso powder, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl until smooth and drizzly.

If the glaze is too thick, thin it out by whisking in more cream, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.

Step 6: Decorate the Cookies

• frosting from Step 5
• assorted sprinkles for topping

Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate each cookie as you like with the frosting from Step 5.

Sprinkle over assorted sprinkles for a festive finish.

Enjoy your homemade chai spice gingerbread cookies!