Brown Sugar Chai Spiced Cookies
By: Merritt
There's something undeniably comforting about the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting through the kitchen, especially when those cookies are infused with the warm, aromatic flavors of chai spice! Cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice will fill your kitchen and heart with a coziness that is unmatched! In this delectable blog post, we'll embark on a delightful journey into the world of Brown Sugar Chai Spice Cookies.
These cookies are a cozy embrace for your taste buds, and they're perfect for any occasion or season. I especially love them during the fall and winter when I feel like something sweet that is also warming. The chai spice in these cookies is the perfect compliment to the chewy brown sugar cookie that is not only a breeze to make but is also super tasty the day after.
I hope you give this recipe for chewy brown sugar cookies with chai spice a try and love them as much as I do! I also like to ice these chai spice cookies with a brown sugar maple glaze.
This is as easy as just combining brown sugar, maple syrup, and butter for a super easy topping that sends these cookies just one step higher on the delicious scale! I do not always ice these cookies, partly because I eat them so fast, but its definitely worth trying!
Notes and Tips for Delicious and Chai Spice Spiced Cookies:
Making sure your butter and eggs are room temperature prior to baking will help a lot. When your butter and eggs are not icebox cold, they will mix and combine better for a tastier cookie overall.
Since this cookie dough recipe only uses egg yolks, I separate my eggs while cold and save my egg whites to eat or for other baking projects. No need to waste them!
These cookies may be pretty soft when they come out of the oven. Though it may be hard, letting them cool for 10 of 15 minutes is important to let them harden a bit! They will still be chewy but will not fall apart when properly cooled.
Have fun when baking with spices. Find the combination that works for you and roll with it!
Common Questions For Brown Sugar Cookies With Chai Spice:
How do I ensure my cookies are soft and chewy?
Soft and chewy cookies are a result of changing up the ratio of fats and sugars. Using brown sugar and egg yolks increases both moisture and fat in the cookie dough. This, in turn, gives a nice and chewy cookie!
Not overbaking your cookies too is really important. Pull the cookies out of the oven just as the tops begin to crack and the edges are lifting from the baking sheet.
What Does Brown Sugar Do To Cookies?
Brown sugar is higher in moisture than white sugar, meaning your cookies will have more moisture when baking. This will lead to a chewy, soft cookie rather than a crispy cookie.
Brown sugar also does not allow as much rise as white sugar as the extra moisture content encourages the cookies to spread rather than gain height in the oven.
Since brown sugar contains acid, I also leave out baking soda in this recipe to help encourage even more chew and spread!
Do I Need Light Or Dark Brown Sugar For These Cookies?
I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe. It has the right balance of moisture and flavor to go with the strong spice flavors that are introduced.
If you only have dark brown sugar on hand, do not overpack the cup and they will still taste great!
Do I need to Refrigerate the Cookie Dough?
You do not need to refrigerate this cookie dough. If your butter is soft but not melted, your cookie dough should be the perfect consistency to head straight to the oven.
If your butter is melted or too soft, your dough may be sticking and unrollable. No worries! You can refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling and baking.
How can I make my cookies gluten-free?
Though I have not made these brown sugar cookies gluten free, I recommend either a gluten free blend or cassava flour as a substitute.
What is Chai Spice?
Chai spice is a blend of spices. Chai means “tea” and there are many different blends depending on where in the world you are! My blend is definitely not authentic but is curated on my favorite flavors from trying chai tea and other chai desserts.
I use a blend or cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, ginger, and black pepper. This is a delicious combination that goes so well with the brown sugar.
Bonus Recipe!
If you want to make these cookies extra sweet and cozy, try adding the optional maple glaze! I have listed directions and ingredients below. It is a simple sugar and butter icing that makes your cookies super tasty. If you give this a try, let me know in the comments below!
Ingredients For Chai Spiced Cookies:
Recipe for Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies with Chai Spice
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, loose packed (145 g)
- 1 1/2 cup flour ( 180g)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp clove
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup white sugar for rolling
- 1 tsp cinnamon, for rolling
Recipe for Optional Maple Brown Sugar Glaze
- 2-3 tbs butter
- 2 Tbs maple syrup
- 2 Tbs brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
How To Make Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies With Chai Spice:
Preheat the Oven and Make the Cookie Dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
Once combined, add in 1 egg and 1 egg yolk and vanilla, beat until well combined. *You can save the egg white for your morning eggs!
In a separate bowl measure out your flour, spices, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. I recommend using a spoon to mix if cookie dough is getting too thick for your beaters.
Roll the Cookie Dough and Bake
In a small bowl combine the 1/4 cup white sugar and extra tsp of cinnamon.
Create 1 inch cookie dough balls and roll each in the cinnamon and sugar.
Add to the cookie sheet and lightly press the cookie dough down to slightly flatten the balls of dough.
Continue rolling until all the cookie dough is rolled and pressed in the cinnamon and sugar.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just starting to crack on top.
Remove to cool for 10 minutes!
Directions For Optional Brown Sugar Maple Glaze:
In a small bowl combine all the ingredients.
Microwave in 10-15 second increments until the butter is melted and brown sugar is no longer grainy. Make sure to mix each time!
Once smooth and combined, drizzle on the cookies at will!
Let the drizzle set for 15-20 and then ENJOY!
Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies With Chai Spice
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, loose packed (145 g)
- 1 1/2 cup flour ( 180g)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp clove
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup white sugar for rolling
- 1 tsp cinnamon, for rolling
- 2-3 tbs butter
- 2 Tbs maple syrup
- 2 Tbs brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Nutrition Facts
Calories
228Protein
2 gCarbs
30 gFat
11 gSugar
17 gNote: Nutritional values are an estimate only. Exact values may vary. Portions listed under each recipe are intended as 1-2 servings.
Values will change based on use of the optional Maple Glaze.
