Why you’ll love these chai sugar cookies
What can I even say about these cookies? Taylor Swift originally shared these cookies a few years ago on social media. I couldn’t NOT try them, and I don’t know what took me so long. Now I can see why they are a fan-favorite recipe. They’re really good!
They were really easy to make dairy free. It was just a matter of swapping for dairy free butter. See notes below on how to make sure this works for you.
More recipes you’ll like:
You have to try these upside down pineapple cookies and these banana bread cookies. And if you are in a hurry, these no chill sugar cookies are a perfect recipe to try.
Searching for more cookie recipes? soft pumpkin cookies / lime matcha cookies / fruitcake cookies / cranberry orange cookies
Ingredients & substitutions
- Chai tea – Open a bag of chai tea and use the loose tea. It should measure around 1 1/2 teaspoons. Use more tea bags if you need to.
- Butter – I typically use Earth Balance dairy free buttery sticks for baking. Keep in mind that each brand is a little different, so you might need to keep an eye on the water content. Feel free to use traditional dairy if that works for you.
- Vegetable oil – I used canola oil but any liquid neutral oil will work, such as avocado, grapeseed or sunflower.
- Dairy free milk – Feel free to use your favorite dairy free milk alternative. Since we’re just using it in the frosting, you don’t need to make sure it’s unsweetened, but that’s what we normally use.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make Chai sugar cookies
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut open the chai tea bag with scissors, and add its contents to the dry ingredients. Whisk to incorporate, then set aside.
Cream the butter. Using an electric mixer, cream the dairy-free butter with the oil until well combined. Add the powdered sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, and continue beating until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, and continue beating until well combined.
Chill the dough. Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for 1 hour. Chilling the dough helps firm up the fats, which prevents the cookies from spreading excessively during baking.
Scoop. Remove the dough from the fridge and, using a cookie scoop, roll it into balls. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep any unused dough chilled in the fridge between batches.
Bake the cookies. When the oven has come to temperature, bake cookies for 9-10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Make the frosting. While the cookies are baking, combine frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside until the cookies are baked and have fully cooled.
Frost the cookies. When the cookies are fully cooled, spread a small amount of frosting into the center of each cookie and spread it in a circular motion until smooth. Garnish with grated fresh nutmeg before the frosting sets. The frosting will firm up a bit as it sets, making the cookies easier to transfer, but adding the nutmeg before it sets will help it stay in place.
More fall dessert recipes. chai spice cake / vegan apple crisp / apple pie bars / dairy free pumpkin pie
Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 chai tea bag
- 1/2 cup 1 stick dairy free butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Cinnamon sugar, for rolling
For the frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 – 3 tablespoons dairy free milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove tea from tea bag (measure about 1 ½ teaspoons).
- In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and tea together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and oil until combined.
- Mix in the sugar, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour mixture until a dough forms.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Scoop dough into tablespoon-sized balls and roll in sugar mixture. Place onto cookie sheet a few inches apart.
- Bake for about 9 – 10 minutes in the oven.
- While the cookies bake, whisk the frosting ingredients together until smooth.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting.
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