All’s well that ends well to end up with these chai sugar cookies and trying not to devour them in one sitting.
Okay, friends! I normally don’t share what I would often fangirl about but I figured this would be the best opportunity. So, here it is. I am a huge Swiftie, or a huge Taylor Swift fan! And since we are on the topic of Autumn recipes, there is nothing better than recreating her famous Chai Sugar Cookies. Like many fans (and being a lover of chai spice flavor), I am very curious on how it would taste.
And just like the music Taylor puts out in the world to hear, these cookies did not disappoint!
I’m not saying this because I have a bias for Taylor Swift, alright. But in all truth, it’s a really darn good cookie, that my husband also enjoyed the flavor. If we are being honest, my husband is a tough critic – especially with taste and texture of a very specific, niched-driven flavor. This is one-hundred percent approved (after many trials). And, therefore, here we are! I come to you with this Autumn/Holiday cookie!
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT CHAI SPICE?
If you haven’t seen my previous recipe on chai spice, click here! You will need it for this recipe. Chai spice mix is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, all spice, clove, cardamom, black pepper, and occasionally star anise and nutmeg. Since the blend of spices are made with warming spices, they are perfect for autumn. These cookies are comparable to a warm hug as the weather gets cooler/colder by the day.
Unless you live in a tropical island, like myself. I love the illusion of eating this pretending I’m in crisp 60-degree weather.
SO WHAT’S VANILLA CHAI SUGAR COOKIES?
Pure bliss! No kidding aside, there are some tweaks that I did as a recipe developer to enhance the flavors of chai. Because in the original recipe of Ms. Swift’s, it was stated that the only flavor that gave chai were tea packets. Personally, I think it could be amplified.
This cookie is amplified in flavors of chai spice and vanilla. It is chewy and finished in a cinnamon icing sugar. Think of it as a very luscious snickerdoodle but the taste of chai latte in a cookie.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a tea-flavored cookie without adding chai tea packets itself, to make sure that the flavors are robust enough and screams CHAI!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Here are the key ingredients you will need (full recipe will be down below):
- Chai Spice Mix – Get my recipe on how to make it here.
- Chai Tea Packets – Any brand of your choice will work.
- All Purpose Flour
- Vegan Butter
- Granulated and Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Flaxseed Meal
- Non-Dairy Milk (preferably soy milk)
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Salt
BEFORE BAKING
Here a few notes to read before you get to baking!
- Use a scale! To get accurate results, it is highly recommend you use a kitchen scale to measure out your ingredients. Although it is optional, I would recommend using a scale for any baking goodies to ensure quality results.
- Egg replacements – For this recipe, I would prefer using flax egg and a little bit of milk for added moisture and as a binder. Flaxseed meal adds extra fat into the cookies, to ensure that it does not come out grainy.
- Choice of milk – soy or cashew milk is often preferred with bake goodies as they contain less water. Using oat milk is water based and often times result into a flat baked good. However, you can ought for almond milk more than oat milk if that is your only option and you are trying to avoid soy.
And once you are settled, baked these chai sugar cookies…have a seat, listen to Taylor Swift and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!
What is your favorite Taylor Swift song/album? Let me know! Send me a DM and we can totally fan over her together. Enjoy 🙂
Give this recipe a try and if you like what you see, please help me by liking this recipe or adding a comment in the comment box down below. Subscribe to my mailing list for exclusive newsletters. Follow me on Instagram and don’t forget to tag me when you create the recipes.
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Vegan Vanilla Chai Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- kitchen scale optional, but highly recommended
- measuring cups & spoons
- whisk / spatulas
- headstand mixer or electric hand mixer optional
- baking sheet trays
- oven safe silicon mat or parchment paper for baking
- cooling/wire wrack optional
- cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups (250g) all purpose flour sifted
- 2 tsp chai spice mix (see notes for recipe)
- 2 tea packets dried chai tea leaves tea bag cut open
- 1 tsp baking powder sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda sifted
- ½ tsp fine kosher salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup (113g / 1 stick) vegan butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (4oz) vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup (100g) organic granulated sugar
- ½ cup (75g) organic powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 large (35g) flax egg 1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp warm water
- 1 tbsp non-dairy plant milk unsweetened soy milk preferably
FOR THE ICING SUGAR
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp non-dairy plant milk
- 1 tsp chai spice mix
- ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Instructions
DRY INGREDIENTS
- In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. For the chai tea packets, cut packets open and pour with dry mixture.
- Whisk together until well combined.
WET INGREDIENTS
- In a separate mixing bowl/headstand mixer, combine room temperature butter, granulated and powdered sugar and whisk with an electric or headstand mixer until it reaches its soft peaks. If you are mixing by hand, fold butter and sugar with a spatula until they create a cream consistency.
- Add oil, vanilla extract, milk, and flax egg into the butter mixture. Stir with headstand/electric mixer or by hand until well combined.
COOKIE DOUGH
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together until well combined. The dough will be very soft.
- Chill cookie dough (covered) in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.
BAKE
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Once your cookie dough has set, using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, form cookie dough into balls. * Note: this recipe calls for large cookies. I used a cookie scoop that is about 1" in diameter and combined 2 scoops to form 1 cookie dough ball. You can make more cookies with just 1 scoop instead.
- Line each cookie dough ball on parchment paper. Be sure to spread them apart as the cookies will spread. You may need to use more baking tray (or create another batch), depending on the size of your tray.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or cookies have flattened and are slightly golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack. Or leave as is.
ICING SUGAR
- Using a stand/electric mixer, combine powder sugar, non-dairy milk, and spice mix to whisk until it forms into icing.
- Before icing the cookies, be sure that it is cool completely.
- Using a whisk or spoon, drizzle icing sugar on top of cookies. Sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon and allow to cool in room temperature for icing to settle in cookie.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Get my chai spice mix recipe here!
- Use a scale! To get accurate results, it is highly recommend you use a kitchen scale to measure out your ingredients. Although it is optional, I would recommend using a scale for any baking goodies to ensure quality results.
- Egg replacements – For this recipe, I would prefer using flax egg and a little bit of milk for added moisture and as a binder. Flaxseed meal adds extra fat into the cookies, to ensure that it does not come out grainy.
- Choice of milk – soy or cashew milk is often preferred with bake goodies as they contain less water. Using oat milk is water based and often times result into a flat baked good. However, you can ought for almond milk more than oat milk if that is your only option.