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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies

    Modified: Dec 21, 2023 · Published: Sep 12, 2018 by Ashley

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 7 reviews
    Overhead view of a plate of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of whole spices in the background.
    2 views of a plate of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of whole spices in the background.

    Do you like tea with your cookies? How about tea IN your cookies? Freshly toasted spices are ground and incorporated in and around these soft, fragrant cookies, giving Indian flair to a dessert classic.

    ¾ view of a plate of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of whole spices in the background.

    I put together this cookie recipe as part of a campaign to raise awareness for Cookies for Kids' Cancer.

    Cookies for Kids' Cancer 10th Anniversary Logo

    Julie from The Little Kitchen is organizing this Valentine's event for the 2nd year now. Lots of food bloggers, including myself, are rallying together, donating their money, time, and baking skills to raising money and awareness for this worthy cause.

    Did you know that cancer is the #1 cause of death of children by disease in the U.S.? There are 40,000 U.S. children actively battling cancer right now. With less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute's budget going to all childhood cancer combined, I knew it was important for me to get involved.

    We have already reached our goal of $3000! Special thanks to Dixie Crystals, Mediavine and OXO, who each pledged to match our donations raised through this campaign up to $3000. And we can still raise more! If you'd like to contribute, please donate here.

    Overhead view of a platter of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of whole spices in the background.

    So now, back to these awesomely aromatic cookies!

    Snickerdoodle cookies have been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. I made some standard ones a few weeks ago for the billionth time, and thought it would be fun to give them a fun twist.

    Have you ever toasted whole spices? It's such a great way to enhance their flavor.

    4 photos showing spices in a bowl, a spice grinder, a bowl of cookie dough, and cookie dough balls on baking sheets.

    A few things to keep in mind - you want to start with a dry skillet. No oil/butter - just a dry skillet. Place the whole spices in there and put it over medium heat. Shake or stir occasionally, until the spices are nice and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.

    Once they're done, pour them into a bowl. The skillet will still be hot for a while after you turn the heat off, and you run the risk of burning the spices if you don't remove them.

    Overhead view of a plate of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of whole spices in the background.

    I like to use an electric spice mill to grind my spices. The one I use is actually an old coffee grinder, but just be warned that once you start grinding spices, you aren't going to be able to use it for coffee again. Unless you like your coffee to taste like curry. Ha!

    You can also use a mortar and pestle or a small food processor, but I think the spice grinder will work best here since the cinnamon stick and star anise are so large.

    Be sure to really grind the spices finely so you don't hit any large chunks of spices in your cookies, as that can be a little off-putting.

    I really wanted to maximize the spices here, but if you don't have whole spices, you could certainly use pre-ground ones. You'll want about 2 ½ tablespoons total, using mostly cinnamon.

    2 photos showing cookie dough balls on a baking sheet next to baked cookies on a baking sheet.

    At first my plan was just to mix the spices with the sugar to roll the cookie dough balls in, but then I realized it'd be nice to have some of the spices flecked throughout the cookies as well. So I added part of the spice mixture to the dough, and mixed the remaining into the sugar for the coating.

    These cookies turned out phenomenally well! A slightly crispy exterior and a super soft, pillowy interior.

    ¾ view of a plate of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of whole spices in the background.

    My 6-year-old said that they're the best cookies I've ever made. He actually said to me, "Ooh!! I can see why you added the spices to these cookies!!" - ha! He's most certainly my mini-me.

    I hope you give these cookies a try! I'd love to hear what you think of them

    Looking for more cookie recipes? Check out some of our favorites:

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    • Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Icing
    • Cranberry Orange Snickerdoodles
    • Great Grandma Francesca Cardile’s Cookies
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    Print

    📖 Recipe

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    ¾ view of a plate of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of whole spices in the background.

    Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
    • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli (adapted from Allrecipes)
    • Prep Time: 25 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: About 3 ½ dozen cookies 1x
    • Category: Cookies, Desserts
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Do you like tea with your cookies? How about tea IN your cookies? Freshly toasted spices are ground and incorporated in and around these soft, fragrant cookies, giving Indian flair to a dessert classic.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Chai Spice Mix:

    • 3 green cardamom pods
    • 3 whole cloves
    • 2 black peppercorns
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 star anise
    • 1 ½ teaspoons loose black tea leaves
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

    Cookies:

    • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
    • ½ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups white sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar

    Instructions

    1. Place cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise in a small, dry skillet. Place over medium heat and toast, shaking or stirring occasionally, until the spices are fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Place toasted spices in a bowl until cool.
    2. Once cool, place the toasted spices, tea leaves, and ground ginger into a spice grinder and grind until finely ground.
    3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
    4. In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons of the ground chai spice mix, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
    5. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining chai spice mix and ¼ cup sugar. Scoop dough with a #50 scoop (about a heaping tablespoonful), roll into balls, and roll each ball in the sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets.
    6. Bake cookies in preheated oven until set but not hard, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies onto cooling racks as soon as they come out of the oven.

    Notes

    Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 127
    • Sugar: 9.8 g
    • Sodium: 56.5 mg
    • Fat: 5.8 g
    • Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
    • Carbohydrates: 17.6 g
    • Fiber: 0.5 g
    • Protein: 1.4 g
    • Cholesterol: 17.1 mg

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    2 overhead photos of platters of Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies with a bowl of tea leaves and spices in the background.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lori H

      February 08, 2018 at 8:05 pm

      These sound great! I know I don't like to buy a lot of spices that I don't use frequently, so I bet you could probably substitute a little spiced chai latte mix to get a similar flavor.

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 12, 2018 at 5:55 pm

        Thanks so much! I think you could use the tea from a bag of chai spiced tea in here, too. I'm not sure if the latte mix would do anything odd because of the dairy that's in it.

        Reply
    2. Jordan

      February 12, 2018 at 6:11 pm

      I LOVE snickerdoodles. I bet the addition of chai makes them even better. I can't wait to try out this variation!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 14, 2018 at 2:10 am

        It was a really fun twist - my family loved them!

        Reply
    3. Amanda

      February 12, 2018 at 9:48 pm

      I love chai tea and spices in cookies! It's such an unexpected, yet warm and familiar flavor in a cookie recipe. These would be perfect for a snow day!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 14, 2018 at 2:11 am

        I'm all for cookies on snowy days, too, Amanda! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jacqueline Piper | PiperCooks

      February 13, 2018 at 11:09 am

      Snicker doodles are one of my favorite cookies, and I love anything that starts with whole spices - they sound amazing. Nice recipe!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 14, 2018 at 2:12 am

        Thanks so much! And I agree - whole spices, especially toasted, add such a fun flavor to things! We really, really enjoyed them in these snickerdoodles!

        Reply
    5. Kiki Johnson

      February 13, 2018 at 12:50 pm

      I love anything chai-spiced and your cookies look fabulous. Beautiful shots as well... I'd have them with a cup of hot chocolate or turmeric latte

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 14, 2018 at 8:23 pm

        Thanks so much, Kiki! A turmeric latte sounds perrrrrrfect right about now!

        Reply
    6. Dominique | Perchance to Cook

      February 14, 2018 at 1:08 pm

      Such a great flavor combination!! Snickerdoodle and Chai! Yes please!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 16, 2018 at 12:15 pm

        It works SO well together - even better than I had hoped!

        Reply
    7. Elena

      February 15, 2018 at 7:53 am

      What a lovely tea-time treat! I love chai flavored anything!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 16, 2018 at 12:16 pm

        Chai is so much fun, and I'm learning that it's pretty versatile, too!

        Reply
    8. TaraTeaspoon

      February 15, 2018 at 2:02 pm

      You had me at chai ... looks like I know what I will be baking this weekend !

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 16, 2018 at 12:55 pm

        Thanks so much, Tara! I hope you love them as much as we did!

        Reply
    9. Ben Myhre

      February 16, 2018 at 7:12 am

      These look like some beautiful cookies and I love some snickerdoodle cookies!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 16, 2018 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks so much, Ben! Snickerdoodles will *never* go out of style, right?? 🙂

        Reply
    10. Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen

      February 17, 2018 at 8:38 am

      I can never say no to a cookie! The flavours in this sound so goo, a great idea! Bookmarking to make!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 25, 2018 at 3:47 pm

        I hope you love them as much as we did, Carrie!

        Reply
    11. Ben Myhre

      February 17, 2018 at 9:00 am

      I would eat these cookies all day long. They look great.

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 25, 2018 at 3:48 pm

        There has to be a diet for that, right? Cookies all day, every day! 😉

        Reply
    12. Jenni LeBaron

      February 17, 2018 at 7:10 pm

      I want like 9 of these immediately. If snickerdoodles weren't awesome enough, adding Chai takes these over the top!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 25, 2018 at 3:49 pm

        I think 9 is the perfect serving size for these 😉

        Reply
    13. Stacey

      February 18, 2018 at 7:00 pm

      I love the combination of loading up snickerdoodles with my favorite ever tea, chai!!! And yes, I have all the ingredients to make them NOW!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 25, 2018 at 3:50 pm

        Let me know how they turn out if you end up giving them a try! I'm already planning to make them again tomorrow 🙂

        Reply
    14. Amy Nash

      February 19, 2018 at 1:18 pm

      Adding chai spices to classic snickerdoodles is such a great way of changing up an old favorite! These sound completely delightful!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 25, 2018 at 3:52 pm

        Thanks so much, Amy! My mind is already working on more fun twists on this classic 🙂

        Reply
    15. Jenny

      February 23, 2018 at 11:31 pm

      Thank you for a beautiful recipe for such a worthy cause!
      Your Mediavine swag is on the way and should be to you soon. It's just a small token of our appreciation for your time and efforts to wipe out pediatric cancer.
      ~Jenny, Mediavine Marketing Associate

      Reply
      • Ashley

        February 25, 2018 at 3:54 pm

        Thanks so much, Jenny! It's a great cause, and I'm glad to help raise awareness and funds for it. And thanks in advance for the swag 🙂

        Reply
    16. Ashima

      February 26, 2018 at 2:15 am

      Being an Indian I love chai! and I love using all the chai spices in baking especially cookies and breads 🙂 Love how you made these for such a beautiful cause!

      Good Luck and Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    17. Prajituri Delicioase

      March 07, 2019 at 10:14 am

      Thanks so much for sharing!I will try this recipe and give you a heads up!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        March 07, 2019 at 11:06 am

        I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    18. CookingCraft

      December 21, 2020 at 4:02 am

      So happy to see u and OMG sharing this mouthwatering cookie looks so easy to make so happy u share it. Thanks for sharing my Gorgeous Friend

      Reply
    19. Aathirai

      April 12, 2021 at 1:51 am

      Thanks so much for sharing!I will try this recipe and give you a heads up!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        April 14, 2021 at 12:59 pm

        I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

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