Chai Snickerdoodles Cookies

Rows of chai snickerdoodle cookies arranged on a dark wooden board, garnished with cinnamon sticks and an orange wedge, with a cup of chai tea behind them.

Soft, chewy chai snickerdoodle cookies loaded with warm spices, a hint of orange zest, and just enough attitude to keep things interesting. Perfect for holiday baking, cookie swaps, or mailing a little cozy chaos to someone who deserves it. 🍪✨

Course cookies

Cuisine American - Southern, Christmas, Holiday

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chilling time 30

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 123kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

1 cup butter room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar (for dough)
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
2 eggs room temperature
2 ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange zest

Sugar-spice mixture for rolling

¼ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder adjust to taste
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
½ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment or live dangerously and go old school ungreased.
Cream butter, 1 ¼ cups sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a stand mixer until light and fluffy—like “mall bangs in the 80s” fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, then add orange zest because subtle citrus sass makes everything better.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Don’t overdo it—nobody likes tough cookies.
Scoop dough into balls (about 1 ½ teaspoons each). Chill for 30 minutes if you can wait—this keeps them thick and chewy.
In a shallow bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, chipotle powder, cardamom, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. This is your flavor bomb.
Roll dough balls in the spice-sugar mix like you’re coating them in holiday magic. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Bake 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just golden and the centers are set but still soft. Cool a few minutes before transferring.

Notes

Storage:

Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze the baked cookies or dough balls for up to 3 months.

Tips:

Cream the butter properly for best results. It should take about 5 minutes.
Bake 1 test cookie. Always wise. Adjust time or size before committing to a full sheet.
Don't overbake! Pull them when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone.

Nutrition