Chai Spice Snickerdoodles

There are so many pies I want to make right now, but I just can’t seem to stop making cookies. These cookies in particular have been on my mind for weeks, and I finally got the chance to bake them. Sometimes a recipe does that – flits around in my head and pesters me until I try it. Call it inspiration, obsession, or what have you, but I don’t feel settled until I pull the final product out of the oven (unless it doesn’t turn out – then I have to keep trying until it does!). Thankfully, these Chai Spice Snickerdoodles turned out great on the first try.

Last winter I tried Tasty’s Best Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles, and LOVED them. They are by far the best Snickerdoodle I’ve ever had. They’re so soft and pillowy, and chock full of cinnamon-y flavor. A few weeks ago, I was thinking about those cookies (as you do), and was inspired to try a Chai spice mix in place of the cinnamon. So I pulled up Tasty’s recipe, tweaked it just slightly, and these cookies are the result. They are just as pillowy soft, but with a spicier twist. If you love the flavors in Chai, you’ll love these cookies.

The Chai Spice Mix

The first step in this recipe is to mix together the various spices that make up the Chai spice mix. I used ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and cardamom. I used pre-ground spices for all but the nutmeg, because that’s what I had in the house. If you have whole spices and a grinder, that’s even better (especially the cardamom – freshly ground cardamom can’t be beat!). Bonus: this recipe makes more Chai spice mix than you’ll need for the cookies. The leftovers are great in tea, coffee, or other baked goods (Chai Spice Apple Pie maybe?). It’s a great thing to have around.

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The Snickerdoodles

The rest of the recipe is almost exactly like a traditional Snickerdoodle, except for the addition of the spice IN the cookies, not just on the outside of them. An inspired addition by Tasty – it adds so much flavor!

One of the things that make Snickerdoodles stand out from a regular old sugar cookie (besides the sugar-spice mixture they’re rolled in) is cream of tartar. It adds a tanginess that complements the sugary sweetness beautifully. You could skip it if you don’t have any on hand, but the flavor won’t be the same. (But I mean, they’ll still be delicious cookies rolled in sugar & spices, right?)

This is an extremely easy and quick cookie to whip up – just cream the butter & sugars, add eggs & vanilla, add the dry ingredients, and voila! Your cookie dough is ready. I do recommend chilling the dough for at least half an hour though – it helps the cookies hold their shape when they bake.

To shape the dough, I used this cookie scoop by Oxo. It’s available at Duluth Kitchen Company here in Duluth, or online of course. Don’t have a cookie scoop? You can just use your hands. You want the dough balls to be walnut-sized (about 1.5-2″ in diameter). Roll them in sugar mixed with more Chai spice mix, and bake. Soon your kitchen will be filled with the warm scent of Chai. Take a deep whiff, make a cup of tea or coffee, and enjoy!

I hope you are as inspired by these cookies as I was. Give them a try, and let me know how it goes in the comments below! Or if you’re on Instagram, tag your photos with #northerngingerblog. I’d love to see your creations!

Happy Baking!