Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookies are perfectly spiced, melt in your mouth brown butter sugar cookies smothered in a sweet, cozy powdered sugar glaze.

General
Why you'll love these
Ingredients
How to make
Get the recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips
How to store
Nutrition information

I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since I was in high school. She was my first concert, her music really spoke to me as an angsty teen, and even now, her songs are just SO catchy and relatable. A few weeks ago, I was browsing mindlessly and I stumbled upon her written recipe for chai sugar cookies and let me tell you, I’ve never run so fast to my kitchen. With a few updates to her recipe, I think I’ve made the perfect batch of Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookies!

Why you’ll love these

Perfectly spiced. These cookies are so incredibly cozy thanks to real chai tea and nutty browned butter.
Amazing texture. They’re soft, yet chewy and not dry in the slightest. Everything you want in a sugar cookie.
Unique. I love all my classic holiday cookies, but this is unlike any other cookie I’ve ever made!
Inspired by Taylor. ‘Nough said. 😉

Ingredients

Chai Sugar Cookies

Butter – you’ll need 10 tablespoons (1 stick + 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter. Typically, you’d only need 1 stick, but since we’re browning the butter, some of the liquid will evaporate, so you need an extra 2 tablespoons to make up for it. There is no substitution for the butter.
Chai Tea Bags – you’ll need 2 chai tea bags or about a heaping 1/2 tablespoon of loose leaf chai tea. I like using the bags, because that’s what I have on hand and it’s so easy to cut the bags and dump them into the browned butter. I used Bigelow Vanilla Chai Black Tea, but any chai tea should work.
Oil – my preferred oil is canola, because I think it has the most neutral taste and is super affordable, but avocado oil or vegetable oil will also work. I don’t recommend replacing with additional butter, because the oil in these cookies helps create a very moist and chewy cookie.
Granulated Sugar – you might be able to get away with using brown sugar, although it contains more moisture, so the cookies’ texture may be slightly different.
Powdered Sugar – I don’t recommend replacing with additional granulated sugar. Powdered sugar contains cornstarch which helps keep these cookies very soft.
Egg – be sure to use 1 large egg that’s been brought to room temperature.
Vanilla Extract – use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. You could also play around with additional extracts like a splash of almond extract (I love sugar cookies with almond) or even maple extract.
Flour – you need 2 cups all-purpose flour. If you’re an experienced baker, you might be able to play around with a combination of cake or bread flour, but I can’t guarantee the results.
Baking Soda – not baking powder. Baking soda helps create a chewy texture.
Salt – not necessary if you’re in a pinch, but it’s highly recommended. Salt enhances all the flavors and balances out the sweetness from the sugars.

Chai Glaze (optional)

Powdered Sugar – sifted, if lumpy to create a smooth frosting. There is no substitute.
Spices: Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Allspice, Nutmeg, Salt, Cloves – this is essentially a homemade chai spice blend to compliment the tea in the cookies. I didn’t want the texture of the tea leaves in the frosting. Some people love cardamom and black pepper in their chai, so feel free to add!
Milk – any milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half will all work fine. You could also omit the spices and use eggnog instead.

How to make

Brown butter in a large sauté pan, then whisk in the chai tea leaves. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together the browned butter, oil, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll each dough ball in sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees on a silicone mat lined baking sheet, then cool slightly.
Optional: whisk together glaze ingredients, then spoon over cooled cookies and enjoy!

Tips for making chai sugar cookies

For the browned butter. Use a light colored pan (not non-stick), so you can see when the butter is browned, but not burnt. Whisk constantly, then once the butter is a golden color and smells nutty, remove it from the heat, quickly whisk in the tea leaves, then pour it into a small glass bowl to stop the cooking.
For the dough. This dough is WET, so be sure to allot chill time. I’d say anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Then after scooping and rolling in sugar, plop the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the fridge to re-chill while you preheat the oven.
For perfectly round cookies. Place a large, round cookie cutter over each cookie while they’re still warm and move the cutter in a circular motion very gently to re-shape the cookies.

How to store

Leftover chai sugar cookies (frosted or unfrosted) will last in an airtight container for about 4 days at room temperature (after that, they start to dry out) or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To enjoy again, thaw at room temperature, if frozen, then enjoy at room temperature or warmed in the microwave.

– Jennifer