This easy Chai Cookies Recipe are soft and chewy, made with a homemade chai spice blend and coated with cinnamon sugar. They’ll quickly become a new favorite fall cookie recipe!

These Chai Cookies combine two of my favorite things: cookies and warm chai spices!

There are a lot of spices needed to make a truly delicious chai mix, but the effort is worth it (and you can sub in a prepared mix if you have one!).

Filled with all the delicious fall flavors, these chai sugar cookies are perfect for cozy nights by the fire with a cup of your favorite chai tea!

They’re made with a cinnamon sugar coating, like in my Snickerdoodle Recipe, for even more spiced goodness.

Whether you’re a huge chai fan or just looking for the perfect cookie to share with friends and family, this recipe is sure to impress.

Try my Soft Molasses Cookies recipe, Mint Hershey’s Kiss Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, or one of these 31 Best Christmas Cookies for more holiday cookie treats!

Ingredients Needed:

• Butter: I use unsalted butter here to better control the salt content in the cookies. Make sure it’s at room temperature before mixing.
• Sugars: white granulated sugar and brown sugar are both used in these chai cookies to give them a great texture, color, and depth of flavor. We’ll use the white sugar for the coating too.
• Oil: a neutral flavored oil like canola oil or vegetable oil will help keep the cookies moist.
• Egg: to bind the ingredients.
• Vanilla: vanilla extract blends well with the spices, adding a sweet warmth to the cookies as well.
• Flour: all-purpose flour is perfect here. I haven’t tried this recipe with other types of flour.
• Cream of Tartar: a fool-proof way of giving these cookies their chewy texture (you can skip if you don’t have any).
• Baking Soda: to help the cookies rise slightly to be light and fluffy.
• Spices: use a combination of ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, cardamom, ground nutmeg, and allspice for the chai flavor. You’ll need cinnamon for the coating too. You can swap this out with 1.5 teaspoons chai spice mix.

How to Make Homemade Chai Cookies

This recipe comes together easily! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Beat butter, sugars, and oil: Beat the butter, sugars, and oil together.
2. Add egg and vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.

3. Mix in the dry ingredients: Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and allspice.
4. Scrape sides of bowl: Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure you’re using all the ingredients.

5. Coat dough balls in cinnamon sugar: Make cookie dough balls and roll them into a cinnamon-sugar mix.
6. Place on sheet and bake: Place 6 dough balls on each cookie sheet, and bake.

How do I store Chai Cookies?

Once your cookies have cooled to room temperature, store them in an airtight container or in a Ziploc bag on the counter for up to 7 days.

Can I freeze Chai Cookies?

Yes! Freezing these Chai Cookies is a great way to get a head start on your holiday treat prep.

Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, store them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking together. They’ll last in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature when you’re ready to serve them again.

Alternatively, you can make the cookies up to the point of baking them and freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls. Simply flash-freeze the cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet, then put them in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can then bake them fresh from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time!

Tips and Notes

• Get the correct measurements. Use a digital kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients for the most accuracy with this recipe, where needed. Measuring spoons are fine for measuring out the spices.
• Mixing tools. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you have one, or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, to mix your cookie dough efficiently.
• Cookie scoop. I like to use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop for most cookies! I love that they all come out the same size.

Chai Sugar Cookie Recipe Variations

• Taylor Swift Chai Cookies. If you’re a Taylor Swift fan (or if you keep up with TikTok), you’ll have no doubt seen Taylor Swift’s Chai Cookies. Simply make an eggnog glaze to finish off these cookies instead of the cinnamon sugar coating I’ve used here to get the same effect.
• Add chocolate. Add some white chocolate chips to the dough for a chocolatey twist on this chai sugar cookie.

Serving Suggestions

These cookies pair perfectly with a glass of cold milk or a hot cup of chai tea on a cold, wintery day!

​Try my Caramel Frappuccino, Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider, or my Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Latte for more fall-flavored drinks to go with these cookies.

More Easy Holiday Cookie Recipes to Try

Fall/Winter

Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Desserts

Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies Recipe + VIDEO

Desserts

Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Desserts

Chocolate Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe

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Chai Cookies Recipe

This easy Chai Cookies Recipe are soft and chewy, made with a homemade chai spice blend and coated with cinnamon sugar. They'll quickly become a new favorite fall cookie recipe!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes minutes

Total Time 28 minutes minutes

Servings 24 servings

Calories 118cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

Chai Cookies

• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• ½ cup brown sugar 100 grams
• 1 tablespoon oil I use canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour fluffed and levelled* (260 grams)
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon allspice

Cinnamon Sugar

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars and oil on high until light and creamy (about 2-3 minutes).
• Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
• Add the flour (be sure to fluff it or weigh it!), cream of tartar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and allspice and beat on medium speed until combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.
• In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the Cinnamon Sugar.
• Roll the cookie dough into 1″ cookie dough balls and roll them in cinnamon sugar. Place 12 of the dough balls on each cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until slightly puffed but not browned, they may have a slight sheen but not be gooey in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Notes

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Butter: salted or unsalted butter will work just fine here!
• Flour: be sure to fluff or weigh the flour — this will help you to get thick, chewy cookies that are not thin or dry.
• Cream of Tartar: this helps to give the cookies a great chewy texture. You can omit if you must but I really recommend trying it!
• Spices: the spice list is long because we are essentially making our own chai spice. You can substitute this with 1½ teaspoons of prepared chai spice mix, or reduce or increase the spices according to your tastes. These cookies have a mild spice flavor, so there is room to add more if you like a really strong chai flavor.

Storage

• Storage: Once your cookies have cooled to room temperature, store them in an airtight container or in a Ziploc bag on the counter for up to 7 days.
• Freeze Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, store them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking together. Defrost at room temperature when you’re ready to serve them again. 
• Freeze Cookie Dough Balls: Make the cookies up to the point of baking them, and freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls. Simply flash-freeze the cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet, then put them in a freezer-bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can then bake them fresh from frozen, adding on a couple of minutes to the baking time!

Nutrition

Calories: 118cal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Chai Cookies Recipe appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

These Pumpkin Muffins are perfect for fall! They’re moist, light, fluffy, perfectly sweet, packed with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, and topped with a crunchy and sweet cinnamon sugar topping!

Is anyone else as excited as I am for all the fall baking?

Just imagine cozying up with a pumpkin spice latte and a slice of pumpkin pie with a side of pumpkin pudding cake…too much?

Well, even if you’re not enjoying three different pumpkin spice recipes at once, you can bet pumpkin baking is in full swing. And these pumpkin muffins are the perfect fall snack, breakfast, or dessert!

It took me a few tries to get them just right (my family ate a LOT of pumpkin muffins these last few weeks!) but I’m so excited to share them today.

They are light and fluffy, with the perfect bakery-style muffin dome and an (optional, but not really) topping of cinnamon and sugar.

Ingredients for pumpkin muffins

• Brown Sugar: brown sugar adds sweetness while its molasses content adds rich flavor.
• Pumpkin Puree: make sure you use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and other ingredients while pumpkin puree is just pumpkin.
• Buttermilk: the buttermilk adds moisture while its acidity helps break down the gluten so the muffins are extra soft.
• Canola Oil: I definitely recommend using canola oil since it has a more neutral flavor than other types.
• Eggs: bind the ingredients together so that the muffins can hold their shape, and adds height so they are nice and fluffy.
• Vanilla: adds flavor depth and brings out the warm sweetness of the brown sugar.
• All-Purpose Flour: gives the muffins their structure. You can try swapping half of the flour for whole wheat to add more fibre.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: you’ll use both of these leavening agents to keep the muffins light and fluffy.
• Cinnamon, Salt, Nutmeg, Ground Cloves, and Ground Ginger: a simple blend of seasonings to add warmth, spicy sweetness, and that classic pumpkin spice flavor.
• Unsalted Butter, Granulated Sugar, and Ground Cinnamon: makes up a sweet, crunchy cinnamon sugar topping to finish off the muffins.

How to make pumpkin muffins

Just 15 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to bake, and you’ve got a delicious fall snack ready to go!

1. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, oil, and eggs.
2. Add dry ingredients: Add in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, then stir until just combined.
3. Portion the batter and bake: Divide the batter out into 14 greased muffin cups, then bake at 350ºF for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Add topping: In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Brush the tops of the baked muffins with melted butter and dip them in the cinnamon and sugar.

Can you use regular milk?

I don’t recommend it. The buttermilk is part of what makes the muffins so moist, light, and fluffy!

If you don’t have buttermilk, I’ll show you how to make buttermilk here — then you never have to be without!

Why are my pumpkin muffins so dense?

If your pumpkin muffins are overly dense, there may be a couple reasons why:

• Over-mixed batter. Be sure to mix the wet and dry ingredients together only until just combined. Mixing the batter too much can result in extra gluten development which can make the muffins dense or even gummy.
• Expired leavening agents. Double check your baking soda and baking powder to make sure they aren’t expired before you use them in the muffins. If they’re too old, they won’t serve their desired purpose.
• Too much flour. Whenever baking, you definitely need to lightly scoop your flour and spoon it into the measuring cup, or use a scale and weigh it. Any extra flour can weight down the muffins and make them dry, especially if the flour is packed into the cup.

Tips and tricks for pumpkin muffins

• Check your pumpkin. Make sure you’re using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They’re not the same thing! Pumpkin puree will just have “pumpkin” listed in the ingredients. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar.
• Spoon and level the flour. It’s worth saying again! I recommend spooning the flour into your measuring cup, then levelling it off with your finger to avoid packing it too tightly. Too much flour will result in dry muffins.
• Grease the pan. Lightly grease your muffin tin before you add the batter so you can easily remove the muffins after they’re baked. You can also use muffin liners if preferred.
• Swap the topping. You can swap the cinnamon and sugar topping for cream cheese frosting or maple glaze.
• Make pumpkin bread. Turn this pumpkin muffin batter into pumpkin bread by baking it in a loaf pan for 50-65 minutes instead. Use a toothpick or skewer to help you know when it is done.

How to store

Leftover pumpkin muffins will last in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, simply microwave to warm, if desired!

More pumpkin recipes

• Baked Overnight Pumpkin French Toast
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups
• No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Blondies

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Pumpkin Muffins

These Pumpkin Muffins are perfect for fall! They're moist, light, fluffy, perfectly sweet, packed with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, and topped with a crunchy and sweet cinnamon sugar topping!

Course Bread and Baked Goods, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 14 muffins

Calories 229cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups brown sugar (265 grams)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) about 230 grams
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• ¼ cup canola oil (50 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (293 grams) fluffed and levelled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease 14 muffin cups.
• In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, oil, and eggs.
• Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir just until combined but don't overmix.
• Divide batter between 14 muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping (optional)

• In a small bowl stir together sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
• Brush tops of muffins with melted butter and dip into cinnamon sugar mixture.

Notes

Notes:

• Check your pumpkin. Make sure you’re using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They’re not the same thing! Pumpkin puree will just have “pumpkin” listed in the ingredients. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar.
• Spoon and level the flour. It’s worth saying again! I recommend spooning the flour into your measuring cup, then levelling it off with your finger to avoid packing it too tightly. Too much flour will result in dry muffins.
• Grease the pan. Lightly grease your muffin tin before you add the batter so you can easily remove the muffins after they’re baked. You can also use muffin liners if preferred.
• Swap the topping. You can swap the cinnamon and sugar topping for cream cheese frosting or maple glaze.
• Make pumpkin bread. Turn this pumpkin muffin batter into pumpkin bread by baking it in a loaf pan for 50-65 minutes instead. Use a toothpick or skewer to help you know when it is done.

 

Storage:

Leftover pumpkin muffins will last in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, simply microwave to warm, if desired!

Nutrition

Calories: 229cal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 2817IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Pumpkin Muffins appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.