It’s already the second-to-last day of cookie week, and I couldn’t resist sharing a festive twist on a classic: chai snickerdoodles. Snickerdoodles are a holiday staple, but adding chai spices brings a warm, aromatic depth that makes these cookies stand out. Instead of a heavily chocolatey or overly rich cookie, these are lightly spiced and perfect for filling a cookie tin. The blend of cardamom, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and a touch of black pepper layered with traditional cinnamon creates a cozy, holiday-ready flavor. Cardamom is one of my favorite spices—I use it in many baked goods for an extra spicy, floral note.
How to Make Chai Snickerdoodles
- Start by browning the butter, then cream it with sugar and a bit of cream cheese. Browning the butter adds a toasty, caramel note that complements the chai spices. Add the eggs one at a time, then stir in the oil and vanilla.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. This recipe uses a generous amount of spices—ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and a pinch of black pepper—along with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The aroma is wonderful and very holiday-appropriate.
- Combine the wet and dry mixtures to form a soft, fragrant dough. Chill the dough for an hour before shaping. Roll dough into balls, then coat in a cinnamon-cardamom-sugar mixture. Bake until the cookies puff in the center, about 11–13 minutes. While still warm, dust with extra cinnamon-cardamom sugar, and let cool on the baking sheet before transferring.
- Serve with hot cocoa and try to save some for later.
Most ingredients for chai snickerdoodles are pantry staples for regular bakers. If you don’t yet have cardamom, it’s worth adding to your spice collection—it’s wonderful in cookies, muffins, and quick breads, and even makes a nice sprinkle on coffee. These snickerdoodles bake up soft and pillowy with balanced spice and sweetness; they may become your new favorite holiday cookie.
- Chai Snickerdoodles
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. cardamom
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup flavorless oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Cinnamon Cardamom Topping
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cardamom
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt and brown the butter over low heat until it turns a caramel color and you see browned bits. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a mixing bowl, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the granulated sugar and cream cheese to the browned butter and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in the oil and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Cover and chill the dough for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a shallow bowl, combine the topping sugar with cinnamon and cardamom.
- Shape the chilled dough into balls, roll each ball in the cinnamon-cardamom sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes, until cookies puff in the center. While still warm, sprinkle with extra cinnamon-cardamom sugar. Allow to cool on the baking sheet before transferring.
- Enjoy!