Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies
This recipe was made in collaboration with The Little Market. The Little Market is a nonprofit fair-trade shop featuring ethically sourced, artisan-made products. They seek to empower artisans around the world by extending their products’ distribution and supporting sustainable income opportunities. I love being a partner with The Little Market and getting to see all the amazing things that their work does. Below you’ll see the use of The Little Market trays.
This specific recipe was made in a set of fall recipes. I love making something special like these chai cookie amazing fall flavors, but isn’t something too common. I really love a thick and chewy snickerdoodle, but these chai spices make these cookies even more delicious. Now I’ll go into some best tips for making this chai snickerdoodle cookie recipe.
What ingredients go into a chai snickerdoodle cookie?
What makes it a chai snickerdoodle instead of a regular snickerdoodle is the extra spices. Normally a snickerdoodle is just made with cinnamon spice (or sometimes a hint of nutmeg too). But this is a chai snickerdoodle because of the added spices to the cinnamon like ginger, allspice, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg.
How do I get flat snickerdoodles?
For a flatter cookie you want to do two things. 1) You can shorten the whipping time of the butter and sugar. Still do about 1-2 minutes to emulsify your sugar, but too much time can add too much air. 2) You want to skip the refrigerating step. Although this also can help with the emulsifying of sugars as well, it also can make a fluffier cookie. So, feel free to shorten or skip. 3) Smoosh the ball of dough with a thumb or spoon before baking.
Can I make these cookies without a stand mixer?
Of course, you can! These cookies are fairly easy to make and can of course be done without a stand mixer. This is just my preferred way to make them. Just use a wooden spoon or whisk (or handheld mixer) to mix.
Why do I need to whip my butter and sugar together?
Whipping (whether by hand or stand mixer) is so important to many baked goods, especially cakes. This will add necessary air to your baked goods. They also emulsify your sugars and blend them into the cakes to make sure it’s not grainy. However, you can also over whip, be sure you don’t let it whip too long. Anything too long will make there be too much air and when it bakes, it can fall and create a dense cake.
Why do I need to bake with room temperature butter?
So many recipes (and others) call for room temperature butter. This is due to a few things. 1) An emulsion is formed when all the wet ingredients are room temperature and mixing. You are whipping in air into the batter. Which will later help in baking when you get that light and fluffy texture. 2) Room temp butter is also able to blend smoother and create a cohesive batter. If you don’t have it room temp it can become very dense.
How to get butter room temperature:
I usually leave mine on a plate on the counter for a couple hours. Or maybe on the oven if it’s being used for something else. If you are in a hurry you can zap in the microwave in very short increments. Just don’t melt it.
Why do I need to bake with room temperature eggs?
A lot of baking recipes (mine included) ask for room temperature eggs. This is because a room temp egg is easier to break down than a cold egg. So therefore, it mixes into the batter better. ALSO, room temp eggs get a better volume making for a fluffier baked good.
How to get eggs room temperature:
I would suggest leaving them on the counter for 1-2 hours to get room temp. However, if you forget or run out of time, another option is to place the eggs into a bowl of warm water (not hot) for about 10-15 minutes.
Why do I need to chill my cookie dough?
Chilling cookie dough is a VERY important step of making any cookie. Many require it, but also this will dictate whether you have a thick or thin cookie. The longer they chill, the thicker they will be. And the more incorporated the sugars will be!
How to quickly chill dough:
Pop the dough into the fridge for 15-60 minutes, ball the dough and place it on a baking sheet with parchment paper, then toss it in the freezer for 1-3 hours. Or you can do this for one batch, then leave the remaining dough balls in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag or Tupperware. More chilling time always equals a fluffier and more incorporated cookie.
What is the perfect time for baking cookies?
Baking time can be the difference of a gooey or a crispy cookie. I like to bake mine crispy on the edges and gooey in the center. So, you bake for the minimum time below. But if you are a crisp all the way through, do the longer time. Also, each oven/altitude/climate can change your bake, so keep your eyes on the oven and bake to your liking. If your cookies are frozen, they may need an additional 1-3 minutes of baking time. I also check on mine to make sure the edges are brown and I use a spatula to make sure I can pick up the edges.
Other recipes to try:
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs large, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Chai Spiced Sugar Coating:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Electric stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together, until thoroughly creamed, light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, mix until combined. Then add exact and mix for another 2 minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl to make sure all is incorporated.
- In another medium/large bowl, combine together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until combined.
- Turn the mixer to a low-medium speed. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Cover and chill dough in the fridge for 30-60 minutes*.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare some baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small/medium bowl mix the cinnamon sugar together.
- Ball dough into about 2 tablespoon scoops. Ball in between your hands. Toss in cinnamon sugar and coat completely.
- Place cookie dough balls onto the baking sheets a few inches apart from one another. Smoosh down with your thumb or a fork to get a flatter cookie.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. You don’t want these to overcook, so be sure they don’t turn golden brown or they will overcook while cooling on the sheet.
- Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. During this time your cookies should flatten a little and crinkle.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
– Make sure you use room temperature on items where noted. Tips for this in the blog post. amandawilens.com/chai-snickerdoodle-cookies
Hands down, the BEST cookies I’ve made thus far. The perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Can’t wait to try more recipes:)
I love hearing this. They are my favorite. Anything chai and I’m in. I can’t wait for you to try more as well!