Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookies Recipe (Soft & Easy!)
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday cookie that combines cozy chai spices with buttery sweetness, Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies are about to become your new favorite recipe. I’ve made these cookies three times in the past two weeks, and I can confidently say they’re worth every bit of hype.
What makes these cookies special is the use of real chai tea leaves mixed right into the dough, plus a dreamy eggnog icing that takes them over the top. The texture is impossibly soft, the flavor is warm and comforting, and they’re surprisingly easy to make. Taylor Swift clearly knows her way around the kitchen! Let me walk you through everything you need to know to bake these beauties perfectly.
If you love celebrity recipes as I do, you’ll also want to try Snoop Dogg’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies or Kylie Jenner’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. All three recipes are delicious, but these chai cookies might have taken the win.
The Story Behind Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies
Taylor Swift introduced these cookies in 2014 with an Instagram post, describing them as tasting like “Christmas in September.” She also shared a handwritten version of the recipe on Tumblr, complete with charming measurements in “TAY-blespoons.”
The recipe is actually Taylor’s twist on a 2009 sugar cookie recipe by food blogger Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker. Taylor’s genius addition? Real chai tea leaves mixed into the dough and a spiced eggnog icing on top.
The cookies became an instant hit and remain a fall baking tradition today. Let’s dive into what makes them so special.
What Makes Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies Different?
Unlike traditional sugar cookies that rely solely on vanilla, this recipe infuses the dough with actual chai tea. You cut open a tea bag and mix the crushed leaves directly into the flour. This gives the cookies a deeper, more complex spiced flavor than you’d get from just adding cinnamon or cardamom.
The eggnog icing is another standout feature. It’s spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, creating a flavor profile that screams cozy winter evenings. If you’re not a fan of eggnog, don’t worry. You can substitute whole milk and still get delicious results.
The dough itself uses both butter and vegetable oil, which creates an incredibly tender cookie that stays soft for days. I’ve always used this butter-and-oil combination in cakes, but never thought to try it in cookies until now. This trick is a total game-changer, and I’ll definitely be using it in other cookie recipes going forward. The cookies also use a combination of granulated and powdered sugar, which gives you the best of both worlds: sweetness with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Let me walk you through each ingredient and why it matters for achieving those perfectly soft, chai-spiced cookies. As always, the full written recipe is down below on the recipe card.
For the Chai Sugar Cookies:
- Unsalted Butter: Butter provides the rich, sweet flavor that makes these cookies irresistible. Room-temperature butter creams properly with the sugar, creating air pockets for a tender texture. Taylor Swift calls for unsalted butter, but I used salted; it’s just better.
- Vegetable Oil: The secret to ultra-soft cookies that stay moist for days. Oil remains liquid at room temperature, preventing the cookies from becoming hard or dry like all-butter cookies can.
- Granulated White Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the cookies spread in the oven. The extra sugar for sprinkling creates a beautiful sparkle and subtle crunch on top.
- Powdered Sugar: Contains cornstarch, which makes the cookies incredibly tender and prevents excessive spreading. Combined with granulated sugar, you get the perfect texture that melts in your mouth.
- Large Egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture. Room-temperature eggs incorporate more easily, resulting in a smoother dough. If you’re impatient like me, place the egg in a bowl of warm water and in 5 minutes it’s ready to use! Learn why room-temperature ingredients matter in baking, plus quick hacks.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances all the other flavors and makes the chai spices shine. My personal preference is to use vanilla bean paste!
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure while keeping the cookies tender. Measure carefully because too much flour makes cookies dry.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise slightly and spread. Make sure it’s fresh for best results.
- Kosher Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances all the flavors. Essential even in sweet dessert recipes.
- Chai Tea: The star ingredient! Cut open the bag and use the crushed leaves directly in the dough. This infuses the cookies with warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Don’t have chai tea? See the FAQ below for a homemade chai spice blend substitute.
For the Eggnog Icing:
- Powdered Sugar (sifted): Sifting the sugar before using removes lumps for smooth, spreadable icing.
- Ground Nutmeg: Adds warmth and a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that complements the chai.
- Ground Cinnamon: Reinforces the chai spices and adds cozy flavor. Taylor Swift also likes to dust cinnamon on top.
- Eggnog or Whole Milk: Brings the icing together. Eggnog adds festive richness, but milk works just as well. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more to reach the desired consistency.
Step-by-Step Instructions on Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it lightly with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream the Butter
In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the ½ cup butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until creamy and smooth. This creates the foundation for those perfectly tender cookies.
Step 3: Add Oil and Sugars
Add in the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar to the creamed butter. Beat on medium speed until everything is fully combined and the mixture looks light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes.
Step 4: Mix in Egg and Vanilla
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl. Continue beating on medium speed until everything is fully combined and smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so nothing gets missed.
Step 5: Add the Chai Tea
Now for the chai twist! Cut open your chai tea packet and empty the tea leaves directly into the batter. Mix until the tea leaves are evenly distributed throughout.
Step 6: Incorporate the Dry Ingredients
Gradually stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt on low speed until the dough forms. Mix just until you don’t see any streaks of flour. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
Step 7: Chill the Dough
Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour (or freeze for 15 minutes) to make it easier to handle. This chilling step is important because it prevents the cookies from spreading too much and allows the chai flavor to infuse into the dough. For even better flavor, chill overnight!
Step 8: Shape the Cookies
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Use your fingers or the palm of your hand to flatten the dough to about ¼-inch thickness.
Step 9: Bake Taylor Swifts Chai Sugar Cookies
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should still look soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This cooling time helps them set properly.
Step 10: Make the Eggnog Icing
While the cookies cool, mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, ½ tablespoon butter, and eggnog in a small bowl until smooth. The icing should be thick but spreadable. If it’s too thick, add a bit more eggnog.
Step 11: Ice the Cookies
Once the cookies are completely cooled, spoon the icing over each one. Use the back of the spoon to spread it gently, leaving the edges bare for a beautiful presentation. Top with extra cinnamon and enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Chai Sugar Cookies Every Time
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This is especially important for the butter and egg. Cold ingredients don’t cream together properly, which can affect your cookie texture.
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: Once you add the flour, mix just until you don’t see any more dry streaks. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make your cookies tough instead of tender.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. If you scoop directly from the bag, you’ll pack in too much flour and end up with dry cookies.
- Watch the Baking Time Closely: These cookies can go from perfectly soft to overbaked in just a minute or two. Set a timer and check them at the nine-minute mark.
- Cool Completely Before Icing: If you ice warm cookies, the icing will melt and slide right off. Patience pays off here.
Storing Your Cookies
Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies stay soft and delicious for up to five days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Layer them between sheets of parchment paper to prevent the icing from sticking.
You can also freeze the baked and cooled cookies (before icing) for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and add the icing fresh when you’re ready to serve.
The unbaked dough freezes beautifully, too. Scoop it into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. You can bake frozen dough balls directly from the freezer, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time. This is my preferred method for any cookie recipe!
FAQ’s on Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies
Yes! If you don’t have chai tea bags or prefer to make your own spice blend, you can create a homemade chai spice mix. Combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Add 1 to 1½ teaspoons of this mixture to your cookie dough in place of the tea bag contents. Start with 1 teaspoon and taste the dough, then add more if you want a stronger chai flavor. This method gives you more control over the spice level and works great if you already have these spices in your pantry!
No problem! You can substitute whole milk, half-and-half, heavy cream, or even a plant-based milk. The flavor will be slightly different without eggnog, but the cookies will still be delicious. You can also add a pinch of extra nutmeg to the icing to boost the warm, spiced flavor.
Yes! Each type of sugar serves a different purpose. Granulated sugar helps the cookies spread and creates those crispy edges, while powdered sugar (which contains cornstarch) makes them tender and gives that melt-in-your-mouth texture. Using both is essential for the perfect cookie.
Look for edges that are just turning golden brown while the centers still look soft and slightly pale. They might even look a bit underbaked, but that’s perfect! They’ll firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Chilling serves two important purposes: it makes the dough easier to handle and prevents excessive spreading, and it gives the chai tea time to infuse more flavor into the dough. If you’re really in a rush, at least chill for 30 minutes.
Any chai tea will work, but I’ve had great results with Tazo Chai and Celestial Seasonings India Spice Chai. Different brands have different spice blends, so feel free to experiment and find your favorite!
Don’t Forget to Try These Cookie Recipes:
- Kylie Jenner’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Snoop Dogg’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- My Viral Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Get to Baking!
Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies have earned a permanent spot in my holiday baking rotation. They’re approachable enough for beginner bakers but impressive enough to wow guests. The real chai tea and eggnog icing elevate them beyond ordinary sugar cookies, and that impossibly soft texture keeps everyone coming back for more.
Whether you’re a longtime Swiftie or just someone who appreciates a really good cookie, this recipe delivers on every level. Give these a try this holiday season. I think you’ll find yourself making batch after batch, just like I have.
Don’t forget to leave a review and tag me on social media @everythingjustbaked! I love seeing what you create!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 chai tea packet
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon eggnog
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the 1/2 cup butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until creamy. Add in the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla. Continue beating on medium speed until everything is fully combined.
- Now for the chai twist! Cut open the chai tea packet and empty the tea leaves into the batter.
- Gradually stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt on low speed until the dough forms.
- Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour (or freeze for 15 minutes) to make it easier to handle.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Use your fingers or the palm of your hand to flatten the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- For the eggnog icing, mix the 1 cup powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, 1/2 butter and eggnog together in a small bowl until smooth. Once the cookies are completely cooled, spoon the icing over each one.
- As a final touch, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of the cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
-
Chilling the Dough:
Don’t skip this step! Chilling the dough for at least an hour allows the flavors to meld and helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking. If you’re in a rush, you can chill the dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, but the longer, the better for texture and flavor development. -
Adjusting the Spices:
If you prefer a stronger chai flavor, feel free to add more chai spices like ground cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, or use an extra chai tea bag in the dough. Alternatively, you can cut back on the chai spices for a subtler flavor. Adjust according to your personal taste! -
Frosting Tips:
The eggnog icing adds a rich, festive flavor, but if you don’t have eggnog or prefer a different topping, you can substitute milk or even heavy cream for a more traditional frosting. For an extra boost, try adding a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg directly to the frosting.
Can you recommend a chai tea packet? I really wanna try this but I found so many chai tea packets and not sure which one would taste better.
Any will work! I used the brand Twinings!