Warm, cozy, and bursting with flavor, these chai chocolate chip cookies are a delightful twist on classic chocolate chip cookies, infused with aromatic chai spices inspired by masala chai tea.
Chai Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chai-flavored cookies are perfect for fall or any time you crave a comforting treat. These eggless spiced chai cookies combine the richness of chocolate with the warm notes of tea spices for a truly festive bite.
Chocolate chip cookies have always been a family favorite in our home — soft, chewy, and perfectly chocolatey, they never fail to bring smiles.
Over time, I’ve realized there are a zillion ways to enjoy chocolate chip cookies, and I’m on a little mission to try them all — from the classic ones I grew up loving to fun experiments like adding nuts, cranberries, or even unexpected twists like potato chips.
If you’re curious, you can check out some of my other chocolate chip cookie recipes — each one has its own personality.
Still, these chai spice chocolate chip cookies bring a warm, festive twist with chai spices, making them perfect for cozy afternoons or moments with masala chai tea.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted Butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) Brown Sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Cornstarch (optional but helps thickness/chew)
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 ½ tsp Chai Spice Mix (for a festive kick)
- ¾ cup (125 g) Chocolate Chips
Chai Spice Mix (mix & store in a jar):
- 1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Cardamom
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Clove Powder
- ½ tsp Nutmeg Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper for extra warmth)
Ingredients Notes
- Unsalted Butter: Use softened butter, not melted butter, to get thick and chewy cookies with a soft center.
- Brown Sugar & Caster Sugar: The mix of sugars adds sweetness, depth, and chewiness to the cookies. You can use either dark or light brown sugar — light brown sugar gives a softer, lighter-colored cookie, while dark brown sugar adds a deeper, richer color and a more caramel-like flavor. Brown sugar keeps the cookies moist, while white sugar (or caster sugar) helps create slightly crisp edges. You can also try coconut sugar as a fun alternative for a subtle, earthy sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor and complements the chai spices.
- Salt: A pinch balances sweetness and intensifies the flavors.
- Chocolate Chips: Use your favorite chocolate — bittersweet chocolate chips work beautifully to balance the warm chai spices and sweetness. I like to use a combination of dark and milk chocolate chips for extra richness. You can also use chocolate chunks instead of chips if you prefer bigger pockets of melted chocolate in the cookies.
Masala Chai Spices
In Indian homes, masala chai is more than a drink — it’s an emotion, with each household having its own version of the spice mix and unique flavor. The globally popular chai tea by Starbucks has given this beloved beverage international recognition.
For the recipe for chai chocolate chip cookies — you can use a store-bought masala chai spice or make your own using the simple recipe I’ve shared in this post. I’ve kept the spices easy to find and readily available so everyone can try this at home without any hassle.
If you want to get creative, you can also experiment with additional spices like star anise powder, dried rose petals, or fennel seeds powder to make the flavor even more exciting.
Let me know if you’d like me to share a full masala chai spices recipe on the blog. It would be perfect not just for cookies and desserts, but also for making your own aromatic chai tea at home.
Scroll to the end of the post to print the recipe card and save it for later.
Step by Step Instructions
In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the masala chai spice mix and set aside. This is the heart of your chai flavored cookies, giving them that warm and festive kick.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar until light and creamy (images 1 and 2). This step creates the base for chewy chai cookies.
Mix in the vanilla extract and milk, stirring until everything is well combined (image 3).
In another separate bowl, weigh out the plain flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Then, sift this mixture directly over the creamed butter-sugar mixture. (image 4)
Add 2 tsp of the prepared chai spice mix (image 5).
Gently fold the flour mixture into the creamed butter-sugar base. Do not fully mix until a dough forms — stop when you still see a few streaks of flour.
This is when you’ll add the chocolate chips, so they blend in evenly without overmixing the dough (image 6).
Stir in the chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks if you like bigger molten bites). Using bittersweet chocolate chips balances the cozy chai spices beautifully.
As you mix, the last bits of flour will incorporate, leaving you with a perfectly blended dough.
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion the dough into 12 equal balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet (image 7).
Chill the scooped dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) — this ensures thicker spiced chai cookies with a chewy center.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Arrange the chilled dough balls on a prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each (image 8).
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, until they are golden brown, the edges are set but the centers look slightly soft.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven and are still warm, sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and press a few couverture chocolate buttons or small pieces onto the top of each cookie. The residual heat will melt the couverture into glossy, melty pools.
Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Serve warm with a glass of milk or, even better, alongside a cup of chai for the coziest fall chai cookies experience.
Storage Instructions
These chai cookies store beautifully, making them perfect for meal prep, bake sales, cookie exchange, or even festive gifting.
- At room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They’ll stay soft and chewy while the chai spices continue to deepen in flavor.
- In the fridge: For longer freshness, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 10 days. Warm them slightly before serving to bring back that bakery-style softness.
- In the freezer: These spiced chai cookies freeze well. Place scooped dough balls on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a ziplock bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated in the oven for a just-baked taste.
Best Tips
- Don’t skip chilling: Scooping the dough first and then chilling helps you bake straight from the fridge. Cold dough spreads less, giving you thick, chewy chai cookies with soft centers.
- Underbake slightly: Pull the cookies out when the edges look set but the centers are still soft. They’ll continue to cook on the tray, giving you the perfect texture for spiced chai cookies.
- Use chunks or couverture for gooey centers: Along with bittersweet chocolate chips, try adding a few chocolate chunks for bigger pockets of melted chocolate. For an extra indulgent twist, press small pieces of couverture chocolate on top of the cookies right after baking. The residual heat melts them into glossy pools, making these the ultimate chocolate chai cookies.
- Use fresh spices: Always use freshly ground spices for your chai-flavored cookies. Fresh cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger bring out the depth and warmth that make this the best chai cookies recipe.
- Seasonal twist: If you want a fall-inspired variation, try substituting the chai masala spices with pumpkin spice to make pumpkin-spiced chocolate chip cookies. It’s a cozy, flavorful alternative perfect for chilly days.
Related Recipes
- The Best Chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe
- Single serve Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe without Eggs
Ingredients
- 113 gms (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter softened
- 100 gms (1/2 cup) Brown Sugar
- 50 gms (1/4 cup) Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 15 gms (1 tbsp) Milk room temperature
- 190 gms (1.5 cups) Flour
- 2 tsp Cornflour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2.5 tsp Chai Spice Mix
- 125 gms (3/4 cups) Chocolate Chips
Chai Spice Mix (Mix and Store in a Jar)
- 1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder
Instructions
- Mix all chai spice mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and milk, mixing until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt. Sift over the butter mixture. Add 2.5 tsp of Chai Spice Mix as well.
- Gently fold with a spatula until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated — small streaks of flour can remain.
- Fold in chocolate chips or chunks.
- Scoop dough into 12 balls (50 gms each) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) for thicker cookies.
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Bake cookies on the middle rack for 9–12 minutes, until edges are golden but centers are slightly soft.
- Immediately after baking, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and press a few couverture chocolate buttons on top for a melty finish.
- Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Sugars: Light or dark brown sugar can be used — dark gives a deeper color and richer flavor.
- Chocolate: Bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks work best to balance the warm chai spices. White chocolate, chopped chocolate bars, or even dark chocolate pieces are delicious alternatives for gooey, melty pockets in the cookies.
- Spices: Always use freshly ground spices for the best chai flavor.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; freeze dough or baked cookies for longer storage.
- Variation: Substitute chai spice with pumpkin spice for a fall-inspired twist.
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