Classic sugar cookies perfected by the pop princess herself with spicy, festive flavors. Are you ready for it?
In 2014, Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies took the internet by storm when the singer (herself!) posted a handwritten recipe on Tumblr in response to a fan asking her how to make her delicious, spice-flavored holiday cookies. TaySway said they tasted like Christmas and appropriately credited Joy the Baker for the original sugar cookie recipe, which she had adapted with her unique Taylor twist. Now, I don’t want any of us to feel the least bit inadequate, but as I make Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies, I wonder what can’t this girl do? She just ended the highest-grossing music tour ever, the Eras Tour, across five continents, and she’s baking cookies and getting back to people. And she can “do it with a broken heart?”
Okay, enough fanning and praise, and back to these tasty chai sugar cookies. We start with the buttery-sweet greatness of classic sugar cookies but then add chai tea leaves, a unique way to infuse them with the season’s spices. Furthermore, Miss Americana adds a scrumptious white icing made with eggnog, sugar, and spice. As these tasty treats are baked, your home will be filled with the aroma of Christmases past and the nostalgic vibes that come with them. Let’s just say they’ll take you “Back to December.”
There are just over a dozen classic ingredients in Taylor Swift’s cookies. You likely already have most of them in your pantry and spice cabinet, perhaps even the tea. This chai sugar cookie recipe is also straightforward: Mix the first ten ingredients, chill, shape, and bake. As the cookies are baking, you’ll make the icing with the last four ingredients: powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and eggnog. My four-year-old daughter, a die-hard Swiftie, loves to help me make this family/kid-friendly recipe.
Are Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies Healthy?
Baking cookies at home from scratch allows you to control the ingredients that go into them. And while these cookies don’t contain any of the additives or preservatives that you would find in most pre-packaged cookies, they are still high in sugar and saturated fat, so are best enjoyed in moderation. To make these bite-sized treats vegan-friendly, replace the butter with a 1:1 ratio of coconut oil, vegetable oil, or vegan butter. The egg can be replaced with 1/4 cup of applesauce or a chia or flaxseed egg (just mix 1 tablespoon of seeds with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water). You’d also need to substitute the eggnog in the icing with a plant-based milk.
Chewy or Crunchy? It Hits Different
Speaking of changing the ingredients in our TS chai sugar cookies, it is important to point out that substitutions will alter the flavor and texture. As a cookie lover, I am a fan of chewy, soft cookies AND crispy, buttery cookies. TaySway’s cookies are the former: melt-in-your-mouth tender. However, with a few changes, you may get crispier cookies.
What makes that difference? The main components are moisture and baking time. My daughter has an egg allergy, so I am very familiar with how baked goods can be altered when you don’t use eggs. I often use chia seed and flaxseed “eggs.” Although you use water to prepare these egg substitutes, in my experience, the seeds absorb more moisture and make the cookies crispier. Also, baking your cookies a few minutes longer will yield a crunchier cookie.
FAQs & Tips
Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days and in the refrigerator for up to a week. Alternatively, you can make the dough in advance and freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, allow the dough to thaw in the fridge overnight, and then bake as directed in the recipe.
If eggnog is not your thing, you can simply replace it with whole milk. You’ll still end up with an icing that has a nice festive flavor, thanks to the cinnamon and nutmeg.
While you can use nutmeg and allspice interchangeably for many recipes, be aware that allspice has a strong clove flavor. Since the dough features chai tea (which also contains cloves), you might find that allspice overwhelms the cookies with too much clove. In that case, just use cinnamon and skip the nutmeg, or make the icing plain with just eggnog.
Serving Suggestions
Ready to serve your TaySway chai sugar cookies but drawing a “Blank Space”? One of my favorite holiday pastimes is baking tons of cookies with friends and family. Serve these alongside many of our other fave cookie recipes at FFF, like Flourless Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies, Seven-Layer Cookies, or keep it vegan with these Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Wash it down with Vegan Hot Chocolate or the famous Taylor Swift Cosmo.
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- Crushed leaves from 1 chai tea bag
- 1 cup powdered sugar for icing
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg for icing
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for icing
- 1-3 tablespoons eggnog for icing
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar, beating until well combined.
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Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and crushed chai tea leaves. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
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Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Form the dough into small balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly, then bake for 10-13 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with nutmeg, cinnamon, and enough eggnog to achieve a spreadable consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 161kcal (8%) Carbohydrates: 20g (7%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 9g (14%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 17mg (6%) Sodium: 59mg (3%) Potassium: 17mg Fiber: 0.3g (1%) Sugar: 12g (13%) Vitamin A: 129IU (3%) Vitamin C: 0.01mg Calcium: 5mg (1%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational
purposes only.
