Easy Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies
Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies are laced with vanilla chai tea, cozied up with pantry staple spices, and then dipped in a sweet 4-ingredient vanilla icing! A simple cookie that’s incredibly hard to resist!
The Best Buttery Spiced Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies
These crisp and buttery shortbread cookies are a literal dessert dream! Loaded with cozy spices and topped with sweetly spiced vanilla icing, these cookies are perfect for a little treat with your tea or packaged up for the annual holiday cookie swap!
These Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies are one of my most popular recipes here on the blog and once you try them, you’ll know why! But just when you thought these cookies were as good as they get, I found ways to improve them!
I turned this recipe into a slice-and-bake cookie rather than rolling and cutting, creating an easier cookie recipe! From there I incorporated spices to add more flavor to the tea and then finished it off with chilling the dough for as long as you can stand.
The longer the dough chills, the more the flavor develops, rewarding you with an incredibly flavored cookie! This also means this new method allows you to prep cookies well in advance since the logs of dough can be refrigerated or even frozen!
See, change isn’t bad. In fact, in this case, change is delicious! Don’t worry, I did keep the old recipe ingredients and instructions on the bottom of the recipe card for those who REALLY don’t like change!
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Lightly sweet with lots of warm spices.
Texture: Crisp
Ease: 3/10
Pros: Simple recipe with lots of flavor.
Cons: Rolling and slicing can be a bit tricky.
Would I Make This Again? Yes, I make these every year around the holidays!
Ingredients For Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies
Don’t worry, even though we’ve improved the recipe you’ll still be able to find the majority of the ingredients right in your pantry! The recipe keeps the same foundation of being made with unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, salt, and chai tea leaves.
From there we build up the flavor in these shortbread cookies by adding in spices such as ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground ginger, ground clove, and ground allspice. The batch of cookies is then finished off by being dipped into a 4-ingredient homemade icing that’s made of powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
How To Make Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies
- Preheat the oven and then fit your stand mixer with a large bowl and a paddle attachment.
- Cream unsalted butter with chai tea leaves, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, salt, ground ginger, ground clove, and ground allspice.
- Mix in powdered sugar until incorporated.
- Add in the all-purpose flour a little to a time and then mix the dough until it becomes a soft Play-Doh-like consistency.
- Transfer the shortbread cookie dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. Next, shape and roll the dough into a log.
- Chill the log of cookie dough in the fridge.
- Slice the chilled cookie dough log using a shark knife. Then place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the Vanilla Shortbread Cookies until the edges become golden brown.
- Cool the cookies on the baking pan before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Prepare the icing by whisking together powdered sugar with heavy cream, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon until the mixture becomes smooth.
- Dip the top of each chai tea cookie into the icing and then allow any excess to drip off. Then run a spoon along the edge of the cookie to remove any extra icing. Place the iced cookies onto wax paper and then allow them to set until the icing hardens.
- To achieve the best flavor and texture with these shortbread cookies I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out the unsalted butter and all-purpose flour.
- I use two bags of Tazo Chai when making this recipe. Then I just cut the bags open and dump the tea into the butter for mixing.
- As you mix the dough once all the flour has been added, it will be dry and crumbly at first, but don’t panic! After several minutes of mixing the cookie dough WILL come together perfectly.
- For this cookie recipe to deliver two dozen cookies, aim for the shape of the cookie dough log to be 11.5 to 12 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Then when slicing the log into cookies, cut each cookie to just under .5 inches wide.
- The longer this cookie dough chills the more the flavor will develop, making for tastier cookies! Therefore, chill the dough for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight or even for several days!
- Once the cookie log has been cut into slices, I like to roll the bottom of the cut slices on the pan to smooth out any frays from the cut. I also will shape them to be more rounded if needed.
Storage Instructions For Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies
Baked Cookies: Once the Shortbread Cookies have completely cooled transfer them into an airtight container with parchment paper separating the layers. The cookies can then be stored at room temperature to enjoy for up to a week! (If they even last that long!)
Cookie Dough: If you’re not ready to bake the cookies yet, leave the cookie dough log wrapped in parchment paper and then wrap it up again in plastic wrap. The log of cookie dough can then be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. When you’re ready to enjoy a freshly baked cookie just slice the log into cookie discs and bake!
How To Freeze Shortbread Cookies
Baked Cookies: Baked and cooled Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To do so, place them in an airtight container or large Ziploc freezer bag with parchment paper separating the layers.
Cookie Dough: Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookie Dough can also be stored in the freezer to slice and bake off later! To do so, follow the recipe instructions through the process of forming the dough into a log.
Then, wrap the parchment paper cookie dough log in plastic wrap and again in aluminum foil. Then transfer the triple-wrapped log of dough into the freezer to store for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Shortbread Recipes
- Lemon Shortbread Cookie – Bursting with buttery, sweet citrus flavor!
- Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies – Made with only 5 ingredients and a sweet lemon glaze!
- Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread – A delicious cookie recipe that took the internet by storm!
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies – Filled with citrusy orange zest and tart dried cranberries!
- Easy Lemon Basil Shortbread Cookies – The perfect summertime tea cookie!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let leave a review in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.
This recipe was originally published in December 2015 and was updated in November 2024 with new photos and a slightly update recipe.
Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter 227g, cold and cubed, see notes
- 2 teaspoons chai tea leaves I use 2 bags of Tazo Chai
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260g
Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream 1 cup unsalted butter (make sure it's cold), 2 teaspoons chai tea leaves, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground clove, and ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add in ½ cup powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.
- Add in 2 cups all-purpose flour a little at a time and mix for about 4 to 5 minutes until a soft Play-Doh-like dough forms. The mix will be dry and crumbly at first but will come together after several minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper and shape and roll it into a log using the parchment paper to help you. The log should be about 11.5 to 12 inches long and 2 in diameter.
- Chill the dough log for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight or for several days. The flavor increases the longer this dough chills.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a very sharp knife to cut the log into 24 cookies (just under .5-inch wide slices for each) and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. I like to roll the bottom of the cut slices on the pan to smooth out any frays from the cut and shape them to be more rounded if needed.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon heavy cream2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon until smooth.
- Dip the top of each cookie in the icing, let excess drip off and run a spoon along the edge to remove any extra, then place on wax paper to set until the icing hardens.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend using grass-fed butter. We prefer either Kerrygold or Kirkland brand. I’ve also made this recipe with salted butter, and it turns out wonderfully with no additional adjustments. Cold and cubed works the best for getting the right texture, and make sure to use a paddle attachment.
- This cookie recipe is one of my most popular, so if you made it prior to November 2024, you might notice that it’s changed a bit, and you’re wondering why I messed with a good thing. Here’s why:
- The slice and bake cookies are easier than rolling and cutting.
- The flavor develops better as the dough chills.
- Spices add more flavor to the tea!
- This new method also means that they are a fantastic cookie to prep well in advance! The dough logs can be stored in the fridge in a ziploc bag for up to 3 weeks and frozen for even longer. Then just slice and bake!
- If you would like to make the original recipe, simply omit the spices, roll the dough about 1/2-inch thick, and use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut it into circles and bake. No chilling, but it took longer for the flavor to develop.
- If the dough is too sticky and sticks to the parchment paper instead of peeling cleanly, add 2 additional tablespoons of flour. If it continues to stick, add the flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is a play-doh consistency.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Wanted to leave my review of the new recipe! I never made the original, but I loved these cookies with all the spices added in. I made these for a Friendsgiving (they were a hit!) and only regret not keeping a few for myself. I will definitely make these again.
I’m so glad they were a hit and you enjoyed them! Highly recommend making a double batch next time!
For those with a toaster oven or air fryer with a bake function, these are great for portion control! Slice off one cookie and bake it individually. (I make my rolls a little shorter and fatter, btw). This method assures a fresh baked cookie each time, and stops me from eating them all in a couple (okay, one) sitting. The cookie’s flavor gets tastier as it rests in the fridge.
Good with orange or lemon tea and Grated rind of each.
Left tea butter mix for three weeks in fridge—can I still use it today? Don’t wanna buy more butter if I don’t have to
It should be fine!
These are my favorite cookies of ALL time. I’m not big on sweets and these are just PERFECT for sweet but not full of sugar.
I have made these every xmas for the last 4-5 years. I cream butter and chai tea 3-4 days in advance. I have also used bengal spice tea which is same spices as chai. Both r a big hit!!! And instead of rolling out dough and using cookie cutter, i just roll dough in mind hand to form a ball then flatten bit with fork. Works perfect!!! These r a big hit in my whole family every year. Im so glad I came across this recipe
The flavor was great, but I had to add an extra 1/2 stick of butter to get the dough to come together. They also cooked for closer to 25 minutes in my oven.
Can you make the dough ahead of time and bake later? I’m making these as part of cookie boxes I do every year!
Yes, you can!
I made a half batch. One substitution was for chai spice instead of tea leaves – I got an authentic mix from a local Indian shop. I put 18 cookies on a tray (2” are small!) and cooked them for 16 minutes. They were overdone 🙁
My next batch is going in for 12.
Do you think these would freeze well? When I make this recipe we get SO MANY cookies and was thinking maybe I can freeze part of the batch.
Yes, they absolutely do!
Do you think rolling them into a 2” log and slicing them would work?
Yes, it should!
So good! I infused the butter with the chai in my oil infuser and then strained the leaves before re-chilling to mix into the cookies. I found that icing the entire top of the cookie was prettier and easier than dipping in half way.
These are incredible! I will definitely make them again. Next time I want to try infusing the butter in advance like in the tip, but didn’t think ahead today.
Yes, the butter infusion makes them even more incredible! So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for leaving a review!
These were so good but my icing was dark in color. The vanilla and cinnamon possibly?
Possibly. You could always use clear vanilla in the future if you wanted a lighter icing.