Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks
Optional
- Chopped walnuts or pecans (for nutty upgrade)
- Alternative sweeteners like coconut sugar
- Gluten-free flour blend (for gluten-free option)
- Coconut oil or vegan margarine (for dairy-free option)
- Additional spices such as freshly grated nutmeg or black pepper
- White or dark chocolate chips (for chocolate variety)
Instructions
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Gather all your ingredients and pre-measure the spices, sugars, and flour. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves to evenly distribute the spices throughout the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, which creates wonderfully soft cookies.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract, mixing just until combined to ensure a smooth, homogeneous dough.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix the flour and spice mixture into the wet ingredients on low speed until just combined, avoiding overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Stir in Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough for melty pockets of rich chocolate in each cookie.
- Scoop and Bake: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges turn golden but the centers remain soft.
Notes
- Chill your dough for at least 30 minutes before baking for thicker cookies.
- Use fresh ground spices for the most vibrant chai flavor.
- Remove cookies from oven when edges are done but centers are still slightly undercooked to avoid overbaking.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs to achieve smooth blending of ingredients.
- Fold dough by hand with a spatula if needed to preserve fluffiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: chai spice, chocolate chip cookies, spiced cookies, cozy cookies, holiday cookies, warm spices, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves