Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
These sweet Chai Gingerbread Cookies are the Christmas cookie everyone is looking for. Made with double the vanilla and sweet brown sugar, these cookies are soft, buttery, and perfectly sweet with the warming flavors of chai in every bite. They’re generously glazed with a sweet, thick, and creamy espresso glaze that truly makes these cookies melt in your mouth. These cookies are fun to bake, delicious to eat, make a great homemade gift, and are a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.
Hard to believe that this is my first gingerbread cookie recipe I’ve shared with you guys. Sure, I’ve shared a handful of gingerbread recipes over the years, but never an actual gingerbread cookie. One that you cut into sweet little gingerbread boys and girls.
It’s safe to say that I’m excited for today’s recipe! I think everyone needs to have a good gingerbread cookie recipe to bake up every holiday season. These are that perfect gingerbread cookie!
Making these cookies is simple, here are the details.
Before you start the gingerbread cookie dough, make the chai spice mix. It’s a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves mixed with just a bit of sugar. You’ll be using the chai sugar for sprinkling over each cookie just before baking.
Now, make the cookie dough. It comes together in no time. This is a one-bowl kind of gingerbread cookie dough. Just mix your wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, then roll it out. I’m using Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter, which is always my go-to butter for both baking and cooking. It’s sweet and creamy and always turns out beautiful cookies!
Just like I do with my sugar cookies, I always like to roll out the dough, cut the cookies, and then freeze the cut cookies on a baking sheet for a few minutes. This ensures that the cookies hold their shape. To cut my cookies, I used varying gingerbread and snowflake cookie cutters. But you can use any shapes you have on hand or that your family loves the most.
As the cookies bake, the smells coming from the oven will have you so excited. It’s like Christmas, with cozy scents of Chai, ginger, and sweet sugar wafting throughout your kitchen.
The Sweet and Creamy Frosting
While the cookies cool, make the frosting. I didn’t want to do your basic gingerbread cookie glaze because I think that can be a little boring. I wanted each cookie to really be delicious.
I thought about what flavors I love when paired with chai. Immediately a steaming cup of espresso came to mind. I love adding espresso powder to sweets, so I added it to the frosting. The verdict? Delicious.
Since I wanted this frosting to be sweet and creamy, I used rich Land O Lakes® Heavy Whipping Cream instead of water. This is KEY. The cream adds that creamy, soft texture everyone is looking for in a great frosting.
Decorating Is Easy
To decorate each cookie, simply use the frosting along with assorted sprinkles to make each cookie sparkle. I like to keep them simple and fun!
These are great cookies for kids to decorate. They always end up looking cute no matter what. I always find that the more imperfect they are…the cuter they end up being. Just have fun baking…and eating away!
We couldn’t love these easy gingerbread cookies more. I love the added chai flavor and that frosting really makes them special. Hope you guys love these just as much as I do!
Lastly, if you make these Chai Gingerbread Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Chai Gingerbread Cookies
Servings: 22 gingerbread cookies
Calories Per Serving: 294 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Chai Spice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Gingerbread Cookies
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus an additional 2-4 tablespoons, if needed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Espresso Frosting
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter, melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Heavy Whipping Cream
- assorted sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- 1. To make the chai spice. In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and sugar in a glass jar or bowl. Set aside for sprinkling over the cookies. 2. To make the cookies. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, beat until combined and the dough forms a ball. If the dough feels too wet to roll out, add 2-4 tablespoons of additional flour.3. Divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough on a floured piece of parchment to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you're using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies using gingerbread cookie cutters. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. I recommend using a floured spatula to lift the cookies. Sprinkle each cookie with the chai sugar. Cover the baking sheet and place in the freezer. Freeze until firm, about 20-30 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining dough.4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, powdered sugar, espresso (if using), vanilla, and cream until smooth and drizzly. If needed, thin the glaze by adding additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until drizzly. 6. Decorate each cookie as desired with frosting and sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
To Pipe Frosting Onto The Cookies: add the frosting to a small sandwich size Ziploc bag (or a piping bag), then snip a small portion of the corner off.
This post was originally published on December 16, 2020
My granddaughter and I made these for Christmas. So yummy! Our new favorite gingerbread cookie recipe. I have so much chai spice and frosting left. Any suggestions on what I could use it for?
Hi Janice,
Thanks so much for making these cookies and your feedback! Love to hear they were enjoyed!
You could freeze the frosting and save the chai for another round of cookies:) Merry Christmas!🎄🎁
I’ve always been scared to try making gingerbread, but these turned out perfect. This will be a holiday tradition recipe!
Hey Lauren,
Big thanks for making this and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Have a wonderful weekend!🎄
Have you ever tried these as a gingerbread house?
Hi Tamica,
So sorry, I have not. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
only blackstrap molasses available here – is that okay to use
Hi Marion,
Yes, that will be okay for you to use! I hope you love these cookies!
Have a great week!
I don’t have molasses and don’t use it often , can I sub for something else?
Hi Ann,
So sorry, I wouldn’t skip the molasses here:) Your grocery store should have a small jar of it! I hope you love these cookies!
Made these last year and were amazing! Just wondering if they could possibly be made into drop cookies rather than cut outs? If so, what modifications should be made? Thank you!!
Hi Iqra,
So glad to hear you enjoyed these cookies last year! Unfortunately, I have never tested these as drop cookies, so I am not sure how they would end up. For easiness, you could just use a circle cookie cutter, that would work well! You might also like this recipe:
https://fett-weg.today/gingerbread-latte-cookies/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope this helps!
Thank you for the recipe! How much in advance can these cookies be frosted? I want to take them for a cookie swap but I’m afraid of the cream spoiling.
Hi Diana,
These are good for 1 week in an airtight container. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx