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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
Does the frosting hold well? or does it stay sticky? I would like to make them for gifts but I am afraid that the frosting does not work, which happens to me often;)
Hey Emilie,
Yes, I would put wax paper between the cookies:) Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Can you make the dough and refrigerate overnight before rolling and cutting?
Hey Shannon,
You bet, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello! I’m new here and planning on making this recipe this weekend. Could I substitute cocoa for the espresso powder in the frosting?
Hi Erin,
You could, but your frosting will be chocolatey, if you are okay with that then go for it, otherwise just omit the espresso powder. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These were such a fun twist on regular gingerbread cookies. I loved the addition of the chai spice and the frosting was absolutely delicious. They turned out great and had so much flavor. I will definitely be making these again.
Hey Amanda,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!❄️ xTieghan
Super delicious! A lovely take on a traditional gingerbread cookie, and this frosting is AMAZING!!
Hey Jillian,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend❄️ xTieghan
Would this recipe work well for making a gingerbread house? 🙂
Hey Caitlin,
So sorry, I have not tried this, and gingerbread houses can be finicky, so I would not recommend it:) xTieghan
hello!! i was just curious as to why you freeze the cookies once they are cut as opposed to popping them in the oven right away? is it to help them not spread as much when they bake? thank you!!
Hey Sarah,
You bet! It’s to prevent them from spreading and help hold their shape. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Loved this recipe!! The cookies are so flavorful and the dough was very easy to work with. I did half cream half coffee (2 tablespoons of each) instead of the espresso powder and worked perfectly. The coffee flavor definitely adds something special.
Hi Caroline,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
These were killer gingerbread cookies and the icing is something you could use on so many other desserts. They looked adorable in my cookie box along with the Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies (another killer recipe) and a few other non HBH cookies.
Hey Karen,
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, thanks for giving them a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I really love the sound of this recipe, but don’t own cookie cutters. think I could do them like peanut butter cookies? ( smash them with a fork? thanks. eliz
Hey Elizabeth,
I haven’t tried that, but you could easily use the bottom of a cup or mug to make cut out circle cookies! I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are very tasty cookies but it is easier to allow the dough a 20 minutes resting time in the fridge before rolling it out to prevent a difficult sticky handling.The frosting is delicious but the cookies become all messed up if stacked, even with parchment paper in between. For giving to friends, they must be in a single layer box. Not a cookie to send in a package by mail. Still five stars for taste and texture!
Hey Stephanie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Thank you for this fun recipe – my daughter and I made these today ! Delicious !! Happy holidays !
Hey Christa,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can you stack these after frosting or does the frosting stay creamy? Thanks!
Hey Caitlin,
You can stack these. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Taste on these cookies were great, but the dough itself was a bit dissapointing! Like someone else commented, I had an issue with the dough’s stickiness (even with more flour than was recommended). It was SUPER difficult to roll these – for anyone looking to make these, I’d think about chilling the dough BEFORE rolling/cutting. If I could go back in time, I’d DEFINITELY do this (and save the holiday-themed stress, haha)!
Made the best of the sticky dough and did these as drop cookies at least! They were a hit.
Hey Tina,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I don’t have enough space in my freezer! How long should I leave it in the fridge?
Can I also sprinkle the chai sugar after it’s been chilled?
Hey Kaye,
I would keep in the fridge for about 1 hour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan