Brown Butter Iced Oatmeal Chai Cookies
Posted September 3rd, 2026Some links on this website are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you
Theres just something about Oatmeal and Chai in a single bite!!! This combination tastes like Fall and I feel like this word is wayyyy to overused but I am “obsessed” with it! I love the taste of the spiced chai alongside the dense and chewy oatmeal cookie base!! The icing is soooo tasty and has a stunning creamy color as well!
Brown Butter Iced Oatmeal Chai Cookies
Makes: About 24 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
Bake Time: 10 to 12 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes
Soft and chewy brown butter oatmeal cookies filled with warm chai spices and finished with a sweet chai icing. Browning the butter gives the cookies a rich, nutty flavor, while cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and a touch of black pepper make them extra cozy. The chai icing dries into that classic iced oatmeal cookie finish, with an optional little dash of corn syrup to make it extra shiny.
Brown Butter Oatmeal Chai Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (220 g) packed dark brown sugar
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch finely ground black pepper
2 cups (160 g) old fashioned rolled oats
Chai Icing
Ingredients
2 chai tea bags
4 to 6 tablespoons hot water
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Small dash light corn syrup, optional, for a shiny finish
Instructions
Make the Cookies
Brown the butter. Add the butter to a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring or swirling frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately transfer the brown butter, including all of the browned bits, to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Mix the wet ingredients. Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until well combined and the butter has cooled slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper.
Finish the dough. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until a few streaks of flour remain. Add the old fashioned rolled oats and mix on low just until incorporated. Finish folding the dough together with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix.
Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the cookies. Using a large cookie scoop or about 3 tablespoons (80 g) of dough, scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie.
Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and set while the centers still look slightly underbaked.
For perfectly round cookies, use a large round cookie cutter or drinking glass to gently swirl around each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Chai Icing
Steep the chai. Place the 2 chai tea bags in a small heatproof cup or bowl and pour 4 to 6 tablespoons of hot water over them. Let steep for about 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the concentrated chai to cool slightly.
Make the icing. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and 4 tablespoons of the steeped chai to a medium bowl. Whisk until completely smooth.
If needed, add more of the steeped chai a little at a time until the icing is thick but still easy to dip. You want it thick enough to coat the tops of the cookies without running completely off.
For an extra shiny icing, whisk in a small dash of light corn syrup. This is completely optional.
Ice the Cookies
Once the cookies are completely cool, dip the tops into the chai icing. Let the excess icing drip back into the bowl, then place the cookies on a wire rack.
Allow the icing to set completely before serving.
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A Recipe by Madeline May
Brown Butter Iced Oatmeal Chai Cookies
Ingredients
Brown Butter Oatmeal Chai Cookies
Chai Icing
Instructions
- Brown the butter Add the butter to a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring or swirling frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately transfer the brown butter, including all of the browned bits, to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Mix the wet ingredients Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until well combined and the butter has cooled slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Mix the dry ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper.
- Finish the dough With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until a few streaks of flour remain. Add the old fashioned rolled oats and mix on low just until incorporated. Finish folding the dough together with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix.
- Chill the dough Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Prepare for baking Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookies Using a large cookie scoop or about 3 tablespoons (80 g) of dough, scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie.
- Bake Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and set while the centers still look slightly underbaked. For perfectly round cookies, use a large round cookie cutter or drinking glass to gently swirl around each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Steep the chai Place the 2 chai tea bags in a small heatproof cup or bowl and pour 4 to 6 tablespoons of hot water over them. Let steep for about 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the concentrated chai to cool slightly.
- Make the chai icing Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and 4 tablespoons of the steeped chai to a medium bowl. Whisk until completely smooth. Add more of the steeped chai a little at a time, if needed, until the icing is thick but still easy to dip. For an extra shiny finish, whisk in a small dash of light corn syrup.
- Ice the cookies Once the cookies are completely cool, dip the tops into the chai icing. Let the excess icing drip back into the bowl, then place the cookies on a wire rack. Allow the icing to set completely before serving.
Shiny Icing
A small dash of light corn syrup is completely optional, but it gives the chai icing an extra smooth and shiny finish once it sets.
Chilling
Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. For thicker cookies and even more developed flavor, you can chill the dough overnight.
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