Chewy Gingerbread Chai Latte Cookies with Chai Icing

Call me crazy but I am not the biggest fan of gingerbread!! When I was trying to decide what cookies to put into my 2025 cookie box, I wanted to keep it traditional, but also tasty! I did not think I could do cookie boxes without classic gingerbread...so I needed to find a way to spice it up. Then boom! It hit me! My favorite holiday drink at Starbucks has always been the Gingerbread Chai. The flavors are simply too good together. However, we all know Starbucks is using super concentrated syrups...so I needed to see if there was a way to mix these two flavors while still leaning away from gingerbread flavored syrups etc. So I made a classic gingerbread cookie and then added some chai tea bags and steeped chai. Super similar to what we did with the pumpkin chai cinnamon rolls! I also love how the chai tea bags add some extra color to the gingerbread cookies and the icing!

Below, is the drop cookie version of this recipe. I will be sharing gingerbread chai cookie sandwiches next!

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 2–4 tablespoons espresso powder

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup molasses

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Seasoning from 1 chai tea bag

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• Granulated sugar, for rolling

Chai Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons steeped chai (from 1 chai tea bag — use it for color + flavor)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Make the Dough

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes.Add the egg and mix to combine.Add the molasses and mix again.

Add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, the seasoning from 1 chai tea bag, and salt. Beat until fully combined and smooth.

3. Roll the Cookies

Place granulated sugar in a small bowl.

For drop cookies:Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls (if the dough is too sticky, add 2–4 tablespoons flour).Roll each ball through the sugar and place on the baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.

4. Bake

Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just set while the centers remain slightly soft and doughy.Let cool on the pan.

5. Make the Chai Icing

In a bowl, whisk together:

• powdered sugar

• steeped chai (3 tablespoons)

• the used chai tea bag (squeeze in for extra color/flavor if desired)

• milk

• vanilla

• cinnamon

Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the icing over cooled cookies — it will set quickly.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

A Recipe by Madeline May

Chewy Gingerbread Chai Latte Cookies

Dessert • Cookies • Holiday

Prep

10 mins

Cook

8–10 mins

Total

20 mins

Yield

18–24 cookies

Category

Dessert

Difficulty

Easy

Soft, chewy gingerbread cookies infused with espresso and warm chai spices, then finished with a silky chai icing.

Ingredients

Gingerbread Chai Cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2–4 tablespoons espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Seasoning from 1 chai tea bag
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Granulated sugar, for rolling

Chai Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons strongly steeped chai
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar Beat the butter, brown sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla together until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.
3. Add the wet ingredients Mix in the egg until incorporated, then add the molasses and mix again until smooth.
4. Finish the dough Add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, chai tea seasoning, and salt. Mix just until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add 2–4 tablespoons additional flour.
5. Shape and bake Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized portions, roll into balls, and coat each one in granulated sugar. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft.
6. Cool the cookies Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
7. Make the chai icing Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, steeped chai, and cinnamon until smooth. Spread or drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies and let it set before serving.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Place parchment between layers to protect the icing.

Make Ahead

Prepare the dough up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it tightly covered. Let it soften slightly before rolling. The un-iced baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

A Note from Madeline May

Use the same chai tea bag for both the dough and the icing for maximum chai flavor. For the chewiest texture, remove the cookies while the centers still look slightly underbaked.

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A Recipe by Madeline May • madelinemayco.com

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