These Vegan Chai Cookies are soft, chewy, and full of flavor! They are great all throughout the year and so easy to whip up. You will love these perfectly spiced goodies, especially with a hot cup of coffee on a lazy day!
The word “chai” means “tea” in Hindi and you'll find that these cookies taste similar to a sweetened cup of chai-flavored black tea. So tasty!!
Homemade or store-bought chai spice gives these eggless cookies a delicious warm flavor. The sweetness is delightfully balanced with a slightly spicy kick.
These classic chai cookies remind me of a cross between sugar cookies and snickerdoodles but with some extra fall-flavored spices.
Even though they have warm, Fall spices, they are tasty no matter the season. In fact, we found out at Christmas time that Santa is obsessed with them!
The edges are crisp and firm while the centers are so soft and chewy. Just like my S’mores Cookies, they will melt in your mouth!
You can also make them similar to Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies by adding a simple icing made with powdered sugar and a little plant milk or eggnog.
Reasons To Love This Recipe
- Soft & chewy
- Easy to make
- Layers of unique flavor
- Vegan, dairy-free, no eggs
- Sweet but not overly sweet
- Great for a cookie exchange
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chai Spice - Either use 2.5 tablespoon of a store-bought chai masala spice blend or make your own! I have a chai spice recipe down below.
- Sugars - A combination of cane and light brown sugar both sweeten these cookies perfectly. The brown sugar adds extra moisture and chewiness. Look for sugars that say “vegan” or “organic” on the label.
- Vegan Butter - I like to use Country Crock sticks or Earth Balance spread because they cream well with the sugar. Add a heaping ¼ teaspoon of salt if your butter isn't salted.
- Plant Milk - Any plant-based milk works for added moisture (soy, almond, oat, etc.).
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract gives these cookies a warm sweetness.
- Egg Replacer - I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer here. A flax egg (1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoon water) or a chia egg (1 tablespoon chia seeds + 3 tablespoon water) can work as well.
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour for a light and airy texture.
- Baking Soda - For a little rise as well as added chewiness.
- Salt - Just a bit of salt enhances the flavors while also bringing balance.
How to Make Vegan Chai Cookies
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Make the egg replacer by mixing it with 2 tablespoons of water. Use a third tablespoon of water if you’re using flax meal or chia seeds.
Combine the chai spices together unless you already have a chai spice blend.
Mix the cane sugar and chai spices in a large mixing bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoon of this sugar-spice mixture to roll the dough balls in later.
Add the brown sugar and softened vegan butter to the bowl. Use a mixer or fork to cream them together until it's well combined and fluffy.
Pour in the egg replacement, plant milk, and vanilla extract. Stir them into the mixture.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a separate bowl and give them a stir.
Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredient bowl. Gently combine the ingredients together with a spoon or spatula. Try not to overmix the dough.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 1 hour. This will help the moist dough firm up, intensify the chai flavors, and make the cookies extra chewy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. You can use a reusable baking mat, but that may make it harder for the cookies to spread as much.
Roll & Bake!
Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon portions and roll them into balls. I like to weigh the cookie balls to keep them similar in size.
Roll the balls into the sugar chai spice mixture until they're fully covered. Place them on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
Bake them for 10-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven when the edges look like they're starting to firm up. The middles will still be soft and puffy, which is fine. We don't want to over-bake them so they can stay soft and chewy. They will firm up as they cool.
Tap the cookie sheet a few times on the counter when you first take them out so they can flatten a bit or you can leave them as they are. Let them cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Recipe Variation Ideas
- Frost the cookies with icing like Taylor Swift’s famous chai sugar cookies. Simply mix ½ cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoon of plant milk, plant-based creamer, or even eggnog.
- Dust a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg on top.
Storage
Keep the cookies in a sealed container to maintain their freshness. Either store them on the counter for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 5 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
Add it to your baked goods, sprinkle it on top of fresh fruit or ice cream, or mix it into your vegan yogurt, oatmeal, or coffee.
More Vegan Cookies
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Vegan Chai Cookies
Ingredients
Homemade Chai Spice Blend
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Chai Cookies
- ⅔ cups cane sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup plant-based butter, salted, softened
- 1 tablespoon egg replacer + 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon plant milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the egg replacer by mixing it with 2 tablespoons of water. Use a third tablespoon of water if you’re using flax meal or chia seeds.
- Combine the chai spices together unless you already have a chai spice blend.
- Mix the cane sugar and chai spices in a large mixing bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoons of this sugar-spice mixture to roll the dough balls in later.
- Add the brown sugar and softened vegan butter to the bowl. Use a mixer or fork to cream them together until it's well combined and fluffy. Pour in the egg replacer, plant milk, and vanilla extract. Stir them into the mixture.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a separate bowl and give them a stir. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredient bowl. Gently combine the ingredients together with a spoon or spatula. Try not to overmix the dough.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 1 hour. This will help the moist dough firm up, intensify the chai flavors, and make the cookies extra chewy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. You can use a reusable baking mat, but that may make it harder for the cookies to spread as much.
- Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon portions and roll them into balls. I like to weigh the cookie balls to keep them similar in size. Roll the balls into the sugar chai spice mixture until they're fully covered. Place them on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake them for 10-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven when the edges look like they're starting to firm up. The middles will still be soft and puffy, which is fine. We don't want to over-bake them so they can stay soft and chewy. They will firm up as they cool.
- Tap the cookie sheet a few times on the counter when you first take them out so they can flatten a bit or you can leave them as they are. Let them cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is estimated and can vary depending on brands and measurements used.
Courtney R
Okay I'm going to preface by saying I know this was my fault. I've made many of your recipes and they were all delicious. And I am no star baker. 😄 Mine although delicious turned out flat and dark. Borderline burned. What baking "no no" did I commit for that to have happened? I really want to make them again the right way. I know they will be so good!
Bonnie
I'm glad you liked the flavor and my recipes, Courtney!! They are definitely flat by design. We tried them several ways and preferred our chai cookies on the thinner side. Something you can do to minimize the spreading is use a nonstick baking mat instead of parchment paper and even a little less butter. What vegan butter did you use? I find Country Crock creates a thinner consistency while Earth Balance is a little thicker and more stable. It sounds like maybe they were in the oven a bit too long as well. Did you do 10-12 minutes at 350°F? Maybe taking them out a little earlier, say 9 minutes, could help. They will still firm up as they cool. Something else that could've caused a darker color is the chai spice blend. Did you make it yourself or is is store-bought? I've noticed they come in different shades perhaps because of slightly different ratios of the darker colored spices. I hope they turn out next time. Please keep me posted! 🙂
Courtney R
I definitely did use Country Crock and I definitely probably left them in too long. But I will report back to say my husband absolutely loves them and sees no issue with them. I think I imagined them a bit more fluffy so all in all I’m calling them a win! Great too about the non stick baking sheet though.
Bonnie
I'm so happy to hear that he likes them and they're a win for you! 🙂