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Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside with deliciously crispy edges. Seasoned with fragrant chai spices, these take old-fashioned Molasses Cookies to another level! Serve with Authentic Masala Chai!
One of my favorite things in India was the roadside Chai stands, called Chai Wallahs. Truth be told I had never really been into drinking chai before this trip, not out of dislike but more out of disinterest. I guess I couldn’t relate to it.
Which as side note, reminds me how experiencing something, rather than hearing about it or reading about it, changes everything. The beauty of life! Now I can’t get enough of Authentic Masala Chai– which you absolutely must try with these cookies.
These soft and chewy Chai Cookies are very much like old-fashioned molasses cookies, but with the addition of flavorful chai spices – cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and ginger.
Perhaps these will do nothing for many of you. But to some, it will take you somewhere. Perhaps back to India. Perhaps to the place in dreams, that feel so much like home, that slip out of memory once we awake. Going to India felt like that to me. Like I had been there before, like I knew it, so very familiar. Yet, every time I asked myself “why”, the gates of perception in my mind, shut down tight. It was while drinking a cup of chai, that an answer like a whisper floated through me, like air – so light and fleeting…
Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies | 50-second video
How to make Chai Molasses Cookies
The recipe is easy and straightforward. Just follow the directions and you’ll be happy with the results. 🙂 Also, the dough keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge if wanting to make it ahead or bake it in smaller batches.
Roll the dough into small walnut sized balls and roll in coarse sugar. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan ( or use a silicone baking mat). Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are crisp and cookies begin to crack. As they cool and deflate, they will crackle more.
Soft and chewy with deliciously crispy edges!
And- the cookies stay soft and chewy for several days after being baked, although they may not last that long!
Expert Tips
- Let the butter soften to room temp naturally. Don’t melt it.
- Weigh the flour if you have a scale. Otherwise, fluff the flour with a fork before measuring, and spoon and level into the measuring cup.
- Check the cookies after 8-9 minutes in the oven- if they haven’t started to spread or crack, wack the tray on the oven rack firmly 1-2 times to initiate that spread. Continue baking 3-4 minutes.
- Making the dough ahead of time and refrigerating will allow you to roll into perfect-sized balls.
These Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies are like a cozy warm hug from a friend.
They make a sweet gift to someone who can use a little love.
More cookie recipes you may enjoy
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies ( Diablo Cookies!)
- Chewy Triple Ginger Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- Chocolate Sesame Cookies
- Perfect Shortbread Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies with Walnuts and Apricot Jam
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hazelnuts
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- The BEST Vegan Breakfast Cookies
You might enjoy these with Authentic Masala Chai!
Enjoy!
Print
Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 36 1x
- Category: desserts, cookies, sweets, baked goods
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside! Seasoned with chai spices, these take old-fashioned Molasses Cookies to another level. These require 2 hours refrigeration time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (don’t melt, let it come to room temp naturally)
- 2/3 cups granulated (white) sugar
- 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 extra large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups (370 grams) of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger, plus 1 for more spicy
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Coarse sugar for rolling
Instructions
- 350 F Oven
- Cream butter and sugars together in a stand mixer or large bowl. Whip until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses and vanilla, and whip until combined.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper and salt together in medium bowl, whisk until well combined. If you can weigh the flour, do so, otherwise fluff up the flour with a fork, before measuring.
- Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.
- Spoon into small, 1-inch wide, walnut-sized balls and sprinkle with coarse sugar or turbanado sugar. Alternatively, you can refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight, so you can easily roll them into balls, then coat all sides with the sugar.
- Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, 3 inches apart. ( Or use a silpat!)
- Bake, *check at 8-9 minutes. If they haven’t started spreading and cracking, wack the tray firmly on the oven rack to start the spread. Continue baking 3-4 more minutes until the edges are crispy and visible crackling appears. Let stand 5 minutes, cool on a wire rack. They will crack more as they cool. Soft and chewy with crispy edges, to me, the perfect cookie!
Notes
Use naturally softened butter- don’t melt. Weigh the flour if you can. Dough will freeze for future baking.
Gluten Free: Sub Bob’s Red Mill GF Four Blend, one for one.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 122
- Sugar: 9.1 g
- Sodium: 123.7 mg
- Fat: 5.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.2 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 18.7 mg
Keywords: Chai cookies, molasses cookies, soft molasses cookies, old fashioned molasses cookies, chewy molasses cookies, ginger molasses cookies, chai molasses cookies, christmas cookies, holiday baking
Cookies are delicious but very soft when they come out of the oven despite extra baking time. Was I supposed to cool on cookie sheet first
Or take them off immediately ?
If they seemed really really soft, I wonder if they needed more time baking? You can let them sit a few minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Beyond yum!!!! Molasses cookies are the first cookie of choice in our house and these definitely lived up to your description! It will now be my go to molasses cookie recipe! Due to a pepper sensitivity, I omitted that ingredient but the cookies still had wonderful spiciness. Soooooo delicious!!!!
Wonderful Jeanne!
Super awesome recipe, however I wish the first direction wasn’t to turn the oven to 350F. Toward the end you learn the dough needs to chill for 2 hours. Thank you, Sylvia!
★★★★★
Sorry about that Kristen, I updated the recipe. You don’t have to refrigerate, but if you want to roll into balls, it is easier. You can always spoon onto a cookie tray.
These cookies are DElish! Just as described, soft & chewy with crispy edges. Chai is my favorite hot drink. The spices in this recipe are spot on for chai. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
★★★★★
Perfect Glenda! Thanks so much.
This cookie is tied for first place in my cookie list! Thanks for sharing!
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Interesting! And you must share what it’s tied with! 😉
OMG, you’ve just made me the happiest person! I’ve followed you for a few years now (I’m a former Spokanite myself) and your recipes rarely fail me. But my all time favorite cookie is molasses and I drink a loose leaf green chai tea every single morning. I can’t wait to make these!! Even in my little bitty RV kitchen.
Hi Jody! Sounds dreamy…RV, chai and molasses cookie 🙂
These were fantastic! I modified them to make them vegan and they turned our wonderfully.
★★★★★
Thanks Rachel- please share how you modified them, I’m sure other readers would love to know!
This recipe will be my go-to molasses cookie until I go on ahead. Delightfully spicy- I increased the spices by 30%, add 1/2 tsp ground star anise and use 3 T less sugar, with no sugar roll before baking. Mmmmm.
★★★★★
Haha! Glad you like them, and are adjusting to your taste!
Living at 8,000 ft elevation, I adjusted these cookies for elevation and they came out just right. Here, in case it’s helpful to anyone else, are my steps:
– Remove 1 T. from each: granulated sugar, brown sugar
– Remove 1/8 t. baking soda
– Add 1T. water (more if necessary)
– Increase temp to 375 degrees
– Bake for 11 min
★★★★★
You are a godsend- thanks so much Lara! Helpful!
I’d like to add that you might not need a whole tablespoon of water. Add it little by little, just to moisten a bit.