These chai spice chocolate chip cookies are the best ones you’ll ever bake! I know every person says that, but I’m always truly blown away by these. They’re your typical chocolate chip cookie recipe that will check off every item on your “must have” list for the perfect cookie. I promise it will impress even the grumpiest person in your life. They’re soft and chewy in the middle, but crispy on the edges for that bit of crunch. The pools of dark chocolate are aesthetically beautiful and dispersed throughout the cookie for the optimal bite. And the chai spice? Oof. I don’t think I can ever have a regular chocolate chip cookie again. Each bite is loaded with subtle notes of cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger and hints of black pepper, mace, and star anise. The way the spices intermingle with the dark chocolate is heaven on earth. It’s genuinely hard to eat just one and walk away without coming back for another. No shame in that. And if you’re bringing them to a party, be sure to hide a couple for yourself. They go so fast!
What is Chai Masala?
The word chai means tea in Hindi, and usually refers to a black tea with milk. So if you’re say chai tea, you’re essentially saying " tea tea". The word masala means spices. Masala chai therefore refers to black milk tea steeped with spices. Chai masala translates to tea spices. It’s a blend of sweet and warming spices - green cardamom, black peppercorn, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, and star anise - used for making masala chai. The history of adding spices to black tea traces back to the British colonization of India. Spices were added to chai to mask the taste of low quality black tea leaves. The blend is also really popular for fall baking due to the fragrance, flavor, and warmth that it lends to anything from cinnamon rolls to muffins to buttercream frostings. It’s also a great addition to oatmeal! The cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves especially stand out in my homemade chai masala blend when exposed to heat and offers the best balance of spices. This way, we don’t end up with a cookie similar to gingersnaps.
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
This recipe is measured in grams, so it requires a kitchen scale for the most accurate outcome. I did provide both metric and rough US customary measurements, but the grams are the most accurate. The ingredients for these chocolate chip cookies is typical of most homemade cookies, but with the addition of a chai spice.
Butter - Always use unsalted butter at room temperature for the best results. Sugar - Use light brown sugar if you have it on hand. Dark brown sugar has a higher content of molasses which will give the cookie a bit more of a caramel flavor, which we don’t need due to the chai spice. The brown sugar adds a bit of that caramel flavor and the chew. The white granulated sugar helps the cookie spread and crisp up. Egg - Creaming the egg with the butter and sugar mixture creates the protein structures that bind the cookie and gives it the perfect texture. Vanilla Extract and salt - Provides flavor, but only enough to compliment the chai spice. Flour - Use unbleached all-purpose flour Chai Spice - Use a high quality, preferably homemade chai spice from freshly ground spices. I also really love Pur Spices. Leavening - The right ratio of baking soda and baking powder provides the perfect spread, rise, and texture on the cookies Chocolate - Chocolate chunks are superior, period. They melt better than chocolate chips, which have stabilizers, to provide those especially delicious bites. I used Guittard dark chocolate baking bars and roughly chopped them into my desired size. I like to reserve around an ounce of chocolate and press them on to the top and sides of the cookie dough balls to get puddles on the top of the cookie after baking.
How to make Chai Chocolate Chip Cookie
This cookie dough can be made 24 hours ahead of time and chilled for up to a day until it’s ready to bake. First, take into account that the cookie dough needs to chill for at least an hour to prevent too much spread and allow the flavors to develop. The cookie dough can be made with a whisk, electric mixer, or stand mixer.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
I keep a stash of these cookies in my freezer at all times. To freeze the cookie dough: Bake them directly in a preheated oven - no need to defrost them. Add 3-4 minutes to the bake time and adjust as needed.
More Cookie Recipes to try
Looking to bake more cookies? Here are some more delicious recipes!
More Chai Recipes to try
Obsessed with chai? Here are all the fall chai bakes, drinks and cocktails, and more that you could ever want!
Recipe
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