Thanksgiving cookies to snack on before the big feast begins! Perfectly sweet chai spice sugar cookies to munch on. A lot of times my kids are too full after Thanksgiving dinner. So no pie for them, but these spiced sugar cookies!
Not only are they great for Thanksgiving. These fall inspired cookies are made plenty of times leading up to and over the holidays here in this household!
How I make chai spiced fall sugar cookies?
These sugar cookies are easy to make and therefore perfect to make together with your kids. Mine are old enough to actually make them theirselves. Will you believe it? My hard work is paying off. LOL.
The dough for the spiced sugar cookies
In a large mixing bowl I cream the (vegan) butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. More or less for 5 minutes. I usually do it by hand with a whisk, but doing it with a handheld mixer or in standing mixer works as well.
Once fluffy, I add the egg and mix until everything is evenly combined. Then I add the (gluten free) flour, baking soda, chai spice, and salt. Now I beat until combined, and the dough comes together. Sometimes I work the dough with my hands in the end to form a ball.
Rolling out the cookie dough
I generously flour my workspace and place the dough for these chai spiced cookies in the middle of it. I flatten the ball into a disk. Using a floured rolling pin, I roll out the dough to 1/3 inch thickness. I prefer to make my cookies a bit thicker. You could roll the dough out thinner, but I would not go below 1/4 inch. I make sure I use enough flour on both my work surface as my rolling pin, otherwise it will stick.
If I think the dough is too warm before I roll it out, I first place the flattened disk of dough in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. That way the dough is easier to handle. If it happens after I have rolled it out, I shove it onto a cutting board or an upside down baking tray and place it in the freezer for a bit. This will only happen if you live in a hot climate like me. Also if you have a large marble cutting board, you can place it in the freezer for 10 minutes and roll out the dough on the cooled board, so the dough doesn’t warm up!
Cutting the cookies
Now it is time to cut out these fall cookies. I first preheat the oven to 350F/175C and I line a baking tray with parchment paper. I transfer the cut out cookies to the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space for the cookies to spread a bit. Do you like the fall inspired cookie cutters I used?
Once the cut-out cookies are on the lined baking sheet I use a butter knife to draw lines on the cookies. So for example the leaf cookies, I imprint veins on them. But this is totally optional and not necessary at all. You can see in the pictures in this blogpost, I have not done it on all of them. With or without, they look super cute.
To prevent these fall cookies from spreading in the oven, I place the baking tray with the cookies on them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Chilled cookies spread less in the oven!
If I have leftover dough, I roll it out again and cut cookies from it, while my first baking sheet with cookies is in the freezer.
I place the chilled cookies in the oven and bake them for 11-12 minutes (for soft cookies) or 13-14 minutes (for crunchier cookies). The cookies should be just lightly browned. They’ll seem underbaked, but they are not! They will firm up more once they cool off.
Serving the chai spiced fall sugar cookies
I prepare a rimmed plate and mix the chai spice and fine sugar on it. After the baked cookies have been cooling off on the baking tray for 2-3 minutes, I roll them through the chai spiced sugar and transfer the sugared cookies to a wired rack to completely cool off.
These chai spiced fall sugar cookies are a family favorite of ours. I sure hope you (and your family) will enjoy them too. They are:
simple and easy to make – so flavorful – festive enough to serve during the holiday – a great baking project on the weekend with your kids – and SO delicious!
Looking for more holiday inspired cookies? How about these spooky yet cute owl cookies for Halloween, stuffed gingerbread house cookies, easy snickerdoodle cookies or these adorable surfing gingerbread men cookies and for all my tips and tricks on baking (holiday cookies) with kids go here.
Chai spiced fall sugar cookies
Equipment
- Rolling pin
- (fall inspired) cookie cutters
- baking tray + parchment paper
Ingredients
- 175 gr cold salted butter (approx. 1½ stick)(cubed)
- 125 gr light brown sugar (approx.⅓ cup)
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 275 gr all purpose flour (1-to-1 gluten free flour works as well)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp chai spice mix* (see Notes below for my homemade chai spice mix*)
- ¼ tsp salt
Chai spiced sugar
- 1 tbsp chai spice mix* (see Notes below for my homemade chai spice mix*)
- 2 tbsp fine sugar (granulated, raw cane sugar or xylitol)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl cream the (vegan) butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Use a whisk, handheld mixer or stand mixer.
- Once fluffy, add the egg and mix until everything is evenly combined. Now add the (gluten free) flour, baking soda, chai spice, and salt. Beat until combined, and the dough comes together.
- Generously flour your workspace and place the dough in the middle of it and flatten the ball into a disk. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to ⅓-¼ inch thickness. Make sure you use enough flour on both your work surface and rolling pin otherwise the dough will stick to it.If I think the dough is too warm before I roll it out, I first place the flattened disk of dough in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. That way the dough is easier to handle. If it happens after I have rolled it out, I shove it onto a cutting board or an upside down baking tray and place it in the freezer for a bit. This will only happen if you live in a hot climate like me. Also if you have a large marble cutting board, you can place it in the freezer for 10 minutes and roll out the dough on the cooled board, so the dough doesn't warm up!
- TIP! If you think the dough is too warm (before, during or after you roll it out), place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. That way the dough is easier to handle. Also if you have a large marble cutting board, you can place it in the freezer for 10 minutes and roll out the dough on the cooled board, so the dough doesn't warm up!
- Using your favorite (fall) cookie cutter, cut out cookies from the rolled out dough. Transfer the cut out cookies to the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space for the cookies to spread a bit. Once the cut-out cookies are on the lined baking sheet I use a butter knife to draw lines on the cookies. So for example the leaf cookies, I imprint veins on them. But this is totally optional and not necessary at all. You can see in the pictures in this blogpost, I have not done it on all of them. With or without, they look super cute.
- Optional: Once the cut-out cookies are on the lined baking sheet, use a butter knife to draw lines on the cookies. Check the blogpost for examples of how I did it.
- Place the baking tray with the cookies on them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Chilled cookies spread less in the oven!
- If you have leftover dough, roll it out again and cut more cookies from it, while your first baking sheet with cookies is in the freezer.
- Place the chilled cookies in the oven and bake them for 11-12 minutes (for soft cookies) or 13-14 minutes (for crunchier cookies). The cookies should be just lightly browned. They'll seem underbaked, but they are not! They will firm up more once they cool off.
- Prepare a rimmed plate and mix the chai spice and fine sugar on it. After the baked cookies have been cooling off on the baking tray for 2-3 minutes, roll them through the chai spiced sugar and transfer the sugared cookies to a wired rack to completely cool off.
Notes
- 3 tsp cardamom
- 3 tsp ground allspice
- 3 tsp cloves
- 3 tsp nutmeg
- 9 tsp cinnamon
- 12 tsp ginger
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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