Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside with deliciously crispy edges. Infused with fragrant chai spices, these take old-fashioned Molasses Cookies to another level! Video.
These soft and chewy Chai Molasses 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…
Chai molasses Cookie Ingredients
- Butter (softened): Provides richness and flavor to the cookies.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the texture of the cookies.
- Molasses: Gives the cookies a moist and chewy texture, as well as a rich, deep flavor.
- Egg: Helps bind the ingredients together and adds structure to the cookies.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure to the cookies and gives them a tender crumb.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise and gives them a slightly crisp texture.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness of the cookies.
- Chai spice mix (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and ginger): Infuses the cookies with warm and aromatic flavors reminiscent of chai tea.
- Coarse sugar (for rolling): Adds a touch of sweetness and provides a beautiful crystallized texture on the cookies.
How to make Chai Molasses Cookies
The recipe is easy and straightforward. Just follow the directions and you’ll be happy with the results. 🙂
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 naturally to room temperature. 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.
Storage
The cookie dough keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge if you want to make it ahead or bake it in smaller batches.
Baked cookies keep for one week at room temperature, or can be frozen for later.
They make a sweet gift to someone who can use a little love. Here are more DIY gift ideas!
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a warm mug of Masala Chai for instant an mood-lifting effect. ✨
More Favorite cookie recipes!
- Coconut Macaroons
- 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
Enjoy the cookies and please remember to rate them for us!
xoxo
Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies video
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 1 hour of 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, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, pepper and salt together in a medium bowl, whisk until well combined. If you can weigh the flour, do so, otherwise, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level.
- Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight, so they are easier to roll. Roll into walnut-sized balls, then coat all sides with the turbinato 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, then 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
Very tasty cookies! Our whole family enjoys them ❤️ thank you, Sylvia!
So happy to hear!
My new favorite cookie. Amazing!!!
Awesome to hear Debi!
Excellent recipe! I left 11 minutes in the oven, and they came out perfect. I refrigerated for about 30min, but the consistent was already perfect… there was no need for refrigeration…
We’re so glad you enjoyed these!
These cookies are a hit with the whole family, even the little ones. I like them just as much when rolled in regular sugar instead of turbinado sugar. Just note that if you want that sugar crunch, you’ll want to use the turbinado. So, so tasty!
Thanks Deb, great to know!
I absolutely loved these cookies! I have a particular fondness for ginger/molasses cookies and I must say this recipe does take it to another level. The texture is great. Soft, chewy and crispy edges.
Thanks Kathy! So happy you liked these.
I’ve been eyeing these for a while and I’m so glad I finally made them!! They are the perfect cookie – lovely crust with a chewy middle and the spices are amazing! I love your connection to India, it makes sense to me with all your recipes and uses of spices 🙂
Thanks Angeli! Glad you enjoyed these!
The Description states 2hrs required, but it doesn’t really say that in the instructions (there it states alternatively). Mine are not cracking (but do spread)… wonder if that is because I didn’t refrigerate?
Hi Sonia, I made the instructions more clear. Perhaps that could be it? Did you weigh the flour?
These are perfection, spiced nicely and chewy on the inside with a crunch from the sugar on the outside. Happy holidays!!!
Yay! Happy Holidays to you too!
My husband’s all-time favorite holiday cookie. Thanks Sylvia!
Great to hear!
I love these “comfort cookies”! I’ve made them with regular flour and GF flour. Both work, but the texture for the GF makes them turn out flatter but just as tasty. So many of my friends are GF I choose this so I can share them.
Thanks Cindi, this is helpful information!
What can I use instead of molasses
We haven’t experimented without molasses but here are a few ideas; you could try something like sorgum syrup, golden syrup or black treacle. Maple syrup could work too but the consistency is different and may affect the texture. Let us know what you try!
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.
I’ve been using this recipe for the last three years and it’s never let me down! I’ve added candied orange peel in the past with success, but I’m wondering if these would translate to thumbprint cookies at all? I would love to try these with ganache or marmalade.
I think the dough is too moist for thumbprint cookies, it may not bake all the way through. I suppose you could bake them 2/3 done then add jam and finish them off? Just guessing- it might be a fun experiment!
This cookie is tied for first place in my cookie list! Thanks for sharing!
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.