Chewy Gingerbread Chai Latte Cookies with Chai Icing

Call me crazy but I am not the biggest fan of gingerbread!! When I was trying to decide what cookies to put into my 2025 cookie box, I wanted to keep it traditional, but also tasty! I did not think I could do cookie boxes without classic gingerbread...so I needed to find a way to spice it up. Then boom! It hit me! My favorite holiday drink at Starbucks has always been the Gingerbread Chai. The flavors are simply too good together. However, we all know Starbucks is using super concentrated syrups...so I needed to see if there was a way to mix these two flavors while still leaning away from gingerbread flavored syrups etc. So I made a classic gingerbread cookie and then added some chai tea bags and steeped chai. Super similar to what we did with the pumpkin chai cinnamon rolls! I also love how the chai tea bags add some extra color to the gingerbread cookies and the icing!

Below, is the drop cookie version of this recipe. I will be sharing gingerbread chai cookie sandwiches next!

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 2–4 tablespoons espresso powder

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup molasses

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Seasoning from 1 chai tea bag

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• Granulated sugar, for rolling

Chai Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons steeped chai (from 1 chai tea bag — use it for color + flavor)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Make the Dough

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes.Add the egg and mix to combine.Add the molasses and mix again.

Add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, the seasoning from 1 chai tea bag, and salt. Beat until fully combined and smooth.

3. Roll the Cookies

Place granulated sugar in a small bowl.

For drop cookies:Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls (if the dough is too sticky, add 2–4 tablespoons flour).Roll each ball through the sugar and place on the baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.

4. Bake

Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just set while the centers remain slightly soft and doughy.Let cool on the pan.

5. Make the Chai Icing

In a bowl, whisk together:

• powdered sugar

• steeped chai (3 tablespoons)

• the used chai tea bag (squeeze in for extra color/flavor if desired)

• milk

• vanilla

• cinnamon

Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the icing over cooled cookies — it will set quickly.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Chewy Gingerbread Chai Latte Cookies

Soft, chewy gingerbread cookies infused with espresso, chai spices, and topped with a silky chai icing.

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

8–10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Makes

18–24 cookies

Category

Dessert

Style

Cozy • Holiday

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2–4 tablespoons espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + seasoning from 1 chai tea bag
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Granulated sugar, for rolling

Chai Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons steeped chai (from 1 chai tea bag)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat together the butter, brown sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Mix in the egg, then the molasses.
3. Add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, chai tea bag seasoning, and salt. Mix until combined.
4. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls (add 2–4 tablespoons flour if too sticky), coat in granulated sugar, and bake 8–10 minutes.
5. Whisk together powdered sugar, steeped chai, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Spread icing on cooled cookies.

Tip: Use the chai tea bag twice — in the dough and icing — for maximum chai flavor.

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