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Kick Off Baking Season with Thick, Chewy Chai Oatmeal Cookies!
Some people go crazy for pumpkin spice everything, but the moment there’s a hint of a crisp autumn chill in the air, I crave all things chai spice. 😍 There’s just nothing cozier than the blend of citrusy cardamom, zingy ginger, and warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves!
And while I can’t resist a frothy chai latte, I think these spices truly shine when baked into sweet treats. Case in point: Thick and Chewy Chai Oatmeal Cookies.
These cookies have been my fall baking favorite for 8 years running. The recipe is based on my longtime go-to brown butter oatmeal cookie, but over the years, I’ve fallen in love with cozying it up with a hefty dose of masala chai-inspired spices and an extra-generous coating of sticky-sweet maple chai glaze.
The result? My idea of the perfect oatmeal cookie: thick with crisp edges, a chewy center, and a generous coating of spiced icing.
I bake them every holiday season to share with friends and family, but these chai spice oatmeal cookies are just as perfect for cozying up with a good book and a cup of tea on a cool autumn afternoon.
So, preheat the oven and get ready to fill your kitchen with some fall baking magic! 🍂
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Better Baking with Bob’s! ⇢ For perfectly tender and chewy cookies, I always use Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour and Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Bob’s uses high-quality American wheat and premium whole grain oats, minimally processed to maintain beautiful texture. The best of the best—I always keep them stocked in my pantry!
A Ginger and Cardamom-Forward Chai Spice Blend for Baking
Chai has deep roots in Indian culture, where “chai” means “tea.” What many in the West call “chai tea” is actually masala chai, a spiced black tea made with milk and a fragrant blend of spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
For these chai oatmeal cookies, I recommend mixing up a batch of my go-to Homemade Chai Spice, a 6-ingredient blend I developed specifically for baking. It leans heavily on ginger and cardamom for a bold, punchy flavor that shines in sweet treats.
Prefer store-bought? ⇢ Go for it! My favorite is Diaspora Co. Chai Masala—it’s responsibly sourced and has incredible flavor.
Nutty Brown Butter: The Secret to Irresistible Oatmeal Cookies
Brown butter is the secret to incredible chai oatmeal cookies. Its rich, nutty flavor enhances the bold chai spices, adding depth to every bite. Never browned butter before? No worries! It’s a simple, one-skillet, 5-minute process that’s surprisingly easy to master.
How to brown butter. ⇢ Melt cubed butter in a skillet—preferably a light-colored one so you can easily see the color change as it toasts. Cook for a few minutes, swirling occasionally to prevent burning. Once it reaches a deep golden color and smells deliciously nutty, transfer it to a mixing bowl and set it aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Important! ⇢ Let the brown butter cool first. Adding warm brown butter directly into the cookie dough can melt the sugar and lead to greasy oatmeal chai cookies.
Important! ⇢ Chill before you bake! Pop the chai oatmeal cookie dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. A quick chill helps the dough set up so the cookies don’t spread too much while baking. Use this time to preheat the oven and tidy up the kitchen.
Make-Ahead Cookie Dough! ⇢ This is my go-to move during the holiday baking season: prep the cookie dough balls ahead of time, storing them in the fridge or freezer for later. When ready, simply place them on a baking sheet and bake—easy! Check the Recipe Notes below for more guidance.
A Cozy Finishing Touch: Sweet Maple Chai Glaze
No oatmeal cookie is complete without icing! For these chai spice oatmeal cookies, I opt for a sticky-sweet maple chai glaze—it brings the perfect amount of warmth and rich sweetness to complement the nutty brown butter and bold chai spices in the cookies.
I can’t wait for you to try these Chai Oatmeal Cookies! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Seriously Thick & Chewy Chai Oatmeal Cookies with Maple Glaze
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 18–20 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies, Dessert Recipes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American, Indian-Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Kick off baking season with Thick and Chewy Chai Oatmeal Cookies!
These old fashioned oatmeal cookies are infused with rich, nutty brown butter and warm masala chai-inspired spices for extra-cozy flavor. Bake them into thick cookies with crisp edges and a perfectly chewy center, then finish with a sweet chai maple glaze.
The ultimate treat for holiday cookie swaps or an afternoon cup of tea!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White Organic All-Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1 tablespoon chai spice blend (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
for the maple chai glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons chai spice blend (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4–6 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Add the butter to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 3-4 minutes, swirling the pan or gently stirring the butter as it cooks to prevent burning. Once the butter is browned with a beautifully dark amber hue, remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the browned butter. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until the sugars are well combined and the butter is cooled slightly. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine well.
- Mix in the dry ingredients: To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, chai spice blend, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine well. Working in 2-3 batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Set the oatmeal cookie dough aside to cool slightly, 10-15 minutes.
- Baking prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Divide the cooled cookie dough into 18-20 balls, about 3 tablespoons of dough each – for quickness and ease, I often use a spring-loaded cookie scoop. Transfer the cookie dough balls to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2-3 inches apart. Use your fingers to press down on the tops of the dough balls, flattening slightly into a disc.
- Bake the chai oatmeal cookies: Working one baking sheet at a time, transfer the cookies to the oven and bake 12-14 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden and the tops are set. Remove from the oven and repeat with any remaining cookies, then set aside to cool completely.
- Prepare the maple chai glaze: Meanwhile, as the cookies bake and cool, prepare the maple chai glaze. Add all listed ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine well. The glaze should have a thick, pourable consistency—adjust as needed with an extra splash of heavy cream.
- Ice the oatmeal cookies: Once the chai oatmeal cookies are cooled, ice them with the maple chai glaze. I dunk the tops of the cookies into the glaze for a generous coating.
- Serving: Let the iced chai oatmeal cookies set up for at least 10 minutes before serving. They’re great with coffee or tea. Enjoy!
Equipment
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Extra Thick Rolled Oats
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Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Chai spice blend: The masala chai-inspired flavor of these cookies comes from a chai spice blend. I use my go-to 6-Ingredient Homemade Chai Spice Mix, which is especially ginger- and cardamom-forward. If you prefer to use a store-bought blend, I highly suggest Diaspora Co. Chai Masala, which is responsibly sourced and has amazing aromatic flavor.
- Tips for browning butter perfectly: If available, a skillet with a lighter colored cooking surface is preferred; its light cooking surface makes it easier to observe the changing colors of the butter as it browns. Once the butter is completely melted, you’ll notice foam develop on the surface of the butter and you’ll hear it begin to sizzle and pop—this is completely expected and a good indication that you’re on the right track! As the butter nears a perfectly browned state, it turns from a golden color to a beautiful dark amber; you’ll also notice the foamy appearance and sizzling noise begin to disappear. When transferring the browned butter to a mixing bowl, take care to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan along with it—these toasted milk solids are where all the flavor is!
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions:
- Storage: Once iced, these chai oatmeal cookies are best enjoyed within 1-2 days, though you can store any leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.
- Make-Ahead: These chai oatmeal cookies have been a staple of my holiday cookie plates for almost a decade! I make a double or triple batch every year. To help with holiday cookie prep, I make the dough all at once (Steps 1-3). Once the dough is rolled and flattened into discs (Step 4), I place them on a baking sheet and let them chill completely in the refrigerator before transferring to large, resealable plastic bags. The unbaked dough balls will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. You can bake straight from the refrigerator, adding 2-3 minutes of baking time as needed (if the dough is frozen, thaw it completely in the refrigerator beforehand).
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I was wondering if it was safe to leave these out at room temp ? With the icing using cream wouldn’t it be susceptible to spoilage or bacteria?
Hi Madison, we’ve never had a problem storing these cookies at room temperature, since the icing uses such a small amount of cream. Of course, if you feel more comfortable storing the cookies in the fridge, that’s totally fine too!
these cookies turned out excellent using gluten free flour (king arthur 1:1). the only change is using 2 tsps baking powder, rather than baking soda.
Thank you for the cookies!
So happy they turned out great with GF flour, LM!! Thanks so much for leaving a review and letting other readers know, as well 🙂
5 stars because these turned out amazing, but i’m a little confused… in the recipe you say to let the dough cool for 10 minutes, but in the notes above you say to actually chill it. were we supposed to put the dough in the fridge? (i did not and they didn’t spread too much so not an issue for me, but just wondering!)
Hey Emily, thanks for bringing this to our attention! We do recommend chilling the dough – we’ll get the recipe updated shortly!! So glad you enjoyed the cookies and that they still turned out great for you!
I’d love to try this gluten-free with Bob’s 1:1! Do you think it would work?!
We haven’t tried this with GF flour, but it should work just fine, Emma! Make sure to let us know how they turn out for you! 🙂
They turned out deliciouuuuus! Thank you!
So glad to hear that, Emma!
These cookies are delicious! I made them for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. They are also great without the icing – especially in the morning with a cup of tea or coffee. Make sure to make the chai spice from scratch as recommended.
These cookies are a new favorite! I made them for my kids coming home on fall break and my daughter said, “These taste like autumn in cookie form!” From now on I will definitely be making a double batch.
They’re definitely autumn in cookie form 🙂 So happy to hear that you and your kids enjoyed the cookies, Joanna!
Fabulous! I was lazy and made them into bars. Baked in 9×13 for about 28 minutes at 350. They are hard to stay away from! And while the glaze is excellent, they’d be great without also.
Love the idea of making these into bars, Jenny! Thanks for sharing the baking info for other readers, too! 🙂
These cookies are very good but I will say, I used a 3tbsp cookie scoop and got exactly 10 cookies. And yes they are insanely massive lol. I think your recipe should call for a 2tbsp cookie scoop in order to get the 18-20 as you indicate.
Hi Chris, glad you enjoyed the cookies! And thank you for the note! We’ll definitely take another look at the cookie scoop suggestions.
Hi! I’m wondering if the dough could be made into cookie bars?
Hi! We’ve never tried this, but you’re certainly welcome to!! You’ll want to make sure they aren’t too thick, and make sure to account for extra baking time to ensure the center of the bars is cooked through. Hope you report back here on how they turn out! 🙂
Delish. Mine spread too much and we’re a bit dry the next day but I put all the blame on me as a mediocre cookie baker. The chai glaze was soooo good. Still 5 ⭐
So glad you loved the cookies regardless of the hiccups, Julianne! I’m sure you did this, but make sure to chill the dough for a full 30 min before baking – it really helps to prevent spreading! Hope you’ll give them a try again soon 🙂