Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies Are the Cozy, Nostalgic Treat Fans Can’t Stop Talking About
“If you can find eggnog this time of year, use it. If not, just live your life," says Taylor
Taylor Swift is no stranger to creating the perfect blend of cozy and nostalgic, whether it’s through her music or, apparently, her baking. Back in the mid-2010s, somewhere between her Red and 1989 eras, Swift took to Tumblr to share a now-iconic recipe for chai sugar cookies. Fans went wild for it then, and in 2023, the cookies went viral all over again. Turns out, they’re just as timeless as her discography and easy to whip up at home.
A recipe straight from Taylor’s (deleted) Tumblr
If you were deep in Swiftie culture circa 2014, you may remember her Tumblr phase: a glorious time of reblogs, cryptic lyric teases and, of course, baking content. It was there that Swift gifted the world with her take on food blog Joy the Baker‘s classic sugar cookies, spiced up with a chai twist for “extra cozy holiday vibez” (her words, not ours). Swift even served these chai sugar cookies at her legendary 1989 Secret Sessions, where lucky fans got a first listen to her album as well as a taste of her baking skills.
Taylor’s Chai Sugar Cookie Recipe 🍪🍁
byu/Randalllowe84 inTaylorSwift
The secret ingredient? A chai tea shortcut
Unlike traditional spiced cookies, which require an entire spice cabinet’s worth of ingredients, Swift’s version keeps things simple: just cut open a chai tea bag and mix the contents right into the dough. It’s a hack that makes the cookies effortlessly flavorful without the hassle of measuring out individual spices. As Swift herself wrote in a since-deleted blog post replying to fans, “CHAI COOKIES ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN UP IN HERE.”
But here’s where it gets even better: if you’re in a rush (or just want an easy win), Swift suggested an even lazier version—using store-bought sugar cookie mix and adding the chai tea right in. As she puts it, “Cause you’re busy and you want making cookies to be a chill part of your day. Pow. Done.” Honestly? Relatable.
What makes Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies so good?
Swift’s spin on the recipe keeps Joy the Baker’s best tricks intact, like a combination of butter and vegetable oil for the perfect chewy texture and a mix of granulated and powdered sugar to keep things soft. There’s also an essential chilling step—an hour in the fridge—to help the flavors meld and prevent the cookies from spreading too much when they bake.
Then, there’s the final touch: a distinct eggnog glaze that Swift described in true Taylor fashion. “If you want to make icing for them, just mix 1 cup powdered sugar with ¼ T-spoon of nutmeg, ¼ T-spoon of cinnamon and 3 TAYblespoons <—-(I’m so annoying, it astounds me sometimes) of milk or eggnog if you can find it this time of year. (I’m so annoying, it astounds me sometimes) of milk or eggnog if you can find it this time of year. The more milk/eggnog you add, the more your icing will become a glaze. But glazes are legit too so basically just LIVE YOUR LIFE.”
How to make Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies
We’re following Swift’s written recipe above to a T. If you want a more structured recipe, Joy herself posted an updated version in 2021 honoring Swift, which you can find here. If. you don’t own chai tea, Joy says you can replicate the flavor by using fresh spices like ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, cloves and a pinch of black pepper
Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus more for topping
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 chai tea bag
Eggnog icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 3 Tbs. milk or eggnog (if available)
Directions:
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies
- Preheat oven to 350° F, then grease a cookie sheet.
- Beat butter until softened, then add vegetable oil, granulated sugar and powdered sugar and mix until smooth. At this point, add in the chai tea spices, if not using a tea bag.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Then, cut open the chai tea bag and mix the contents into the dough.
- Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until just combined. Then, cover and chill dough for one hour. Once chilled, scoop dough into tablespoon-sized drops (or two tablespoons if you want larger cookies) onto the prepared cookie sheet. Shape them into thick discs, press down lightly and sprinkle each with sugar.
- Bake for about nine minutes, then let cool completely before icing. While baking, whisk the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and let set. Swift dusts her cookies with cinnamon for a final touch.
Storage notes
You can store Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
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