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Chewy Chai Gingerbread

By Genevieve Ko

Published December 12, 2025

Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Ready In

1½ hr

Soft and chewy, these gingerbread cookies come together quickly and easily. Using oil instead of butter keeps the rounds moist and lets the warmth of the spices shine. A chai blend, which often highlights ginger and cardamom and includes the surprising heat of black pepper, gives them even more verve. If you don’t have one on hand, you can simply mix your own (see Tip). That spiced coziness is echoed in the glaze, but the cookies are just as satisfying unadorned.

Ingredients

Yield:About 3 dozen cookies

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2 cups/260 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine salt

½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons ground chai spice blend (see Tip)

½ cup/96 grams grapeseed, canola or other neutral-flavored oil

1 large egg

¼ cup/117 grams molasses (not blackstrap)

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For the glaze

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1 ½ cups/180 grams powdered sugar

Pinch of fine salt

2 tablespoons brewed chai tea, room temperature, more as needed

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Preparation

1. Step 1

   Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

2. Step 2

   Whisk the granulated sugar and chai spice blend in a medium bowl to break up any clumps of spices. Add the oil and whisk until smooth, then add the egg and whisk until just incorporated. Add the molasses and whisk until smooth. 

3. Step 3

   Add the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until no traces of flour remain. Let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so the flour can hydrate and make the dough less sticky. (The dough can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking.)

4. Step 4

   Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Step 5

   Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and set on the prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

6. Step 6

   Bake, one sheet at a time, until the tops are dry, puffed and cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets on racks. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

7. Step 7

   When the cookies are cool, make the icing: Put the powdered sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the tea and stir until smooth. The icing should be runny but not thin. If needed, add more tea 1 teaspoon at a time. 

8. Step 8

Drizzle the icing all over the cookies and let stand to set. The iced cookies are best eaten the day they’re coated.

Tip

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Some spice companies, such as Diaspora Spice Co., sell chai spice blends. You can try one of those or make your own mix for these cookies by combining 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves; and ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

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