Are you a Chai fan? You know that famously spiced tea drink that sends your taste buds into sensory heaven? These Chai Shortbread Cookies have the delicious chai flavor of black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger baked right into a tender cookie. And to top it off, these tea-flavored cookies are topped with a sweet chai icing.
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Shortbread cookies are always a favorite, and you can make them all year long. These chai shortbreads are one of my go-to Christmas cookies for gift-giving and cookie exchanges.
Traditional shortbread cookies are made with three ingredients: flour, sugar, and butter. For today’s recipe, I am using rice flour and powdered sugar, and I know this is unusual, but I add an egg to help bind the rice flour.
With a mildly sweet buttery flavor, these spiced shortbread cookies have that classic melt-in-your-mouth crisp and crumbly texture with the added flavor of chai. These are perfect cookies to serve with coffee and tea. And always a favorite during the holiday season.
Course: Dessert | Method: Baked | Skill Level: Easy
Flavor and Texture: Buttery, crisp, and crumbly shortbread infused with warm chai spices and topped with a sweet chai icing.
Bake Time: 30 minutes (about 30 minutes prep; plus 1 hour chill; total ~2 hours)
Serves: About 16 cookies, depending on how you cut them.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies: These chai shortbread cookies bring cozy tea flavor into every bite, bake for holiday cookie trays, gift-giving, or an afternoon tea break.
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 3 months, layered between parchment paper.
More easy shortbread cookie recipes
- These almond flour Rose Petal Shortbread Cookies are flavored with rose water and topped with rose petals. They are so pretty.
- Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies with lemon zest and lemon juice for lots of citrus flavors.
- Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are simple slice-and-bake cookies that can be rolled in colorful sprinkles.
- Chocolate Cacao Nib Shortbreads are another slice-and-bake cookie. If you haven’t tried raw cacao nibs yet, give them a try, they are packed full of flavor.
Chai Cookie Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- Rice Flour: I use rice flour for the texture; it makes these shortbreads extra crisp and crumbly. This isn’t a gluten-free swap; I just like the texture. Substitute all‑purpose flour for a chewier cookie if you prefer.
- Powdered Sugar: This dissolves quickly for a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture and adds a bit of softness from the cornstarch.
- Butter: Room-temperature salted or unsalted butter works well in this recipe to add richness to the cookies.
- Egg: One large egg is used to bind the ingredients.
- Chai Tea Bags: Use a flavorful brand of Chai tea for the best flavor. They should contain black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, and star anise.
- Spices: Cinnamon and Cardamom add the extra aromatic, warming spices that make these shortbreads so delicious.
Icing Ingredients
- Powdered Sugar: This makes a smooth, sweet glaze.
- Brewed Chai tea: Use this to mix with the powdered sugar for the glaze.
Baking tips for shortbreads
- Types of flour to use – All-purpose, cake flour, rice flour, or almond flour.
- Don’t overmix – Overmixing the dough will make it tough, so handle it gently.
- Chilling the dough – It is important to chill the shortbread dough for at least 30 minutes before baking to firm it up, which prevents it from spreading during baking.
- Use the creaming method – I prefer using a mixer to cream the butter with the flour and sugar mixture for a smooth texture.
- Low baking temperature – Bake shortbread cookies at a low temperature to keep them nearly white or light golden brown.
How To Bake Chai Shortbreads
This will be easy to do ~
- Step 1. Using a large mixer bowl, add the butter and beat it with an electric mixer on medium speed until it becomes creamy. You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
- Step 2. Add the egg and beat on medium speed to incorporate. Your mixture will look curdled.
- Step 3. Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and tea in a small bowl. Mix these dry ingredients well.
- Step 4. With the mixer on low, beat the flour mixture in three batches until a soft dough forms.
- Step 5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into an 8″ x 4 1/2″ rectangle. It helps to use a bench scraper to shape the sides.
- Step 6. With a rolling pin, gently roll over the top of the dough to smooth it out and make it nice and flat.
- Step 7. Wrap the dough in parchment paper and chill for 1 hour.
- Step 8. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the dough longwise down the center, then cut it into 1/2″ logs. Place on a parchment-lined baking pan and bake at 300°F for 30 minutes. Cool completely before icing.
Step 9. To make the icing, mix the powdered sugar and some brewed Chai and whisk until smooth
Step 10. Dip one end of the cookie into the icing and set it on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the iced cookie with the dry tea.
The Best Way To Store Shortbread Cookies
Put the shortbread cookies in an airtight container; they will stay fresh for up to 10 days. If you want to make the cookies ahead, they freeze beautifully for up to three months. Simply layer the cookies between parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature, and they will taste just as buttery and crisp as the day you baked them.
I love to pour a cup of tea, grab a chai shortbread, and enjoy these shortbreads as a sweet and spicy treat.
Shortbread FAQs
Yes, the results will be a chewier cookie compared to a crumblier one when they are made with rice flour.
Since shortbread has only a few ingredients, high-quality butter is essential. The butter provides most of the flavor and richness, so using the best you can makes all the difference.
Shortbread is a low-moisture cookie that relies heavily on butter and sugar, both of which help preserve its freshness. Even with an egg in the dough, these cookies stay crisp and full of flavor for over a week when stored properly.
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Recipe
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Chai Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Chai Shortbread Cookies
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups AP flour optional, rice flour
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3 teabags Chai tea
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Chai Tea Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar This is for the icing which is optional
- 1 teabag Chai Tea brewed
- ½ cup Boiling water
- 1 teabag Chai tea Optional for topping
Instructions
Making Chai Shortbread Cookies
- Heat your oven to 300° F. when you are ready to bake, and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Using a large mixer bowl add the butter and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed un the butter is creamy. You can also use a stand mixer for this.
- Add the egg and beat slowly into the butter. Note: the mixture will look a bit watery since the egg will not totally blend with the butter.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, powdered sugar, and one tablespoon (3 teabags) of the chai tea together and mix.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches and beat on low speed until the flour is incorporated.
- Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and form into an 8″ x 4 1/2″ x 1/2" rectangle. Use a bench scraper to straighten the sides and then flatten the top of the dough with a rolling pin. Cover the dough with the wrap and transfer the dough to the fridge to chill for an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees
- Remove dough from wrap then cut the dough longwise with a knife or a bench scraper then cut crosswise into 1/2" logs. Place the shortbreads on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.When done remove the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack.
Chai Tea Icing
- Brew a small amount of chai tea by putting 1 teaspoon of tea (1 teabag) in a bowl and pour ½ cup of boiling water over the tea to steep. Let sit for 3 minutes then strain the tea.
- In a small bowl add the powdered sugar then add 2 tablespoons of the cooled brewed Chai tea. Stir to make a smooth icing. You may have to adjust and add additional tea if the icing is too thick.
- Once the cookies are totally cooled, dip one end of the shortbread cookies into the icing then place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with the remaining ground Chai tea while the icing is still wet.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for 10 days.
Notes
- These cookies can be frozen before baking. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then in foil. When ready to bake, defrost slightly and slice and bake as directed.
- You can also roll this dough out on a floured board and cut shapes with cookie cutters.
- Shortbread keeps well because it’s low in moisture and rich in butter and sugar, so it stays fresh for days even with an egg.
- Change the tea and make Earl Gray Shortbread Cookies using this recipe.
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Nutrition
First published Nov. 23, 2019, last updated August 31, 2025, with new images and updated content for better readability.
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About Jere’ Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Love these! I made my own Chai tea mix as you never really know what is in those tea bags. Great flavor and so easy to make! Thank you.
Good idea to make your own Chai tea mix. Glad you used it in the cookies too!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Yes, these shortbread cookies will keep for two weeks.
This looks so good! What a great combination and!
I love Chai! Definitely will have to try these and share with my friends. These looks so good.
CHAI everything is just amazing, the smell the taste, it’s like a serious FALL flavor! And in shortbread cookies? Why not?!! Love this recipe!
We love Chai, it just smells so good.