Ingredients (~36 cookies)
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup ground cardamom
- 1/3 cup ground cloves
- 1/3 cup ground allspice
- 1/3 cup freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
- 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and warm
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable, grapeseed, or avocado)
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tbsp milk (oat milk works too)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sugar and Spice Coating
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground cardamom
Make the Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prep three baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients using a whisk: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, and black pepper.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the sugar, cream cheese, and melted butter for about 1 minute until light and fluffy.
Once combined, add the oil and beat until completely incorporated; then add the egg, milk, and vanilla and continue beating until the mixture is smooth.
To finish the cookie dough, add the dry ingredients in two batches into the bowl with the wet mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until no dry flour remains, being careful not to overwork the dough.
Make the Sugar and Spice Coating
On a small plate, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until well combined.
Shape and Bake the Cookies
Divide the dough into 36 even pieces, using a cookie scoop to portion about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie.
Roll each piece into a ball by placing it in the palm of your hand and rolling in a circular motion. Repeat until all the dough has been rolled into balls.
Once all the balls are rolled, coat them in the sugar and spice mixture in batches. For example, roll the first batch of cookies in the coating, followed by the second, and so forth.
Place the coated balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving at least 4 inches between each ball. The cookies spread significantly while baking, so adequate spacing is important.
Sprinkle the remaining sugar and spice mixture over the tops of the cookie balls before baking.
Bake one tray at a time for 11-12 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through at the 7-minute mark to ensure even baking. The edges of the cookies should be set and just slightly browned when done.
After cooling on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to wire racks.
The cookies will still look a little undercooked when taken out of the oven, but they will continue to set as they cool.
Chai Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Ingredients (~36 cookies)
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup ground cardamom
- 1/3 cup ground cloves
- 1/3 cup ground allspice
- 1/3 cup freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
- 3 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp unsalted butter melted and warm
- 1/2 cup neutral oil vegetable, grapeseed, or avocado
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tbsp milk oat milk works too
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sugar and Spice Coating
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Beat sugar, cream cheese, and melted butter in stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add oil and beat until incorporated, then add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just combined and scraping bowl between additions.
- Mix coating ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, cardamom) on a small plate.
- Divide dough into 36 pieces, about 2 tablespoons each.
- Roll each piece into a ball, then roll in sugar coating to cover completely.
- Place balls 4 inches apart on baking sheets and sprinkle with remaining coating.
- Bake one tray at a time for 11-12 minutes, rotating after 7 minutes, until edges are set and just browning.
- Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.
