Tasty Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Fall baking has always held a special place in my heart. There’s something about the warm spices and cozy flavors that makes the whole house feel like a hug. But I’ll be honest – I’m not always in the mood for another pumpkin recipe come October.

That’s where these chai spiced maple sugar cookies come in. They give you all those comforting fall vibes without being predictable. The maple adds just enough sweetness, while the chai spices bring that perfect warming kick. And don’t even get me started on the browned butter frosting – it takes these cookies from good to “hide them from the kids” level.

Want something that tastes fancy but doesn’t require fancy skills? These are your cookies. Prefer to skip the frosting and keep things simple? They’re just as good plain. Honestly, I’ve served these at book club meetings and weekend soccer games, and they disappear every single time.

What Kind of Flour Should I Use?

All-purpose flour is your best bet for these cookies since it gives you that perfect balance of structure and tenderness. You don’t need anything fancy here – regular all-purpose flour from any brand will work just fine. If your dough feels too sticky when you’re rolling it out, don’t hesitate to add a little extra flour as needed. Some days the humidity can affect how much flour your dough absorbs, so it’s totally normal to need that extra bit to get the right consistency for rolling and cutting.

Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here’s what you can change up:

• Light brown sugar: You can use dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor, or mix 1 cup white sugar with 1/4 cup molasses if that’s what you have on hand.
• Chai spices: Don’t have all the individual spices? Use 2 teaspoons of store-bought chai spice blend or pumpkin pie spice instead. You can also skip the cardamom if it’s hard to find – just add a bit more cinnamon and ginger.
• All-purpose flour: You can substitute up to half the flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier taste, but the cookies will be a bit denser.
• Real maple syrup: Honey works as a substitute, but use about 1/4 cup since it’s sweeter than maple syrup. Pancake syrup will work too, though you’ll lose some of that rich maple flavor.
• Cream cheese: If you don’t have cream cheese, you can make the frosting with just butter – use an extra 2 tablespoons and add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
• Salted butter: Unsalted butter works fine – just add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough to make up for it.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with chai spiced cookies is adding too much flour when rolling out the dough, which can make your cookies tough and dry – instead, lightly dust your surface and rolling pin, and chill the dough for 30 minutes if it’s too sticky to handle.

Another common error is not properly browning the butter for the frosting, so watch for it to turn golden amber and smell nutty before removing from heat, as under-browned butter won’t give you that rich, caramel-like flavor.

Don’t skip letting your cookies cool completely before frosting them, or the warm cookies will melt your beautiful browned butter frosting into a runny mess.

For the best spice flavor, make sure your ground spices are fresh (replace them if they’ve been sitting in your pantry for over a year), and consider toasting whole spices and grinding them yourself for an extra flavor boost.

What to Serve With Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies?

These warm-spiced cookies are perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea – the chai spices really complement a good black tea or even a creamy latte. I love serving them alongside a cozy mug of hot chocolate or chai tea latte for the full autumn experience. They also make a great addition to any dessert spread, especially during the holidays when you want something that’s not too heavy after a big meal. For a fun twist, try pairing them with vanilla ice cream or serving them with a glass of cold milk for dunking.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These cookies stay soft and chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to layer them between parchment paper so the frosting doesn’t stick together. The browned butter frosting actually gets better after a day or two as the flavors meld together.

Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. I don’t recommend freezing them with the cream cheese frosting since it can get a bit watery when thawed. Just frost them fresh when you’re ready to serve!

Make Ahead: The cookie dough is perfect for making ahead – just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and chill for up to 3 days before rolling and baking. You can also make the frosting a day early and keep it covered in the fridge, then bring it back to room temperature and give it a quick whip before spreading.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 6800-7200
• Protein: 56-66 g
• Fat: 410-440 g
• Carbohydrates: 800-850 g

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp real vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper

For the maple cream frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temp (divided use)
• 3 oz cream cheese, room temp
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For finishing:

• Melted white chocolate for dipping (optional)
• Chai spice sugar blend for sprinkling (optional)

Step 1: Mix the Cookie Dough

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp real vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened salted butter (3 sticks), light brown sugar, and real vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each until fully incorporated.

Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.

Continue to beat until everything is well combined and a dough forms a cohesive ball.

Step 2: Roll, Cut, and Chill the Cookies

• dough from Step 1
• plain flour (for dusting as needed)

Generously dust your work surface with extra flour to prevent sticking.

Divide the dough from Step 1 into two halves and flatten each into a disk shape.

Roll each disk out to 1/4 inch thickness.

Using your favorite autumn or winter cookie cutter, cut out shapes.

Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover and place the baking sheet in the freezer until cookies are firm, about 15–20 minutes.

Gather any leftover dough scraps, re-roll, and repeat the process.

Step 3: Bake and Cool the Cookies

• cookies from Step 2

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake the chilled cookies on the middle rack for 8–12 minutes, or until they are just lightly golden around the edges, depending on if you prefer a softer or slightly crisp cookie.

Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

I like to slightly underbake for a chewier texture.

Step 4: Brown the Butter for Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temp (from the total 1 cup, divided use)

Add 1 stick of room temperature salted butter to a skillet set over medium heat.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter browns lightly and smells toasty, about 2–3 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer the browned butter to a mixing bowl.

Let it cool to room temperature before proceeding.

Step 5: Prepare the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• browned butter from Step 4
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temp (remaining from the total 1 cup, divided use)
• 3 oz cream cheese, room temp
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To the bowl with the cooled browned butter from Step 4, add the remaining stick of room temperature salted butter and the cream cheese.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup.

Beat the mixture until light and fluffy.

Finally, add the vanilla extract and incorporate until smooth.

If the frosting feels too loose to spread, add extra confectioners’ sugar to thicken to your desired consistency.

For extra flavor, I sometimes add a pinch of cinnamon to the frosting.

Step 6: Dip, Fill, and Assemble the Sandwich Cookies

• melted white chocolate for dipping (optional)
• chai spice sugar blend for sprinkling (optional)
• cookies from Step 3
• maple cream cheese frosting from Step 5

If using, dip half of each cookie into melted white chocolate to coat approximately 1/3 of the top, then sprinkle with the chai spice sugar blend while the chocolate is still wet.

Spread a generous amount of the prepared maple cream cheese frosting over the undipped halves of the cookies.

Place a matching dipped cookie on top of each frosted half, dipped side up, pressing gently to adhere.

Cookies can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To make every bite special, I like to serve these cookies slightly chilled so the frosting sets up perfectly.

Tasty Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Delicious Tasty Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 18 minutes mins

Cook Time 37 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 7000 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the cookie dough:

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp real vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper

For the maple cream frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temp (divided use)
• 3 oz cream cheese, room temp
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For finishing:

• melted white chocolate for dipping (optional)
• chai spice sugar blend for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

 

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened salted butter (3 sticks), light brown sugar, and real vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each until fully incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Continue to beat until everything is well combined and a dough forms a cohesive ball.
• Generously dust your work surface with extra flour to prevent sticking. Divide the dough from Step 1 into two halves and flatten each into a disk shape. Roll each disk out to 1/4 inch thickness. Using your favorite autumn or winter cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and place the baking sheet in the freezer until cookies are firm, about 15–20 minutes. Gather any leftover dough scraps, re-roll, and repeat the process.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the chilled cookies on the middle rack for 8–12 minutes, or until they are just lightly golden around the edges, depending on if you prefer a softer or slightly crisp cookie. Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. I like to slightly underbake for a chewier texture.
• Add 1 stick of room temperature salted butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter browns lightly and smells toasty, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the browned butter to a mixing bowl. Let it cool to room temperature before proceeding.
• To the bowl with the cooled browned butter from Step 4, add the remaining stick of room temperature salted butter and the cream cheese. Add the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Finally, add the vanilla extract and incorporate until smooth. If the frosting feels too loose to spread, add extra confectioners’ sugar to thicken to your desired consistency. For extra flavor, I sometimes add a pinch of cinnamon to the frosting.
• If using, dip half of each cookie into melted white chocolate to coat approximately 1/3 of the top, then sprinkle with the chai spice sugar blend while the chocolate is still wet. Spread a generous amount of the prepared maple cream cheese frosting over the undipped halves of the cookies. Place a matching dipped cookie on top of each frosted half, dipped side up, pressing gently to adhere. Cookies can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To make every bite special, I like to serve these cookies slightly chilled so the frosting sets up perfectly.