Recipes

Giant Chai Tea Frosted Cookies

I have a couple things I’d like to say.

The first is that yesterday afternoon I taught a group of nine-year-olds yoga as part of a special nutrition focused afterschool program. Guys….these little kids were, quite possibly, the coolest little kids in all the land. They rocked cobra pose (while hissing of course), stood tall in tree pose and then they all popped up to full wheel like it ain’t no thang. Then, we all sat in a circle and one little boy who hadn’t said a word all class quietly whispered, “I really loved that”.Β  So, of course my heart just melted and I eagerly responded, “oh! what did you love most?” And then… in his quiet, sweet little voice he goes, “bridge pose!” Alright then! I’ll take it. Afterward, we all sat in a circle and drank green smoothies and talked about the importance of fruit as snacks. It was pretty amazing.

The next thing I’d like to say is completely unrelated and that is that you guys have to stop me….these cookies are OUT OF CONTROL. As in, I can’t stop eating them. They need to find a way out of my house and into your arms.

These giant chai tea frosted cookies are the beautiful cross between a cupcake and a cookie.

I’m just going to pause for a second and let you wrap your mind around that.

And we’re back.

The fluffy cookie is reminiscent of those delicious Lofthouse cookies from our youth, spiked with some cinnamon and ginger, and topped with a chai tea buttercream frosting.

I don’t really know what else to say except….hold me.

I’m lazy so I used Oregon Chai concentrate in the frosting, but if you’re feeling particularly frisky, try this recipe. Rebecca never lets me down. I still owe her my soul for that slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipe.

I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of these. I know I tend to get really excited and call every new cookie recipe “my favorite recipe in the entire world”, but……..I’m going to do it again. These really are my new favorite cookies because I’m all about the fluff factor. Crispy cookies just don’t do it for me. If I’m going to eat a cookie, I want that cookie to more resemble a biscuit than anything else.

These fit the bill.

Giant Chai Tea Frosted Cookies

makes about 8 large cookies

adapted from my Homemade Lofthouse Cookies

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

for cookies—

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

5 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

for chai frosting—

1 stick salted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp Chai concentrate (I love Oregon Chai brand)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat for about three more minutes until well combined. Alternate adding the buttermilk and the flour mixture to the butter, starting and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla and beat on medium until everything is combined and the batter is smooth.

Stuff your batter into a gallon sized plastic bag, snip off the tip and pipe out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving about two inches of space between each cookie. Beware! Batter will be VERY thick. Wet your hands after piping out and gently press down on each little pile of dough to smooth the surface of the cookies.

Bake for about twelve minutes. Let cool completely while you make the chai frosting.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, chai concentrate and spices. Beat until very light and very fluffy.

Frost cookies once cookies are completely cool (if not, cookies will melt frosting and you’ll have a mess on your hands.)

Enjoy!

Time:

45 minutes

 

 

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  • Brittany @ Brittany Cooks
    May 16, 2012 at 3:06 am

    Oh my goodness..these are right up my alley! Beautiful photos! πŸ™‚

  • meredith
    May 16, 2012 at 3:54 am

    these look amazing. i know what i’m going to be baking next πŸ™‚

  • Blog is the New Black
    May 16, 2012 at 4:06 am

    These look soft, fluffy, and TO DIE FOR!

  • Brittany @ Britt's Blurbs
    May 16, 2012 at 4:14 am

    Omg-I die! These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them!

  • Molly @ RDexposed
    May 16, 2012 at 4:20 am

    There should be a cookie diagram showing if you are in this mood and this situation, this cookie is best for you. The cookie diagram would be entirely of “the best cookies in the world.”
    These do sound like a refreshing hiatus from chocolate chip.

  • Caroline @ chocolate & carrots
    May 16, 2012 at 4:33 am

    Giant, indeed!!! πŸ˜€

  • j3nn
    May 16, 2012 at 4:39 am

    I love fluffy cookies. πŸ™‚

  • lisa
    May 16, 2012 at 4:41 am

    those look amazing!

  • polly wolly
    May 16, 2012 at 4:47 am

    hi baby girl!
    I love the yoga story with the kids. SO sweet. I am pretty sure you are now their favorite person, next to their own moms.

    Speaking of, did you have a nice mother’s Day? I know you are not a mom yet (although you will be an AMAZING one someday) but i am sure you enjoyed loving your momma even from a few thousand miles away. Give her a hug from me, okay?

    I also wanted to say i loved the day in your life post. I just wish we were neighbors, then i could have hiked with you and we could have kicked each other in the hineys to read our Bibles. I stink at it many days, too. So glad God loves us the same.

    I did read Psalm 40 yesterday if you need one. I laughed to myself because in the Message version, it talked about me being a MESS, so God come quick! That pretty much sums me up. πŸ™‚ Love it. Life would be boring if we were not messy. πŸ˜‰

    Have a beautiful day, beautiful friend. XOXO

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
    May 16, 2012 at 5:07 am

    Combining ‘giant’ and ‘cookie’ in the same sentence is enough to get me excited, but the frosting too?! Amazing! I’m with you on the crispy cookies – I’m a messy eater and I can’t help but get coated in crumbs when I eat one. Chewy is far superior!

  • Denise @ Creative Kitchen
    May 16, 2012 at 5:08 am

    I bet those kids did love your yoga class….I know my girls would! Now these cookies….definitely a must try! I am partial to chewy cookies and crispy cookies, but soft big cookies have a place in my heart too. Can’t wait to try them!

  • Jess
    May 16, 2012 at 5:11 am

    Yummm! Can’t wait to try these!

  • Steffany
    May 16, 2012 at 5:14 am

    OMG SO EXCITED TO TRY THESE !!!

  • Samantha
    May 16, 2012 at 5:27 am

    Oh. My. Goodness. I’m dying right now! I think I might try them this weekend πŸ™‚

  • Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau
    May 16, 2012 at 5:33 am

    The yoga story is so sweet! I’d gladly take these cookies off your hands any single, stinkin’ day of the week.

  • Melissa
    May 16, 2012 at 5:39 am

    I just had my usual chai latte this morning and this would have made a lovely accompaniment πŸ™‚

  • Kathryn
    May 16, 2012 at 5:46 am

    They do look super fluffy and tasty!

  • jenna
    May 16, 2012 at 5:55 am

    that is the sweetest thing ever. what a humbling day for you! kids are the best!

    I love the looks of these cookies. i dont’ know how you are containing yourself from devouring all of them! amazing! can’t wait to try them,

  • joelle (on a pink typewriter)
    May 16, 2012 at 6:05 am

    I love chai – this recipe sounds delightful!

    It’s yoga week here in D.C. and there’s a Yoga on the Mall event this weekend that has a special session for kiddos. πŸ™‚ Should be fun!

  • Julia {The Roasted Root}
    May 16, 2012 at 6:21 am

    What a fun experience teaching the kidlets stretches that will be so helpful to them now and down the road! Your chai cookies look like the perfect texture to me and that sweet creamy frosting on top is mouth watering!

  • Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray
    May 16, 2012 at 6:29 am

    Awww, what a great class. πŸ™‚ I’m glad you brought yoga to the younguns! I never even *saw* a yoga class till college (although maybe that’s a factor of my East Coast upbringing), so maybe those kids will be just a little bit more life-balanced because of you. πŸ˜‰

    Also these cookies look like giant soft pillows of deliciousness that I would like to fall into.

  • Amanda
    May 16, 2012 at 6:35 am

    Those cookies look tasty but what I really loved is hearing about the kids yoga class ~ too cool!

  • Annie @ What's Annie Making?
    May 16, 2012 at 6:44 am

    Oh my!!!!! I love chai in everything. Chai tea, chai cupcakes, chai cream pie….. I want to make these so bad right now. They will have to wait though until I do not have to fit in to my wedding dress in 10 days.

  • amy walters, aDESIGNdock
    May 16, 2012 at 6:58 am

    Yummmm. Would love a couple of these for breakfast Jenna! Wish I were closer to CA!

  • Jen
    May 16, 2012 at 7:04 am

    I can just picture those kids now πŸ™‚ That sounds like so much fun!! And, can’t wait to try these cookies – thank you!

  • Kelli H (Made in Sonoma)
    May 16, 2012 at 7:05 am

    teaching yoga to kids sounds like the cutest thing ever!

    Any cookie with frosting wins in my book.

  • Laura @ She Eats Well
    May 16, 2012 at 7:09 am

    I’m all about the fluff factor too! These look amazing and I’m sold with the addition of the buttermilk, nutmeg, and cinnamon. And also, what a cool opportunity to get to teach those kids; sounds like some fun.

  • Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove
    May 16, 2012 at 7:10 am

    These look soooo delicious. Maybe I’ll make them for this weekend when we’re driving to PA for a wedding!

  • Natalia
    May 16, 2012 at 7:24 am

    seriously look amazing, i have to make them… and i love this yoga/nutrition thing for kids – SO COOL! i want to do something like that….

  • Rebecca (Foodie With Family)
    May 16, 2012 at 7:38 am

    Jenna… You’re a mad genius! Those look fabulous. And you’re awfully sweet, too. Thank you! You’re a sweet mad genius. I need those cookies. Conveniently enough, I promised my kids (last night) that I would make cookies (today) but I didn’t say what *kind* I would make. MOMMY WIN! I’m making these! They’ll love them, too. Win/win!

  • Carrie @ Kiss My Whisk
    May 16, 2012 at 7:51 am

    My mom is visiting this weekend and is a big chai tea fan…hopefully I can find the time to make these!

  • Jessica
    May 16, 2012 at 7:57 am

    Thank you for what sounds like will be a delicious pantry recipe for me. I love when I happen to have all the ingredients in my home to make a seriously yummy dessert. I love the looks I get at the grocery store when I stock up on unsalted butter each week- you just never know when you have to bake a cookie!

  • Moni Meals
    May 16, 2012 at 8:27 am

    did you say…Giant Chai Tea Frosted Cookies??? Oh man, the pic alone is calling my name. πŸ™‚ Gaint any cookie… and I am 100% commited. Fluffy too, oh golly. πŸ˜‰

    The kids sound awesome! So cool you are apart of that. πŸ™‚

  • Urban Wife
    May 16, 2012 at 8:30 am

    No problem, just send them my way and I’ll gladly free you of these amazing cookies! πŸ™‚

  • Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables
    May 16, 2012 at 8:36 am

    aww I can’t even imagine how cute teaching those little kids must have been!

  • Averie @ Averie Cooks
    May 16, 2012 at 8:37 am

    Spiked Lofthouse cookies with chai tea sound soooo good! Over the Xmas holidays I made a few chai + eggnog recipes and haven’t made much chai since. You make me want it!

    Adorable yoga stories πŸ™‚

  • Andrea @ The Skinny Chronicles
    May 16, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Uh, can you mail me a dozen please? I will pay good honest cash. Wow. They LOOK amazing and I fully trust they taste divine as well! Five stars!

  • Margarita
    May 16, 2012 at 8:42 am

    What a cute story! This is why I dream of teaching little kids instead of high school… I also love me some fluffy cookies… I get tricked into thinking it’s a scone or a biscuit or a sweet bread.

  • tracy via the traveling cupcake
    May 16, 2012 at 8:55 am

    oh my word – how happy am i that you shared this recipe with us?? and, any excuse for me to pick up another box of Oregon Chai and i’m game!

    well done with the little ones – i can’t even imagine how cute/inspiring the whole things must have been, for you and the kids!

  • Rachel
    May 16, 2012 at 8:57 am

    I cut the recipe in half because I didn’t trust myself. Duddde. Jenna. I know what’s for breakfast this morning! :/

  • Jesse (OutToLunchCreations)
    May 16, 2012 at 9:33 am

    Your yoga and health session with the kids sounds amazing! And the cookies sounds delicious, I’m totally on the soft cookie train!

  • Allison
    May 16, 2012 at 9:35 am

    I’m right with you on the biscut cookies, crunchy cookies remind me of chips ahoy which lets face it are low on the cookie quality scale. This recipe sounds and looks delicious, I can’t wait to make it. Thanks!

  • Kim @ The Family Practice
    May 16, 2012 at 9:38 am

    Oh my goodness! Yum!

  • Liz
    May 16, 2012 at 9:42 am

    Lovely! I wish I could taste one now.

  • Michal
    May 16, 2012 at 9:59 am

    Zomg. 9-year olds who love yoga.
    Zomg. Chai frosting.
    I think I love you, Jenna.

  • Joanna
    May 16, 2012 at 10:18 am

    How fun it must of been to teach little ones yoga. That is so cool. The cookies look amazing. I can’t wait to try them. Have a good week.

  • Kristin @ FoodFash
    May 16, 2012 at 10:34 am

    Oh my goodness! These cookies remind me of the fluffy, frosted Publix cookies that appear in my dreams every so often since I moved to Austin!

  • Kristen @ notsodomesticated
    May 16, 2012 at 10:52 am

    Yoga with the kids sounds like so much fun! I’m working at Lifetime Fitness right now, and the kids over age 6 are able to participate in Zumba, yoga, and rock wall climbing … I think it’s such a great idea!

  • Ashley H
    May 16, 2012 at 10:58 am

    I love that you taught kids yoga as part of this nutrition program! I am an MPH student looking at developing programs like this, can you tell me the name of the one you did this for?

    • Lauren
      May 17, 2012 at 8:31 pm

      I was just going to ask this as well. Would love to know!

      • jenna
        May 17, 2012 at 8:45 pm

        Hi! This was just an independent program that a girl getting her masters in public health started because she saw a need for it in our community. She posted flyers around the free clinics and schools and it became a safe and fun spot for parent’s to drop their kids off after school twice a week. i think she’s had a lot of success so far!

  • Addy
    May 16, 2012 at 11:04 am

    OHMIGOSH, Jenna. These look so amazing. Too bad I’m at the office and not at home, or I would already be halfway through making them.

    And as for your youth yoga class, I think that is the coolest thing I’ve heard all week . The thing I love most when working with kids is when I can get the shy, reluctant one to come out of their shell…sounds like you succeeded! Great job!

  • Chrissy
    May 16, 2012 at 11:05 am

    What a sweet story! Lauren and I would love to help kids make better food choices, so I find this quite touching!

    Also, those chai tea cookies look like da bomb!

  • Debbie
    May 16, 2012 at 11:18 am

    Yum! This looks and sounds totally amazeballs! In fact, I just had to pin it. I love your little pin button, makes it so nice and easy.

    I remember your post recently about Big Sur. Loved your post and pix! I was so excited to see that post as were planning our trip there too. We just got back from our weeklong tour up the coast (we’re down in San Diego) and then on over to Yosemite. Now if I can just get caught up on the Blog.

    Blessings – Debbie

  • Monica
    May 16, 2012 at 11:55 am

    Lofthouse cookies are heavenly, but with a chai tea flavor… even better! I think I’d eat the frosting just by itself. Sooo gooood!

  • Melissa @ squatsandsquash
    May 16, 2012 at 12:08 pm

    These look so good, I can’t wait to try them!!! I love love love chai!

  • Angela @ Happy Fit Mama
    May 16, 2012 at 12:08 pm

    What a great experience for you to have a yoga session with the kids. I’m sure they loved it just as much as you! My kids are almost 2 yrs old and they have been doing yoga with me since they were born (in their own special way πŸ™‚ ). It’s such a great thing for kids and adults!

    Frosting, Chai, soft cookie – yes please!! Making these asap!

  • Beverly
    May 16, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    Mmmmm, these are like Lofthouse for grown ups!

  • Maryz
    May 16, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    Oh my goodness…these look so yummy! Just pinned it so I can make them tomorrow!
    I also just pre-ordered your book. I can hardly wait!

  • Ashley @ Hudson on the Potomac
    May 16, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    My boyfriend <3's chai tea — totally going to surprise him with these!

  • elizabeth @ chronic venture
    May 16, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    these look AMAZINGGGGG

  • Lisa
    May 16, 2012 at 1:31 pm

    I love chai anything! Love the yoga kids too. My 12 yr old son does crow pose; not even knowing what it is. Seriously bendy.

  • Jenn
    May 16, 2012 at 2:28 pm

    That kid melted my heart.

  • Tara@Sugar Spice and Bacon
    May 16, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    I completely agree- I am so not a crunchy cookie person! Even my ginger SNAPS are chewy!

  • Gemma
    May 16, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    I want to bake them right now! But I’m vegan…how would you modify this?

    • jenna
      May 16, 2012 at 3:59 pm

      Well, I haven’t tried this so I can’t guarantee the outcome but I recommend replacing the buttermilk with soy milk + a tsp of white vinegar, the egg for egg replacer and the butter for earth balance buttery sticks.

  • Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love
    May 16, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    Ok, I think I owe you my heart and soul for this recipe!!

  • Renee
    May 16, 2012 at 5:07 pm

    I love chai. I love cookies. These are perfect.

  • Luv What You Do
    May 16, 2012 at 6:43 pm

    Those look incredible!

  • Alex
    May 16, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    These look absolutely delicious! I love chia and looking forward to trying these out!

  • Stacy
    May 16, 2012 at 7:22 pm

    OMG!! We need to be BFF’s!!! These sound amazing! It is so nice to see that someone else gets as excited about food as I do!! Now I can get my Chai fix with out heading to Starbucks!! Thanks!!

  • Maddy
    May 16, 2012 at 7:29 pm

    Goodness, I can’t wait to bake these! What the world needs now is chai, sweet chai.

  • amy
    May 17, 2012 at 8:20 am

    First comment to say that these cookies are off the chain! No lie, I ate 4 1/2 of these monsters within 30 minutes of frosting! Even with all of my bootleg subsitutions they came out exactly as pictured/described! Plus I learned how to make chai concentrate which is a bit of a life changer as any chai concoction is like my favorite beverage ever! In case anyone else is interested these are some of my subs: 1) white whole wheat flour for all-purpose 2) scant 1 c almond milk + 1 T lime juice (yes, lime! it’s all I had!) for buttermilk, and yes, I made the chai concentrate (using almond milk as well) and now I have a whole carafe left for my leisure!

  • Kelly
    May 17, 2012 at 8:27 am

    Ooo these cookies look amazing and I absolutely love your recipe! I plan on making these this weekend! πŸ™‚

  • Ashley
    May 17, 2012 at 10:34 am

    These cookies look Amazeballs!!!

    also, I have to say, you are so Funny! I snorted loudly with laughter when I read this post and my husband looked over quizically with a raised eyebrow πŸ˜‰ All he could see was a picture of the cookie itself and I indeed had to tell him it came along with a very clever introduction hehe πŸ™‚

    have a great day! You keep on rockin’ You! πŸ™‚

    p.s. that little boy in the yoga class… *heart melts* awww πŸ™‚

  • Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles
    May 17, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Cross between cupcake and cookie- I’m in! πŸ™‚

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  • em @ simplypresent
    May 17, 2012 at 11:25 am

    I bet teaching the kiddos was fun for a change. I’ve worked with kids before and I love hearing their fresh perspective on things! It’s cool they had smoothies afterwards. I bet they’d love the cookies too! Hey, it’s about teaching “balance,” right?!

  • Michael Tavallaei
    May 17, 2012 at 2:08 pm

    oh these look great, i’ll have to try them.

    michael tavallaei

  • Sarah
    May 18, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    Jenna. Seriously. Major in love with these cookies. As they were in the oven I was thinking, maybe she is being a little extreme with how she can’t stop eating them. Ummm yeah, I am just passing them out to the neighbors so I don’t even every single one of them right this minute. You are my hero, probably for the remainder of the month. Oh, and thanks for giving me a super happy boyfriend this evening. Love this recipe!!!

    • jenna
      May 18, 2012 at 4:50 pm

      YAY! πŸ™‚

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  • LaurenO
    May 22, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    My husband and I made these last night. Oh. My. Gosh. They are to die for. Absolutely perfect in every conceivable way. My thighs are so not thanking you right now πŸ™‚

  • marisa
    May 26, 2012 at 5:44 am

    aw, I love heart warming kid stories. I’m an educator at an art museum and words like that make my heart melt. The other day I taught a creative writing class where kids went into the museum and wrote creative fiction about artworks or people in artworks, and one little boy said “you mean I can use my imagination? I don’t have to write the way I do in school?” ahhhhh, yes! use your imagination, yoga and veggies are so good for you! ahhh kids! so great! loved that story is my point :).

    On a different note, yummo…those look delicious, perusing your site for a memorial day bbq side/dish/dessert…Can’t decide!! All look so delicious!

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    Wher

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    November 30, 2012 at 7:40 am

    I tried this recipe last week and decided that they’ll replace the traditionnal sugar cookies for this Christmas. Delish! I did not have Chai concentrate and was too lazy to make my own, so I replaced with 2 tbsp very strong chai tea. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!

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  • kalle
    July 13, 2013 at 8:09 am

    hi there…i ran out of baking soda can i just skip it and use baking powder instead?