Chai Spice Cookie Bars – Soft and flavorful cookie bars filled with the comforting flavors of chai spice and topped with a thick layer of vanilla-chai frosting.
This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
Hello, friends! Today I’m bringing you the coziest dessert ever: Chai Spice Cookie Bars! I vote that we take the next week off work/school/real responsibilities and bake holiday treats non-stop. Who’s with me?!
The chilly weather has me craving all things warm and comforting. I currently have my hands wrapped around a big mug of piping hot chai tea. I’ll wait here while you get yourself a warm beverage. We have holiday baking to discuss!
This is the month for baking and sharing sweets (I’m so happy I could squeal). Sometime soon you’ll need a recipe for a cookie exchange, a treat for house guests, or a little something to nibble on as you wrap those gifts and finish trimming the tree. This here is the ideal recipe for all your holiday needs. The comforting flavors and warm spices make this the ultimate crowd pleaser.
What we have here is a thick and soft chai spiced cookie bar topped with a vanilla-chai spice frosting. Since we’re making bars instead of individual cookies this recipe is quite simple. The cookie dough gets pressed into a pan and then baked. Once cooled, a quick frosting is made and spread across the whole pan of bars.
These bars are made extra delicious by the use of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour. I can’t speak highly enough of Bob’s Red Mill products, and I am always thrilled to partner with them.
Year round I use a variety of Bob’s Red Mill products (pancake mix, cornmeal, almond flour, muesli, oats, couscous) but, during the holiday season, I always make sure I have a large bag of their all-purpose flour on hand for all my baking needs.
This is the same high protein flour used by professional bakers. It produces high, well-textured loaves of bread equally as well as it produces light, airy baked goods. It is made from freshly milled organic hard red wheat and it is not enriched with any additives. You will love baking with it!
All that’s left to do is grab these ingredients and get baking. The holidays are calling!
You might also like: CHAI SPICE CRUMB CAKE – SNICKERDOODLE BARS – CINNAMON SUGAR COOKIES
Recipe
Chai Spice Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Bars:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill White All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons chai spice mix, see note
Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons half and half or cream
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons chai spice mix, see note
Optional topping:
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or coarse sugar
- ½ teaspoon chai spice mix, see note
Instructions
Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9 baking pan. You can also line the baking pan with foil, leaving a couple inches of overhang on two sides (this will allow you to easily lift the whole pan of bars out of the pan). Spray or grease the foil.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and sour cream and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and 4 teaspoons chai spice.With the mixer on low, slowly add the the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined (do not over-mix). Spread the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan (it will be thick). Bake for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center no longer jiggles. Be careful not to over bake. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Frosting:
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes, until light and creamy. Add half and half, vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons chai spice. Beat until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Spread the frosting on top of the cooled bars. If desired, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the frosted bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Ashley
Hello Allison,
These sound delicious! I have had them on my to-do list all week! I am making them today.
Have you ever topped them with a cream cheese chai frosting?
Allison
Hi, Ashley. I have not tried that, but I’m sure it would be delicious. You can just make a cream cheese frosting and add chai spice to taste. I have a recipe here (you’ll likely only need half): https://celebratingsweets.com/cream-cheese-frosting/
Enjoy!
Zoe
Can this be made in advance? then the frosting the day you need it?
Allison
Sure. You can make the bars up to one day in advance. Enjoy!
Zoe Schwartz
Only one day in advance will it survive 2-3?
Allison
Yes, they’ll just dry out over time. Enjoy!
Cara
Oh my goodness, this might be our favorite dessert we’ve ever made! Absolutely delicious, top to bottom. Thank you for sharing!
Allison
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Laura
Love love this recipe!!!! Smells so good in my house and tastes amazing!!!!! Easy to follow!!!
Allison
Yay! I’m so glad!
Cara
These have quickly become one of our top desserts at my house! Seriously, the flavor is INSANE. I can’t say enough good things about this recipe, thank you so much for sharing Allison!
Marla Nichols
Light, and not overly sweet. I will definitely be making these again!
Allison
Great! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Stephanie
Can you double this recipe and if so, how long would you bake it?
Allison
I haven’t tried it but I would assume you could double it and bake in a 9×13. The bars will be thicker and need to bake a bit longer. Add 5 minutes to the bake time and then check them every few minutes until they are done.
Stephanie
Thank you.