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.
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! Here are some coupons towards Bob’s Red Mill products.
All that’s left to do is grab these ingredients and get baking. The holidays are calling!
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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.
Ingredients
Bars:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill White All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons chai spice mix see note
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons half and half or cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons chai spice mix see note
Optional topping:
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or coarse sugar
- 1/2 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.
Recipe Notes
Chai spice mix: 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 3 teaspoons ground ginger. Store leftovers in your spice cabinet.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite! Loving the chai spice you have in these too! What an awesome recipe, can’t wait to try! XO
I love sipping on chai tea lattes at this time of year, so I can’t wait to try your dessert bar version! I love the ratio of bar to frosting – in some of your pics is looks like it’s 50-50!
This is delicious looking cookies , love the frosting. This is great sweet treats idea for holidays.
I love how beautfiully cleancut these bars looks! I also love Chai and all Indian flavors. I actually just made Dirty Chai cupcakes and posted on my blog. These looks like something that could be just as delicious.
These have a real hygge feel about them. A hug in cake form! Love all the spices and flavours.
I love making cookie bars, they are so easy and so yummy! And chai? Oh my gosh, my daughter would love these – I am saving this recipe to make with my holiday baking! Thank you!
This is my favorite time of the year. Time to enjoy the baking and time in the kitchen with family. These Chai spice cookie bars are so unique and look delicious. I’m afraid we’d have to double the recipe though. Happy Holidays.
Yum! I need to be more adventurous and whip up some chai spiced recipes. This one sounds amazing, and that frosting…….drool worthy!
Those bars look amazing! I love the thick layer of chai frosting you put on top. That makes them a perfect holiday indulgence. 🙂 And I agree on Bob’s Red Mill. I’m always buying their specialty flours. Where would we be without their almond flour and rice flour and so on?
I love chai flavors, but rarely ever make chai baked goods. These look incredible and the vanilla chai frosting just does me in!
These cookie bars look out-of-this-world good! I especially love the idea of frosting with chai 🙂
I would absolutely ADORE the chance to sink my teeth into those bars!
That looks amazing! I need to try this one weekend!
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Think I will try this with our home grown wheat flour. White flour has everything removed even if it started organic.
I can already imagine how amazing the kitchen would smell while these are baking! They say it’s spring but it’s still pretty chilly up here so I’m all for warm and cozy flavours like this. Yum!
I love cookie bars, blondies and brownies and these sound awesome.
yummy! This looks so good!
These look so delicious! I have never tried anything like them before-I am going to pin to try later. 🙂
Chai tea is my favourite so I know I will love these! Yum!
Ooh yum! I’ve never thought to make a chai dessert!
These look and sound amazing!! I love chai but never thought to put it in a dessert!
xo Ashley
I’m going to have to try these out soon! They sound so good!
These look amazing!
Chai Spiced anything is one of my favourite treats so I am stoked to try out this recipe! These look so delicious! perfect for a rainy evening in with Netflix!
Ellie | http://www.scotchandstilettos.com
Oh my god I absolutely LOVE cookie bars! Need to try this!
Have made these two times and I really like them. The chai frosting alone puts a smile on my face. Do not over bake the bars… they will get too dry very quickly. If you can keep the bars moist, these are really yummy.
I’m so glad that you liked these, Matt. Yes, overbaking will ruin them. Thanks for stopping by!
Amazing Recipe.
If you are from India, buy Bobs Red Mill from India.