Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookie - Healthy & Sugar-free

Ok healthy Swiftes…this one’s for you! This wonderful recipe by Taylor Swift was shared with me by a dear friend and mentor who also happens to be a very talented baker. She had been recently diagnosed with severe type 2 diabetes and immediately made some big changes in her diet and lifestyle. She has a relentless sweet tooth and uses baking as her way of relaxing on the weekends. She was ecstatic for the launch of Detox Desserts in August 2023, she remains one of our most loyal customers:) 

In an effort to combat her disease, she removed the white flour and sugar from her pantry, replaced them with Swaps, and started focusing on eating more protein and healthy fats, while minimizing carbs with each meal. Thankfully, her dietary interventions regained control over her blood sugar and I’m happy to report she’s doing great! She thought this recipe would be fun for me to detox on social media, demonstrating the ease of using the Swaps in traditional, family recipes. 

I’m not drawn to pop culture or pop music but I’ve always had a soft spot for Taylor because she’s undeniably talented, very hard working AND an important role model for our youth…so I have a massive amount of respect for her! Plus, I love anything chai so I figured her recipe would be a fun experiment. Admittedly, I just about fell over when I saw her chai “cheat” using a tea bag instead of ground spices, but I put my trust in Taylor and followed her recipe. I couldn’t find her icing recipe, so I created my own simple icing with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon which turned out great. The cookies aren’t overly sweet so a dollop of this icing brings the perfect balance of spicy chai and sweetness to this delicate sugar cookie.

I was really impressed by the texture and flavor of the finished cookie. The ingredients are simple so you can really taste each individual Swap, the chai spices aren’t overwhelming and they bring a touch of sophistication to this soft, buttery sugar cookie. I’ve made these a few times and they are always a hit with the adults and their ‘Swiftie’ kids:) I really am impressed by this recipe and will continue to bake these yummy cookies when I’m in the mood for anything chai. Taylor's not only an amazing singer, songwriter and performer, but she’s got skills in the kitchen!

This recipe was very straight forward to detox, I made the 1:1 Swaps for flour, sugar, eggs and butter. I increased the salt by ¼ tsp because I thought the dough needed a little extra depth of flavor.

I did make one very important change, I replaced Taylor’s vegetable oil with unrefined avocado oil for very important health reasons. Avocado oil is a lovely oil for baking because it has a neutral flavor and renders the finished cookie extra soft and delicate. I ONLY bake with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil because regular vegetable oil has 2 big red flags.

First, it’s highly refined meaning it’s heated, reheated, and chemicals are used to extract the oils from the variety of seeds that are used to create it.

Second, it’s full of Omega-6 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat that can cause inflammation when consumed in large amounts. Omega-6 is an ‘essential’ fatty acid, meaning we do need to consume a small amount in our diet, but this type of fat is EVERYWHERE in the American diet and most people are getting far too much. Omega-3 is the most anti-inflammatory fatty acid that is much healthier, yet more challenging to get in the standard American diet. It’s mainly found in seafood, walnuts, flax and chia so we all need to make sure we are eating Omega-3 rich foods daily to keep the proper Omega 3:6 balance in our diet. Omega-9 is a lesser known, but very important fatty acid and thankfully it’s abundant in EVOO and avocado oil.

Make sure to buy unrefined, cold-pressed avocado oil because it’s extracted from the avocados using a clean method without the use of chemicals. Avocado and EVOO contain mostly monounsaturated fat, these Omega-9 fats are heart healthy because they can reduce inflammation, reduce blood pressure, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. Since EVOO has a more distinct flavor, I typically use avocado oil in baking. The one exception where the flavor of EVOO really compliments the deep flavor of the dessert, is in a rich chocolate blackout cake.

I love these cookies made with Whole-Grain and Grain-Free Flour Swap. The Whole-Grain Swap cookies will have a few extra healthy carbs, but I love how soft and pillowy these cookies bake up. The Grain-Free will give you a keto/paleo version and they are slightly more dense and chewy, but equally delicious. Although I didn’t bake them using both flours in equal parts (for this recipe it would be 1 cup Whole-Grain plus 1 cup Grain Free Flour to equal the full 2 cups of Flour Swap the recipe calls for), that is usually my favorite taste/texture preference and I bet they would turn out amazing in this sugar cookie.

For most of my patients, I’m a big advocate for balanced macronutrient meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here is an easy way to know what type of Flour Swap to choose to create a balanced macro dinner. If your dinner consists of just protein and veggies, I recommend eating Whole-Grain Swap cookies for dessert to serve as your healthy carb for that meal. Conversely, if you already had a healthy carb with dinner (quinoa, sweet potato, beans, etc), I would recommend the Grain-Free Swap cookies for dessert so you don’t overeat carbs at that meal. Easy, right! Balanced macro meals are the best thing you can do to keep your metabolism firing optimally, create blood sugar stability and keep you feeling full and satisfied throughout your day (or night). 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1. Mix dry cookie ingredients well, then add wet ingredients and blend with a spoon or hand mixer until smooth cookie dough consistency is achieved and no lumps remain.

2. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes to allow the fiber to absorb all of the moisture. Then mix for another minute.

3. Use your small cookie scoop to make equal sized dough balls, roll them in your hands, then press on your parchment lined cookie tray.

4. Bake for 8-10 mins (both Grain-Free and Whole-Grain cookies were perfect at 9 minutes in my oven) until they turn barely golden around the edges.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes on the warm tray before transferring to a rack to completely cool before frosting.

6. Make your frosting by putting all ingredients except the plant milk in a bowl. Slowly stir in plant milk using a wire whisk until smooth, spreadable consistency is reached.

7. Frost each cookie and allow them to sit on the counter for a couple hours until hardened.

8. Transfer the finished Chai Sugar Cookies to the fridge to fully set overnight. 

A few tips to make the best Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookies:

• Use HOT water in your Egg Swap, the warmth is needed to help the psyllium husk in the Flour Swap open up, relax and absorb the moisture. It warmth also helps pull the flavor from the chai tea into the cookies
• Let your dough rest for about 5 minutes after you’ve blended the wet and dry ingredients, then mix for another minute. This resting period gives the fiber a chance to relax and absorb the moisture in the Egg Swap.
• Use a cookie scoop to create equal sized dough balls for even baking. If you haven’t already invested in 3 sizes of cookie scoops, do it! Purchase small, medium and large because you’ll use all of them while baking Detox Desserts. The small and medium sizes are great for cookies and donut holes. I use the large size to create equal size muffins, shortcakes and waffles. They also make great ice-cream scoopers!
• Roll your cookies, then press them down. They won’t spread much as they bake (thanks to all the healthy fiber in the Flour Swap). Use wet hands to make this process easier.
• Don’t overbake! Every oven is different, watch your first batch closely, remove them when the tops start to crack and the edges barely turn golden. They will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet after you remove them from the oven. The 9 minute approximate baking time is for small cookies, so if you decide to make larger cookies, increase your baking time.
• Slowly add the plant milk to your frosting so it doesn’t get too runny. If your frosting does get runny, simply add a little more Powdered Sugar Swap

• Store your cookies tightly sealed in the fridge for up to 5-7 days or freeze up to 3 months for long term storage.
• *For best taste, texture and health benefits, refrigerate all Detox Desserts overnight before indulging.

*An important note on carbs:

Net carbohydrates are the sum total of carbohydrates that convert into glucose (therefore raise blood sugar) in the body. Anyone following a keto or diabetic diet should count net carbs NOT total carbs. To determine net carbs, simply subtract the fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates on the nutrition label. If you count macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein) you should always count net carbs, not total carbs.