Chewy Earl Grey Sugar Cookies

By Yossy Arefi

Updated Oct. 3, 2025

Chewy Earl Grey Sugar Cookies
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(3,117)
Comments
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Floral and citrusy Earl Grey tea livens up these chewy sugar cookies. Instead of adding the leaves to the dough, the tea is steeped in melted butter for maximum flavor. If you are using loose leaf tea instead of tea from bags, use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to finely grind it before adding it to the butter. Try adding a handful of chopped chocolate shards to the dough to make these cookies even more special.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 20 cookies
  • 1¼cups/250 grams granulated sugar
  • 14tablespoons/198 grams unsalted butter
  • 1tablespoon finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves, from about 3 tea bags
  • ½cup/100 grams light brown sugar
  • ¾teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • ½teaspoon finely grated orange zest
  • 1large egg
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2½cups/320 grams all-purpose flour
  • ½teaspoon baking powder
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (20 servings)

201 calories; 8 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 110 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees and line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Put ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar in a small bowl or shallow dish and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Combine the butter and tea leaves in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Melt the butter, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to sizzle around the edges. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the tea butter to a large bowl, then add brown sugar, salt, orange zest and remaining ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer on medium speed or a whisk to combine for about 30 seconds; the mixture will be grainy and separated. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda to the bowl, and mix on low speed or with a rubber spatula until just combined. Use the spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the dough is evenly mixed.

  5. Step 5

    Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookies. Alternatively, measure 2 tablespoons of dough with a measuring spoon. Roll each dough ball in the reserved granulated sugar, then place on the baking sheets 2 inches apart.

  6. Step 6

    Bake the cookies until set, light golden around and crackled on top, 16 to 19 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back in the oven halfway through the baking time. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets. Store extra cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or for a few weeks in the freezer.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,117 user ratings
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Comments

ekc

i too was confused when recipes started specifying the brand of kosher salt--subsequent investigation uncovered the different methods that diamond and morton use for creating their kosher salt. diamond's flakes are larger as a result, which means that more of morton's smaller crystals can fit in a measured amt, hence making morton's "saltier." general rule of thumb is to use half the amt of morton's for diamond kosher salt. hope that helps!

Carolyn

Just buy a cheap scale. I resisted for a long time and when I finally gave it it revolutionized everything

Claire

Love this recipe! It was delicious, wouldn’t make any changes. I subbed English Breakfast and lemon zest instead of Earl Grey and orange zest (because of what I had on hand), and it worked well. This recipe would also probably be yummy with Chai. You really don’t need a 1/2 cup of sugar for rolling the cookies, more like 1/4 cup. Overall, a great cookie!

Laurel

Decided to try making from frozen-- I will add the caveat that I let the dough sit in my fridge for about an hour. Sliced rounds off the log, aimed for the 40g per cookie weight. Despite being mostly frozen, I think the sugar in the dough plus one hour of fridge defrosting made them somewhat pliable. I didn't make super nice round ball shapes but they still baked into a normal cookie shaped as they melted. Followed instructions (toss in sugar, bake 350 for 16 min) and turned out perfect!

Dana

I used Annie’s suggestion of 8T butter + 6T Crisco and they turned out chewy yet with crisp edges. I used Bigelow brand of Earl Grey tea and could taste it in the cookie. In fact, they faintly taste like Fruit Loops cereal because of the fruitiness 😂 Baked 16 minutes but next time will pull them out earlier. They were perfect when still warm but when they cooled, were less chewy which means they were slightly overcooked.

Peggy W.

Can these cookies be frozen for about a week and then thawed at room temperature?

L

I froze mine and baked from frozen (+1 hour defrost in the fridge) and they turned out great! Not as pliable for making into a ball shape but they still melted down to a cookie shaped just fine in the oven. Followed recipe instructions to toss in sugar, bake at 350, and they were perfect after 16 minutes.

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