I love the flavor of masala chai! I like it so much that I often use this chai spice recipe for baking, in coffee, in smoothies, in oatmeal, and even occasionally on roasted vegetables.
The unique flavor that we associate with chai tea comes from the spices that are added to the tea leaves. It is possible to make a mixture of the spices without the tea and then use it in a variety of recipes.
What is chai spice made of?
Chai spice is made of ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and white pepper. Most of these spices can be found in your spice rack. You may need to add ground cardamom and white pepper to your next shopping list as these are not usually pantry staples. You can leave out the white pepper if you wish, but the cardamom is essential to the flavor of the chai spice.
Where is chai spice from?
Masala Chai originates in India and translates to “spiced tea”. In America, we often leave off the masala and call our beverage chai tea which is like saying “tea tea”.
How to Use Chai Spice
You can use the chai spice mix in place of pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice in recipes to create a unique twist on traditional dishes. You can also add a couple of teaspoons to vanilla flavored recipes such as vanilla cake, buttercream frosting, or vanilla pudding to create vanilla chai variations of classic desserts.
Chai Spice for Tea
Add 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon of this chai spice mix to 8 ounces of tea. You can add it while the tea is brewing or stir it in afterward. This is good in both black tea and green tea.
Chai Spice for Baking
Use this chai spice mix in place of apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or in some cases cinnamon to create a unique twist on your recipe.
Chai Spice for Coffee
Add 1/2 teaspoon of this chai spice for every 6 ounces of coffee.
Chai Spice for Smoothies
Add 1/4 teaspoon for every half cup of your smoothie. It pairs well with mango, pineapple, peach, blueberry, and apple smoothies.
How to Make Chai Spice
All you need to do to make chai spice is add the spices to a bowl or mason jar and mix them together. Then you can use it as called for in recipes.
Chai Spice Recipe
This makes a little over a half cup of the spice mix. Store the spice mix in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Directions:
- Add the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and white pepper to a small bowl.
- Stir until thoroughly combined.
Printable Recipe for Chai Spice
Chai Spice Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Add the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and white pepper to a small bowl.
- Stir until thoroughly combined.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipes Using Chai Spices
Grain-Free Chai Sweet Potato Muffins
Chai Spiced Meringues with Pecans
Ari says
Hi, Alea. For the cloves, does your recipe need ground or whole? I’m really looking forward to giving this recipe a try, soon! Thank you for sharing with us! ♡
Be well,
Ari
Alea Milham says
I use ground cloves in this recipe.
Ari says
Thank you 😊 💗
Vin says
Hi Alea,
I’m from India and here masala chai is the most popular beverage and I must say that you’ve nailed the recipe! It never occurred to me to use the chai spice in smoothies and baking but definitely worth a try!