Chai Spice Recipe

Make your own chai spice mix with this easy, six ingredient recipe. It’s caffeine free and can be used for chai spice tea, in baking recipes, or add it to coffee or cider.

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And here we are, at the time of year for cozy. The season of warm (and warming) drinks and spiced bakes. It’s when we all are divided by those who are pro pumpkin spice latte and those who are anti. I’m the second, because of a pathological dislike of coffee and extreme apathy regarding pumpkin.

It’s the season of chai, which I feel is criminally underrated. But with this simple recipe, you can make your own chai spice mix–it’s delicious! And there are so many reasons to love it, like…

• It’s so versatile. Seriously, you can use it for baking, tea, or to replace cinnamon in almost any recipe. And speaking of tea…
• It’s caffeine free. Most chai teas from the store contain black tea, which is caffeinated. But not this mix! You get all the flavors but don’t have to worry about staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m. While I LOVE my premade chai tea latte, it’s really not worth not sleeping, right?
• There are countless ways to use it. I’ve included a whole list of ideas and recipes at the bottom of this post, so scroll down there if you’re looking for more ideas.

Where did Chai Originate?

The chai spice combination, which can also be called masala chai or spiced chai, originated in India. Some records showing it going as far back as 5,00 years and originating as a medicinal or healing blend.

Interestingly, the word “chai” is the Hindi word for tea, which means “chai tea” literally translates to “tea tea.”

What are the Spice in Chai?

The chai spices are as follows:

• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Ginger
• Allspice
• Nutmeg
• Cloves

While these are the spices that make up the chai flavor, you can play with the amounts to get a flavor profile that you like.

Mixing the Spices

Measure out all of the spice into a small bowl and mix them together. There shouldn’t be any visible streaks of any one spice in the mixture.

Store the chai spice mix in an airtight container.

You’ll get about 2/3 cup of chai spice from this recipe if you make it as written. It can easily be multiplied for a larger quantity.

Adjusting the Flavors in your Chai Mix

One of the best aspects of chai is the way it can be customized. Depending on the flavor profile you like, chai can be spicy or sweet–it’s really for you to decide!

• If you like a spicy chai mix, add extra ginger. While some of the other spices add heat, they have a stronger flavor that can quickly overpower the other components of the mix. Ginger adds enough heat without drastically altering the flavor profile.
• For a sweeter mix, lessen the ginger, and you can even add up to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar.
• Cardamom comes in three colors–black, green, and white. Each color has it’s own flavor profile. Green is the most commonly variety in supermarkets, and generally has the most balanced taste. White is just bleached green cardamom, but is considered inferior in the flavor department. Black is a more savory spice, with a hint of smoke. If you want your chai to lean more savory, consider hunting down black cardamom, but otherwise green is your best bet.
• I’ve listed the black pepper as optional, and it definitely is. It does add a nice sharpness to the flavor, but make sure to not add too much if you choose to add it.

Where to Buy Spices for the Chai Mix

While spices can last a long time, it can be expensive to purchase them all at once! And while you may have some staples like cinnamon on hand, there are unique flavors in this chai spice recipe. Thankfully, a lot of them can also be used for baking other fall recipes like gingersnaps, popcorn, and

Ordering spices online can be a good way to save. When shopping, be sure to look at the price per ounce, as this can vary dramatically.

A lot of ethnic stores carry bulk spices at great prices. A bulk bin store is also great place to check.

Many grocery stores and markets have sales on their spices in the fall, so watch for those and go stock up!

Ideas and Recipes for Using Chai Spice Mix:

• Make a Chai Latte. Combine 1 cup of milk (plant or dairy), 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of chai spice mix. Mix or blend together (blending helps it not separate), then warm in a small pan until steaming. Enjoy!
• Gift it. put it in a small jar or tin, label, tie with a ribbon, and you have simple, thoughtful gifts for the holiday season! I really love these spice jars for gifting.
• Replace the cinnamon. If you’re baking a recipe with cinnamon, subbing in some chai will be delicious! Something like this cinnamon bread is a perfect candidate!
• Make Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies for a twist on the classic favorite.

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