Chai Spices Blend

This chai spice blend is packed with cozy flavors! Use this Indian-inspired blend for masala chai or add it to baked goods like cookies or muffins.

Love the warm, nuanced flavor of a good cup of masala chai or a chai latte? How to make an easy DIY mix of these chai spices! There are countless variations on the spices used in this classic Indian recipe. This recipe is a quick and easy mix that’s great for making drinks like masala chai or sprinkling into baked goods like cookies and muffins. It’s also great for DIY gifts! Here’s what you should know about this traditional Indian spiced drink and how to make this spice blend at home.

What are chai spices?

What is chai spice made of? Word chai means “tea” in Hindi, so chai tea is an American invention and is technically the same as saying “tea tea”. The most correct term for Indian tea blend is Chai masala. Word masala refers to a spice mixture used in cooking. Much like the word curry, a Westernized reduction of a complex blend of Indian spices, the American concept of chai can oversimplify and appropriate a rich Indian cultural tradition.

Masala chai spices can contain many different ingredients depending on the chef, just like curry powder. This blend uses the most common chai spices: however, there are many more that are used regionally in Indian blends. This is what this masala chia spice blend contains:

• Cinammon
• Ginger
• cardamom
• Black pepper
• nutmeg
• cloves
• fennel seeds

There are many other unique spices used in the region such as bay leaves, mint, coriander, lemongrass, mace, saffron, star anise etc. This is how our Indian friend Ruchi prepares Masala Chai.

Ground vs Whole Chai Spices

This chai spice blend is designed as an easy DIY blend to use in masala chai, chai lattes, and baked goods. Traditionally, these spices are cooked whole: like whole cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom pods. Because it can be expensive and hard to find in America, this blend uses ground spices. This allows you to use the aroma in breads, cookies and muffins as well. Keep in mind that traditional Indian chai uses whole spices.

Notable Ingredients: Cardamom and Fennel Seeds

You can easily find most of the ingredients for these masala chai condiments at your local grocery store. There are two unique ingredients worth mentioning:

• Ground cardamom: This is the ingredient that gives chai spices their unique floral flavor! It’s becoming easier and easier to find ground cardamom in the United States. Don’t make this mixture until you find cardamom.
• Ground fennel: Fennel is most commonly sold in the form of fennel seeds: soil is difficult to find. Purchase the seeds, then grind them up using a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or special coffee grinder. (It leaves flavor behind, so don’t use your standard grinder.) This spice is optional, but adds an earthy, savory flavor that’s even more of an invader.

Storage for this chai spice blend

You can store your homemade masala chai spice mix in an airtight container 6 months to 1 year. This mixture is at its best when it’s freshest, so the sooner the better. Spices typically keep for 8 months to 1 year in a cool, dry place like your pantry or spice drawer.

10 ways to use chai spices

These masala chai spices are very versatile. Because this blend is ground, you can use it for tea or for more creative uses like baking. Here are 10 great ways to use chai spices:

1. Masala Chai: Try this quick masala chai, a simple take on the traditional Indian drink.
2. Chai Latte: Make a frothy chai latte like at your favorite coffee shop or a vegan chai latte with oat milk. Or add espresso to make it dirty chai!
3. Coffee: Add 1 tablespoon of chai spice to your coffee grounds when making your morning coffee.
4. Muffins: Use in place of cinnamon in muffin recipes.
5. Banana bread: Substitute cinnamon in this banana bread.
6. Groats: Or use it in place of cinnamon in your morning oatmeal or baked oatmeal.
7. Cookies: Use in these chai snowball cookies (substitute 2 tsp for listed condiments) or add 1 tsp to oatmeal cookies.
8. Waffles: Add 2 teaspoons to make chai waffles.
9. Crepes: Use 2 teaspoons in place of spices in apple cinnamon pancakes or Greek yogurt pancakes or banana oatmeal pancakes.
10. Jam or compote: Add it to homemade jam or compote, e.g. B. Cherry chai jam.

There are so many more ways to use this mix: let us know how you use it in the comments below!

This masala chai spice recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Other spice mixes

Making homemade spice blends at home is so easy! They taste fantastic – way better than store bought – and make fun gifts too. Try all of our spice blends (listed by style):