Chai Spice Dessert Ideas & Recipes

Try chai spice as your go-to flavoring agent for your festive bakes and seasonal desserts. If you’re not sure how to use this wonderful flavor, here are some ideas!

Chai spice could be the bracing, festive and warm flavour you're looking for in your holiday season desserts or for special recipes you want to try for International Tea Day (December 15). With its warm and aromatic blend of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black pepper, chai spice boasts an umami-rich profile which can elevate your dessert recipes. It helps that the spice is so easy to use and so blendable.

For instance, if you're making chai spice cookies, simply roll the cookie dough in a mixture of sugar and chai spice before baking for an extra layer of spiced sweetness. If you're making chai spice cupcakes, add chai spice to the batter for a thorough infusion and pair the dessert with cream cheese frosting or a vanilla glaze. The spice works best to add a sense of warm, spiced aroma to most sweet desserts; remember if you're making desserts with minimal sweetness, you may need to decide how prominently you want to feature the chai spice blend.

Consider making your own chai spice blend; it pairs well with a variety of flavors, including chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and citrus. However, store-bought chai spice blends can vary, so taste your mix and use it in a small batch before making a large batch of desserts. Here are some festive chai spice desserts you can explore

Chai Spice Custard

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
• 4-6 large egg yolks
• Chai spice blend
• Optional: 1-2 black tea bags

Chai Spice Blend:

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:

• Preheat your oven to around 325°F (163°C). Heat the milk (and cream, if using) until it's warm but not boiling. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.
• Add your chai spice blend to the warm milk. Add 1-2 black tea bags to the mixture.
• Allow the spices to steep in the milk for about 10-15 minutes to infuse the chai flavors.
• Strain the infused mixture to remove the chai spices and tea bags
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are well combined.
• Slowly pour a small amount of the warm chai-infused milk into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly
• Now mix in the tempered egg mixture with the remaining chai-infused milk, whisking continuously. Strain the mixture
• Pour the chai-spiced custard mixture into individual ramekins or a baking dish.
• Place the ramekins or baking dish in a larger pan filled with hot water
• Bake the chai spice custard in the preheated oven
• Allow the chai spice custard to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it

Chai Spice Truffles

Ingredients:

For the Chai Spice Infusion:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 chai tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose chai tea blend
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Truffles:

• 225g dark or semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• Cocoa powder
• Finely chopped nuts

Method:

• Heat heavy cream until it's warm; add chai tea bags or loose tea blend, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground black pepper.
• Allow the mixture to steep over low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally
• Remove the chai tea bags or strain out the loose tea and spices
• Place the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
• Heat the chai-infused cream but don't wait till it's boiling.
• Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute
• Stir the chocolate and cream mixture until smooth and well combined.
• Add the softened butter and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated.
• Cover the chocolate mixture and refrigerate for at least 4 hours
• Once the mixture is firm, use a spoon to scoop out small portions and roll them into bite-sized truffle balls
• Roll the truffles in cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, or shredded coconut
• Place the coated truffles on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for another 30 minutes
• Serve once the truffles are chilled and set