Chai Spice Blend

Chai Spice Blend is a warming, aromatic combination of spices with floral notes along with hints of vanilla and pepper. This spice blend elevates any drink, bread, or cake recipe to one packed with comfort and flavor. Making your own at home is as simple as measuring, stirring, and using.

What is Chai?

Chai means “tea” in Hindi. Chai itself is not a flavor but a thing. So, whenever you hear someone say, “I like chai tea,” they incorrectly say, “I like tea tea.” My personal pet peeves aside, chai is a way of life in Indian communities. Much as it is within the Asian culture, enjoying Indian Chai is a cherished pastime, whether done individually or shared with friends or relations. 

What Are the Flavors of Chai Spice Blend?

Chai spice blend combines spices often found in Indian chai, such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and sometimes black pepper. Indians often prepare their chai steeped with these spices and add milk. 

What Do I Need To Make This Chai Spice Blend?

To make a chai spice blend, you need ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper. 

Use a whisk or small spoon to combine your spice blend. You’ll also need glass jars with tight-fitting lids for storage. 

Are Whole or Ground Spices Better to Use When Making Spice Blends?

Using whole spices that you toast and grind in a coffee grinder yourself is what I would normally recommend. However, when it comes to making spice blends at home, you don’t need to fuss over using whole spices. Ground will work just fine here. The key to creating a potent and flavorful mixture is using brand-new jars of spices. I use the entire jar to make my recipe since I know I’ll use it all or gift it. 

If you use whole spices to make your chai spice blend, begin toasting them in a dry pan for 5 to 10 minutes or until they are fragrant. Allow the spices to cool completely before using your coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to grind them to a powder. Obviously, you won’t be able to do this with the ginger, so you’ll need to use ground ginger instead. 

Can I Replace Any of the Spices in This Chai Spice Blend?

Add the ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper to a 2-quart mixing bowl. Use a small whisk or spoon to stir the spices together until well combined. 

You can swap or substitute some of the spices in this chai spice blend if you don’t care for them. The only spices I recommend keeping are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice because they are prominent flavors in chai. Replace the black pepper, cloves, and/or nutmeg with more of what you like. 

You can also experiment with different varieties of these ingredients. I love replacing plain ground ginger with smoked ginger or plain cinnamon with Ceylon cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon has more of a floral, spicy flavor than plain cinnamon. 

What’s the Best Way To Store Spice Blends?

Sift the chai spice blend through a fine-mesh sieve before you jar it. This step eliminates any clumps that might develop during mixing. It also blends the mixture, ensuring you get all the spices in each spoonful. 

The best containers to store spice blends are glass jars with airtight lids. They keep the flavors of the spices from leaching out as porous plastic does. Metal is the next best option after plastic. No matter which container you use, you must ensure it’s airtight. The more the mixture is exposed to air, the less flavorful the spices will be. Use a small funnel, or create one using a parchment paper cone, to transfer the blend into the jars. 

How Do I Use This Chai Spice Blend?

Add 1/2-teaspoon of chai spice to your cup of tea or coffee. You can add 1 to 2 teaspoons of this chai spice blend to any baked goods like cakes, muffins, or cheesecakes. 

I like to use it, instead of pumpkin spice, in these Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas or add it to this Banana Bread with Espresso.

How Long Does This Spice Blend Stay Fresh?

You can store chai spice blend for 6 months to a year. 

To ensure your chai spice blend stays potent, store it in a cool, dark area of your kitchen or in the pantry. Heat, light, and moisture are spices’ enemies, so avoid storing the jar over or near the stove or in the fridge. 

All you need to keep your spices strong is an airtight container in a dark place: a kitchen cabinet, drawer, or on a shelf. 

Can I Freeze This Chai Spice Blend?

Avoid freezing spice blends. The moisture that develops in the jar when it’s pulled out and thawed will cause it to grow mold over time. This is also why you want to avoid storing it in the fridge.

Spice blends make great gifts, too. Stick a pretty label on your jars, and don’t forget to include an ingredient list in case of allergies.

Let me know what you think of this warming Chai Spice Blend in the comments below. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as we do. Be sure to pin it and share it with your friends and family so they can also enjoy it this season.

Chai Spice Blend

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 7 votes

Chai Spice Blend is a warming combination of floral, spicy, and earthy spices which are popular in Indian cuisine. Add this spice mixture to your drinks, baked goods, or even savory dishes for a boost of comfort and unique flavor.

Servings: 25 1 teaspoon servings

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 pint glass jar with tight-fitting lid
• small funnel
• fine mesh sieve

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons (13 grams) ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (9 grams) ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon (6 grams) ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons (5 grams) ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 grams) ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) black pepper

Instructions 

• Add the ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper to a 2-quart mixing bowl.

  Use a small whisk or spoon to stir the spices together until well combined. 
• Sift the chai spice blend through a fine-mesh sieve before you jar it.

To Use:

• Add 1/2-teaspoon of chai spice to your cup of tea or coffee.

  You can add 1 to 2 teaspoons of this chai spice blend to any baked goods like cakes, muffins, or cheesecakes. 
• Store the chai spice blend for 6 months to a year in a glass or metal jar for 6 months to a year.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the plain ground ginger with smoked ginger.
• You can swap the plain cinnamon with Ceylon cinnamon, which has more of a floral, spicy flavor than plain cinnamon. 
• Swap the black pepper, cloves, and/or nutmeg with more of what you like. 

Tips and Techniques:

• To use whole spices:
  1. Begin toasting them in a dry pan for 5 to 10 minutes or until they are fragrant.
  2. Allow the spices to cool completely before using your coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to grind them to a powder.
• The sifting step eliminates any clumps that might develop during mixing. It also blends the mixture, ensuring you get all the spices in each spoonful. 
• The more the spice mixture is exposed to air, the less flavorful the spices will be so keep it well sealed when not in use. 
• Spice blends make great gifts, just stick a pretty label on your jars, and don't forget to include an ingredient list (in case of allergies) and instructions of how to use it.

Storage Instructions:

• To ensure the chai spice blend stays potent, store it in a cool, dark area of your kitchen or in the pantry away from heat, light, and moisture. 
• Avoid freezing or refrigerating the chai spice blend. The moisture that develops in the jar when it's pulled out and thawed will cause it to grow mold over time. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 12kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gTrans Fat: 0.001gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg

Course Breads, Breakfast, Desserts, Drinks, Miscellany

Cuisine Indian, Middle Eastern

Keyword chai, spice blend

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