Chai spices, also known as chai masala, are a blend of aromatic spices that are the heart and soul of traditional chai tea. This warm, fragrant homemade Chai Spice Mix, originating from the Indian subcontinent, has a rich history rooted in ancient Ayurvedic medicine and British colonial tea culture. You infuse these spices into black tea to create a delicious spiced chai. Every Indian family has its own special way of making chai, and while I’m not Indian, I’m excited to share my own twist on this traditional recipe with you.
Why I Love Chai Spice
I love chai spices because they definitely add a tasty comforting yumminess to a warm drink… hello, chai latte! Or a creamy custard, coffee cake, or just about any dessert you like. Seeing it only takes a minute or two to make your own chia mix it is fun to try some different blends to experiment and try a different masala tea every other week.
I also love that the spices fit in with a low-carb keto diet. Following a keto lifestyle is important to me, and having a low carb chai spice recipe is awesome. A little goes a long way in keto baking, and in a cuppa for me! If you love milky masala tea, then it is as simple as using nut milk, keto milk, or cream in your cup of tea.
Chai Masala Ingredients
What is in chai spice powder? The ratio of each of the chai spices can be varied to make your own unique chai spice flavor. You may like yours with a little less cinnamon and more ground black pepper. Change the ratios to suit your taste.
How To Make Chai Spice Masala Tea
Step 1. Place all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Transfer to a dry airtight jar or container.
Variations of Flavours
While the traditional chai spice blend is already amazeballs, you can experiment with variations to suit your taste:
- Spices: Add cloves or star anise for a deeper, more complex flavour.
- Sweetness: Mix in a bit of powdered vanilla or a dash of brown sweetener for a sweeter profile.
- Citrus: Grate some dried orange or lemon peel into the mix for a citrusy twist.
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How to Use Chai Spice Mix
Chai spices are incredibly versatile and can be used in various dishes:
- Tea: The classic use is to steep half a teaspoon of chai spices with a full bodied black tea and milk for a warming chai masala tea recipe.
- Baked Goods: Add chai spices to your cookie, banana bread, carrot cake, or muffin batter for a warm, spicy flavour.
- Breakfast: Sprinkle on oatmeal, yogurt, keto porridge, or pancake batter.
- Savoury Dishes: Use in marinades or rubs for meats, or add to curries and soups for a unique twist. The spices in chai tea are naturally vegan and can be used in vegan baking as well.
- Drinks: Mix into hot chocolate, dirty chai latte, or chai syrups for ice cream or iced coffee, masala chai tea, masala chai tea latte, or smoothies.
FAQs
Yes, you can omit the black pepper if you prefer a milder blend, but the pepper adds a subtle heat that enhances the overall flavour. Try some ground star anise in its place.
Typically, 1 – 2 teaspoons of chai spice blend per cup of tea is sufficient. Adjust based on your taste preference.
Fresh spices can be used, but they need to be finely ground to blend well. Fresh spices may also alter the intensity of the flavours.
3 Benefits of Masala Chai Tea
- Boosts Immunity:
- Ingredients: Ginger and cardamom in masala chai are known for their immune-boosting properties.
- Benefit: Regular consumption can help protect against common illnesses like colds and flu.
- Aids Digestion:
- Ingredients: Spices like ginger, cardamom, and black pepper aid digestion.
- Benefit: They can help alleviate digestive issues such as bloating, nausea, and constipation.
- Anti-Inflammatory Properties:
- Ingredients: Cinnamon and ginger are potent anti-inflammatory agents.
- Benefit: These spices can help reduce inflammation in the body, potentially easing conditions like arthritis.
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Chai Masala Spice
Equipment
- Large Jars
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamon
- ½ tablespoon ground nutmeg
- ½ tablespoon Allspice
- ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
How to Make Chai Tea
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup milk or keto milk
- 2 tbsp black tea or Tulsi tea
- 1/2-1 tbsp Chai Spices
- sweetener to taste
Instructions
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
- Place all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Transfer to a dry airtight jar or container.
THERMOMIX MASALA CHAI
- Place all the ingredients into mixer; mix 5 sec/speed 7. Transfer to a dry airtight jar or container.
HOW TO MAKE AYURVEDIC CHAI TEA
- Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the chai spices and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of loose black tea leaves or 2 tea bags, and steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar or sweetener (if using). Simmer for another 3 minutes.
- Strain the tea into cups and enjoy hot.
Notes
Your Own Notes
Nutrition
15 responses to “Homemade Chai Spice Mix”
This has a kick for this “not too spicy please” old gal!
Loved it! It warms me up on this cold July evening (sure it’d be perfect in the morning too)! I love that I can make it myself. It’ll also use up spices quicker and not have them go stale!
Thanks Megan!!
I love making my own spice mixes and your chai spice mix is so good! I’ve made a batch to use for chai and baked goods.
I love making my own spices at home! This chai one was super easy and I love adding it to oatmeal and smoothies! I’ve never seen it in stores so I’m glad it’s something I can make at home.
I love making homemade spice mixes and I drink chai tea all day everyday so this one was a no-brainer for me – delicious!
I love chai tea and this makes it where I can make it at home! Such a tasty spice blend. I loved it.
I had no idea it was so easy to make a chai mix! Love this little blend. Thank you so much for sharing!
I am going to be using this for homemade gifts. Such a great chai spice recipe!
I love making my own spice blends and this one was a fun one to recreate. The warmth of the spices and that added touch of pepper really amplified my afternoon cup of tea.
I love Chai tea and chai cookies. Using this homemade blend makes them all tastes SO much better.
I had planned on baking up a quick banana bread on the weekend but wanted to change up the flavours a little bit. Wow! This chai spice mix was the perfect way to do it. I’m never going back to plain old banana bread!
I added this to my weekly “I have to use these bananas” bread and it transformed the whole thing into such a lovely warm spiced treat. I think I need to buy more bananas. Or add it to all sorts of things! I think I need a warm spiced chai latte for bedtime. Mmmmhhh.
Just tried making this chai spice mix, and it’s a game-changer! It adds the perfect warm kick to my morning tea. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
I have just enjoyed my first cup of homemade Masala Chai tea. So good. I love the combination of spices! Now I want to try the spice blend in other ways.
This is such a delicious alternative to coffee! I loved all the spices in this recipe. I make it for an afternoon pick-me-up when I am craving something hot. So good!
We just whipped up a batch of this and it was really nice. I add 2 tablespoons to 2 cups of Assam black tea. I didn’t have any milk and I steeped it with an anise star. Perfect combo. We loved the bit of pepper to it too. Next time I will try it without the added anise just as you have written. It’s well balanced and the best I have tried straight from the chai spice recipe (and better than store buys). Thanks Team
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