Make your own chai spice blend for fall and holiday baking in less than 3 minutes! This recipe features bold amounts of ginger and cardamom, creating an authentically spicy chai flavor.
Unlike milder versions, this mix delivers the intense, warming spice profile that chai lovers crave.
Keep a batch on your spice rack - once you try it in your baking, you'll wonder how you lived without it. Perfect for anyone who thinks regular chai spice blends aren't bold enough!
Fill your spice rack with more of my spice mix blends: Blackening Seasoning, Lawry's Seasoning copycat, Chinese 5 spice, and spaghetti seasoning blend.
What are the ingredients in 7 spice chai?
- Ground Cinnamon: Provides the warm, sweet foundation of chai and helps create that familiar spiced tea flavor. Choose Ceylon cinnamon for a more delicate, complex taste, or Cassia cinnamon for a stronger, spicier kick.
- Ground Ginger: Adds a spicy heat and digestive benefits while complementing the sweetness of other spices. Look for bright, fragrant powder without any musty smell, as ginger loses potency quickly after grinding.
- Ground Cardamom: Contributes an aromatic, slightly floral and citrusy note that's essential to authentic chai. Green cardamom is preferred over black cardamom for this blend - ensure it's fresh as it loses flavor quickly once ground.
- Fine Ground Pepper: Brings a subtle heat that enhances the other spices and adds complexity to the finish. Black peppercorns freshly ground to a fine powder work best, but pre-ground is fine if fresh.
- Ground Nutmeg: Adds warmth and subtle sweetness with notes of clove and creates depth in the blend. Buy whole nutmeg and grate fresh when possible, as pre-ground nutmeg loses its nuanced flavors quickly.
- Ground Allspice: Contributes warm notes similar to a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, helping bridge the flavors. Choose powder that's dark brown and aromatic, avoiding any that appears grayish.
- Ground Cloves: Provides intense warmth and sweetness with a numbing quality that rounds out the blend. Use sparingly as it can overwhelm - look for rich brown powder with a strong, fresh aroma.
Recipe Card?
To find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions CLICK HERE to go to the recipe card.
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Make the Homemade Chai Spice Mix:
Step 1
Put all spices in a bowl and whisk thoroughly until evenly combined.
Step 2
Transfer to an airtight container.
Step 3
Store in a cool, dry place and use within 1 month.
Tips
This tastes better the longer the spices get to sit in the liquid. The flavors truly shine their best if you blend or heat them over a stove when preparing.
Did you make this recipe?
Do you have feedback that would be helpful to others? If so can help this small business owner by leaving a rating and a review in the comments section? Thank you for being part of the Savoring The Good Community. ~ Sarah
Ways to use Chai Spice Blend
For a Hot Chai Latte:
- In a saucepan combine:
- 8 ounces milk
- 1½ teaspoons chai spice mix
- 1 tablespoon honey (or your preferred sweetener)
- Heat slowly, stirring occasionally.
- Optional: Strain through cheesecloth before serving.
Quick method: Warm the milk separately, then blend with spices and honey.
For a Cold Chai Latte:
- In a blender combine:
- 8 ounces cold milk
- 1½ teaspoons chai spice mix
- 1 tablespoon honey (or your preferred sweetener)
- Blend for 20 seconds and serve immediately.
Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
A dirty chai and a spiced chai are two different variations of chai drinks.
Spiced Chai (or regular chai) is the traditional preparation - it's simply tea with spices and milk. A Dirty Chai is a spiced chai latte with a shot of espresso added to it. The term "dirty" comes from the way the espresso shot slightly discolors or "dirties" the lighter-colored chai latte when it's added. The espresso adds a rich coffee flavor and extra caffeine kick to the traditional spiced drink. Some people order it as "double dirty chai" when they want two shots of espresso instead of one.
"Spiced chai" and "regular chai" are the same thing - this is because the word "chai" itself means tea with spices. In fact, there's a bit of redundancy when we say "spiced chai" since "chai" (चाय) comes from the Hindi word that already means spiced tea.
What might cause some confusion is that in Western coffee shops, you might see:
"Chai" or "Chai Tea" or "Spiced Chai" - these all refer to the traditional Indian spiced tea
"Chai Tea Latte" - this is the Western coffee shop version, which is often sweeter and made with steamed milk
"Plain Tea" or "Black Tea" - this would be tea without spices
When someone in India asks for "chai," they're asking for what we call "spiced chai" in the West - it's black tea brewed with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and others, typically served with milk and sometimes sugar.
So there really isn't a "regular" versus "spiced" version - the spices are what make it chai!
Related Recipes
Spice Mix
- Blackening Seasoning Recipe - Homemade Blacken Seasoning Mix
- Best Turkey Rub Recipe
- Turkey Brine (Dry Mix)
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 Tablespoon Ground Cardamom
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 Teaspoon Allspice
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until fully combined.3 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 3 Tablespoon ground ginger, 2 Tablespoon Ground Cardamom, 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 Teaspoon nutmeg, 1 Teaspoon Allspice, 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Notes
- 8 ounces milk
- 1½ teaspoons chai spice mix
- 1 tablespoon honey (or your preferred sweetener)
I am Sarah Mock. Welcome!
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 16 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
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