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An easy bulk homemade chai spice mix that you can add to everything from cookies, breads, coffee, tea and cinnamon rolls. The perfect mix of flavors!

My girls have become obsessed with chai tea. They’ll drink it any time of year, but they especially crave it in the fall. I had never gotten into drinking tea too much, but after tasting a delicious chai tea in Portland, I did acquire a taste for it.

I’m sharing a homemade chai spice mix today that you can add to just about any baked good you’d like. Oh…and you can also make tea with it!

spices in a mason jar with measuring spoon

Why you’ll love this recipe:

The perfect flavor as we make it…
…but completely customizable to you!
Makes about ¾ cup of spice mix.
Add not just to tea, but to your favorite cookies, breads and more.

What is chai?

In India, “chai” means “tea”. We think of chai tea as a sweet milky tea, because that is how most Indians drink tea. There are different types of chai, but most are a heavily spicy and loaded with flavor.

What spices are in chai?

We use ground spices from the store…no special brand. I usually buy what is cheapest! You’ll need:

cinnamon
cardamom
cloves
coriander
ginger
white pepper (yes use white instead of black!)
salt

The great thing about making your own spice blends at home is that you can tweak them as you’d like. Take down the pepper and add more cardamom. Add a touch more cloves or cinnamon. Whatever you’d like to make the perfect spice mix for your family.

Most of these spices aren’t too expensive, but cardamom can be a little pricey, so watch for a sale. You can also get it on Amazon.

How to Store Chai Spice Mix

Store this mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. It’s best to use spice blends within a month since they can lose some potency over time.

How to Make Chai

Steep a bag of black tea and add about ½ teaspoon of this chai spice mix to the tea. You can also add a touch of milk and sweetener if you’d like.

Please note that this spice mix will not totally dissolve in the tea. Some of the spices may float on top or on the bottom. Stir well before drinking.