If you love the flavor of chai, you're going to want to use this Chai Sugar in everything! It can add a lovely spiced sweetness to so many foods, and it makes a quick and easy gift!
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This Chai Sugar combines warm flavors spiced chai with granulated sugar for a cozy and delicious flavor enhancer! Add it to baked goods, sprinkle it over oatmeal, use it to rim cocktail glasses, and more! It also makes a fantastic gift!
If you enjoy this recipe, check out the posts for my Homemade Vanilla Sugar, Chai Cake, and Dirty Chai Cookies!
What is Chai Sugar?
Masala chai is brewed black tea with milk and spices. Many Americans refer to this beverage as just "chai," though "chai" is just the word for "tea" in many languages. The spices included in masala chai are typically ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. That said, recipes for masala chai vary among countries, regions, and even families.
Chai Sugar is regular granulated sugar that has been combined with ground chai and spices, echoing the warm, bold flavors of masala chai!
Ingredients
You likely have all the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry right now! See the recipe card (below) for ingredient measurements. The recipe can easily be scaled up or down depending on how much sugar you'd like.
- Sugar- For sweetness.
- Chai - For flavor. The tea is ground up (in either a small food processor, coffee grinder, or spice grinder) so that it mixes well into the sugar and there aren't any large pieces.
- Ground Spices - Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper for flavor.
Instructions
This recipe can easily be scaled up or down depending on how much sugar you want. If you'd like a larger batch, it's easier to make several small batches than to try to make a large amount all at once.
- Pour a few tablespoons of sugar and the chai into a coffee grinder.
- Process until the chai is finely ground.
- Pour the sugar/chai mixture into a bowl with the remaining sugar and spices.
- Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Hint: Make sure your coffee grinder or food processor is *completely* dry before you begin!
How to Use Chai Sugar
So now you know how to make Chai Sugar, but how do you use it? Here are some ideas for you:
- In baked goods - Substitute plain sugar with chai sugar in bakes. Cakes, cookies, pies...you name it!
- In whipped cream - The flavor of chai is a lovely addition to whipped cream!
- To rim cocktail glasses - This sugar doesn't work well to sweeten cold beverages, as the chai and spices don't dissolve into a drink. However, it's fantastic on the rim of a cocktail glass!
- Add to butter - Add a little to some softened butter and you have the perfect accompaniment for biscuits, scones, breads, and more!
- Use as a garnish - Sprinkle a little on top of cake or cookies or anything that could use a little warm chai flavor.
- Sprinkle over oatmeal or yogurt - The perfect way to add a little sweetness and flavor to your favorite breakfast or snack!
- Makes a great gift - In just a few minutes you can have jars of flavored sugar for gifting to family and friends!
Hint: If you're looking for something sweet to make with Chai Sugar, check out the recipe for my Dirty Chai Cookies!
Equipment
Here are a few items I used when making this recipe:
- Coffee Grinder - A coffee ginder is my preferred equipment for this recipe, as the bowl is quite small. I bought one with a removable, dishwasher-safe bowl so that it's easy to clean between uses!
- Food Processor - If you don't have a coffee grinder, a food processor is your next best bet. A small/mini food processor will work best. If you have a larger food processor, definitely use the smallest bowl insert that you have.
- Glass Jar(s) - I store my flavored sugar in glass jars. Small, decorative jars are perfect for gifting!
If you're interested in making labels for your jars like I did mine, here is the Canva link to my Chai Sugar labels to get you started!
Variations
Here are a few flavor variations you can make to this recipe:
- Change the spices - The spices used in chai vary by country, region, and even family. Some chai recipes include nutmeg, allspice, or anise. Feel free to add/subtract spices form the recipe to your taste, or change the proportions of the spices. This recipe can just be a starting point to finding your personal preference!
- Make Dirty Chai Sugar - "Dirty chai" is chai paired with espresso. To make dirty chai sugar, add one teaspoon of espresso powder to the rest of the ingredients.
Storage
Chai Sugar can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months. If kept cool and dry, it could keep longer.
Other Recipes You May Like
Chai Sugar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 bags chai (about ¼ cup loose leaf tea; see note)
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour a few tablespoons sugar and all the chai into a coffee grinder or food processor. Make sure the bowl is completely dry before you begin! (If using a food processor, you may have to use ¼ cup sugar to get the chai to process finely, as it has a larger bowl.)
- Process the sugar and chai until the chai is ground finely. This process nearly "powders" the sugar, which is why you don't want to process all the sugar at once.
- Pour the sugar/chai mixture into a bowl with the remaining sugar and all the spices. Whisk to combine.
- Sugar can be used immediately, and will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.
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