DIY Chai Spice Mix

The warm & cozy blend of spices in this DIY Chai Spice Mix is perfect for that holiday baking or for easy gift giving...

It is definitely not a secret that I love pretty much all things chai spiced. There is just something about that blend of warm spices that instantly makes me think of cozy winter evenings and the holidays. 

While cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg are classic spices you probably always reach for in your holiday baking, it is the addition of cardamom and ground pepper that give a chai spice blend its distinctness and little extra spicy kick. 

If you have ever enjoyed a good cup of warm chai tea or a creamy chai latte, then you know exactly what I am talking about here. ;)

I have found myself using a blend of chai spices in some of my original recipes for a couple of years now. It all started with my Coconut Chai Biscotti back in April of 2013. And then I baked up a batch of Peanut Butter Chai Cookies, and the chai spiced recipes just kept rolling out from there. 

Getting tired of always having to break out an arsenal of spices every time I baked up one of my favorite chai recipes, I decided to go ahead and whip a ready-to-use DIY Chai Spice Mix. 

It literally took me maybe 5 minutes to whisk this together, and I now I have perfectly mixed chai spices ready to go whenever I need it... 

Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu

Combining the flavors of a creamy pumpkin latte & warm chai spices, this no-bake Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu is a must-make dessert for fall...

In case you all haven't noticed it already, I have been on a little bit of a chai spice kick the past week. ;) 

I updated a long-time reader favorite, my Overnight Pumpkin Pie Chai French Toast, with pretty new pics. And I posted a delicious and creamy Chai Tea & Pear Oatmeal recipe to the blog last Friday. I mean, when it comes to chai spices, 'tis the season! 

The toasty flavors in warm chai spices not only make me think of cozy fall recipes, but this mix of comforting spices is something I can incorporate into my holiday baking and cooking right on through to Christmas. 

That is why I decided to whip up my own DIY Chai Spice Mix last fall. I always have a jar of it in my pantry ready to go for my holiday baking, or to mix into my oatmeal or a warm cup of hot cocoa. 

Apple Chai Mug Cakes for Two

Brimming with chunks of fresh apple & warm chai spices, these Apple Chai Mug Cakes for Two are ready in less than 10 minutes...

Have I ever mentioned to you all that fall happens to be my favorite season of the year? (I am pretty sure you guys have probably heard about my love of all things autumn at least a hundred times since I started this blog, but humor me, okay? ;) ) 

One of my favorite fall family traditions is our annual pilgrimage to a farm/apple orchard/pumpkin patch in Pennsylvania to go apple & pumpkin picking. We have been going to this very same farm each October for 6 years now. In fact, my daughter's first visit there is while she was still in utero. 

Flash forward 6 years later to the weekend before last when we once again visited our favorite farm to go apple picking. Except this time my sweet daughter happens to be smack dab in the middle of the Ferocious Fives. 

I am not even sure that the ferocious fives is technically a thing, but let me tell you all that my husband & I experienced the full brunt of it's wrath a couple of Sundays ago. And if it isn't already a thing, it totally should be. 

I won't get into all of the sordid details, but let's just say that we ended up leaving after only being there for an hour with my daughter screaming bloody murder the whole way back to the car. Did I mention that this farm is an hour & a half drive away? Yep.

Chai Pumpkin-Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

These Chai Pumpkin-Pecan Oatmeal Cookies are soft and thick packed full of creamy pumpkin flavor, warm chai spices, hearty oats, and crunchy pecans...

Confession time: I just may get a little obsessed with chai spicing everything once the cooler temps have hit here and the leaves begin to change colors. There is just something about that warm blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, & black pepper that says, "Yes, folks. Fall has arrived." 

In fact, I love chai spices so much that I even came up with my own DIY Chai Spice Mix so I can conveniently & quickly add my favorite fall spice combo to everything. 

One of my favorite flavor combinations for the fall season happens to be pumpkin with chai spices. They just pair perfectly together! :) I have made Pumpkin Chai Hot Buttered Rum and Overnight Pumpkin Pie Chai French Toast on the blog already, but I haven't did a pumpkin/chai combo in a cookie before. 

Well, that is about to all change today, my friends. These Chai Pumpkin-Pecan Oatmeal Cookies are soft and thick packed full of creamy pumpkin flavor, warm chai spices, hearty oats, and crunchy pecans...

Tapioca Stuffed Chai Spice Baked Apples

Tender baked apples are flavored with chai spices and filled with a creamy tapioca pudding in these Tapioca Stuffed Chai Spice Baked Apples...

This content was created in partnership with Kroger Family Stores using free products provided by Kroger.

This recipe post first appeared on the Kroger Inspired Gathering site.

Want to really impress mom this Mother's Day? Whip up a dessert that she's sure not to forget! What's more impressive than tender baked apples filled to the brim with creamy tapioca pudding? Not much, folks. ;)

I decided to take a classic apple dessert and give it a brand new twist for Mother's Day with these Tapioca Stuffed Chai Spice Baked Apples. Baked apples are typically stuffed with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and nuts, then they're baked and simply served warm. 

But I changed it up with these baked apples by flavoring them with a blend of chai spices and filling them with the creamiest tapioca pudding. And just so you know, these baked apples are indeed mother-approved. I used my own mom as a taste tester, and she gave this dessert two thumbs up!

Chai Spiced Gingerbread Stars

With warm chai spices and a touch of molasses, these Chai Spiced Gingerbread Stars are sure to quickly become a new classic cookie for your holiday baking...

Last week I shared with you all a recipe for a DIY Chai Spice Mix. And now I am giving you a holiday perfect recipe to use that spice mix in- these simple Chai Spiced Gingerbread Stars. :) 

I actually baked up these gingerbread cookies a couple of weeks ago to pack up & send off to the three fellow food bloggers I was matched up with for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. This was my second year participating in the swap, but the swap itself is in its fifth year now. 

Basically, it is a fun way to have a holiday cookie exchange with other food bloggers from around the country and to raise donations and awareness for Cookies for Kids' Cancer. You get 3 different dozen homemade cookies delivered right to your door, and you get to support a worthy cause at the same time- that is a win-win in my book. :)

I adapted this Chai Spiced Gingerbread Stars recipe from Allie's (Baking A Moment) recipe for Gingerbread Cookies That Don't Spread in the Oven. As soon as I came across her recipe, I knew I had to base my gingerbread recipe from hers. 

Most of you are probably all too familiar with gingerbread men who become puffy, inflated, & spread out of shape as they are baking. I made a few tiny tweaks to Allie's recipe, but these cookies held their shape as you can see from the photos. 

With warm chai spices and a touch of molasses, these Chai Spiced Gingerbread Stars are sure to quickly become a new classic cookie for your holiday baking...

25 Cozy Chai Spiced Recipes for Fall

Enjoy the warm & comforting blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, & cloves in these 25 Cozy Chai Spiced Recipes for Fall...

I know that when most of you all think of chai spices that you automatically think of lattes, but this warm & toasty blend of spices is absolutely amazing in some of your favorite fall recipes as well. Chai spices make the perfect addition to soft & fluffy cinnamon rolls, warm & cozy cocktails, perfectly spiced desserts, and so much more. 

The spicy & comforting blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, & a touch of black pepper complements your favorite flavors of fall (think apple, pumpkin, pears, even chocolate) perfectly.

Each & every fall, I whip up a jar of my DIY Chai Spice Mix & use it in place of just plain ole cinnamon for the entire season. I sprinkle it over toast with butter & a little sugar. I add a teaspoon of it into pancake & waffle batter. I stir a little bit of it into into my morning oatmeal. 

This warm blend of spices instantly gives everything a tasty fall makeover. This DIY spice blend will also work perfectly in each of these 25 cozy chai spiced recipes for fall that I am sharing with you all today. :)

From breakfast to dessert to happy hour, I got you covered with the most cozy & comforting chai spiced recipes to enjoy all throughout fall & the holidays...

Whole Wheat Apple-Walnut Chai Bread

This moist and delicious Whole Wheat Apple-Walnut Chai Bread is packed full of the good stuff like apples, walnuts, whole grains, and chai spices for a fall/holiday kick...

I know when most people think of the flavors of the holiday season, they think of pumpkin and peppermint & chocolate. But for me it is all about the chai spices... and the apples! We go apple picking as a family every single fall, and I go to work over that next week or so making apple butter, baking a pie or two, and trying my hand at a few new apple inspired recipes as well.  

This recipe for Whole Wheat Apple-Walnut Chai Bread is definitely an exception to my usual holiday (ahem... indulgent) baking. My inspiration for creating this holiday perfect quick bread that you can also feel good about indulging in? The sack of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour that I received in the mail. :) Bob's Red Mill wheat flour is stone ground from organic hard red wheat, leaving all of the nutritious bran and germ still intact. All of the wholesome goodness is retained in the process of grinding the flour.  And when I read that their whole wheat flour was ideal for bread baking, I knew that I just had try my hand at making a bread with it.  

Keeping with Bob's Red Mill's practice of keeping all of the good stuff in their products, I decided to add in a lot of the good stuff in my bread recipe as well- coconut oil, almond milk, organic apples, walnuts, and of course the menagerie of spices that give chai spice it's kick and holiday toastiness...

Pumpkin Chai Hot Buttered Rum

The classic hot buttered rum mix gets a delicious holiday makeover with the addition of pumpkin and chai spices...

If you ask me, snowy holiday evenings are meant for curling up under a cuddly blanket with a mug of something warm and tasty in your hands while watching the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree.

One of my favorite winter time drinks is a nice hot buttered rum.  Butter, brown sugar, a few spices... add a shot of rum and hot water and voila! The perfect way to warm up on a chilly evening...

25 Perfectly Chai Spiced Recipes

Sure there is pumpkin and apple and cinnamon and gingerbread... 

But when I think of fall flavors and scents, chai spices always come to mind.  Most of us have had a warm cup of chai tea or a creamy, frothy chai tea latte on a cool fall morning or evening...

But what about baking and cooking with chai spices?

Chai Tea Latte Martini

This creamy & cozy 3 ingredient Chai Tea Latte Martini will soon become your new go-to cocktail for fall...

One of my favorite fall treats is a creamy & cozy chai tea latte. I just love the blend of warm spices in chai tea. And chai spices also happen to pair perfectly with most of my favorite fall flavors like apple & pumpkin. 

Somehow I just discovered chai tea concentrate this fall. How I didn't know this existed before is beyond me! 

It is perfect for whipping up a quick & easy chai tea latte, for stirring into plain oatmeal, & for shaking up into fall inspired cocktails like this Chai Tea Latte Martini recipe I am sharing with you all today... ;)

Peanut Butter Chai Banana Baked Oatmeal

This easy to make Peanut Butter Chai Banana Baked Oatmeal with it's hearty oats, bananas, & chia seeds is the perfect grab & go breakfast for busy mornings...

When it comes to breakfast for myself and my family, I like making sure that we start our day with something healthy & filling that can take us right on through to lunch. And since we all have different start times to our days (my teenage son being up and at 'em well before the rest of us), I need breakfast recipes that will be easy to grab and ready to go no matter if we are eating breakfast at 6am or 9am. That is why I just love baked oatmeal! :) I can bake up a batch on a Sunday night, cut it into generous squares, and then slip each one into it's own ziploc baggie. Those hearty oatmeal squares become the perfect grab and go breakfast throughout the rest of the week. 

I have made different versions of baked oatmeal before (you all may remember my Almond Joy Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal & my Double Berry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal), but this moist & satisfying Peanut Butter Chai Banana Baked Oatmeal just may be our favorite one yet. Not only is this baked oatmeal packed with lots of the good stuff (think bananas, whole oats, chia seeds), but you just can't beat the flavor combo of creamy peanut butter with chai spices. Before baking up a pan of this family-pleasing baked oatmeal, be sure to click on over to get my recipe for DIY Chai Spice Mix and whip up a batch. It is perfect to use in this baked oatmeal recipe, and to have on hand to mix into oatmeal, sprinkle over toast, or stir into your hot chocolate or favorite hot tea... 

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Chai French Toast

This creamy Overnight Pumpkin Chai French Toast can be assembled the night before making it perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast & busy fall mornings...

Okay, so who doesn't love a recipe that you can throw together the night before, refrigerate, and then just simply pop in the oven when you first wake up, and 45 minutes later have a moist, delicious, decadent breakfast that is ready to be served?

I love overnight french toast casseroles.  I love pumpkin.  I love the spiciness of chai.  Oh, and I love, love, love coconut milk.  So I thought why not make an overnight french toast using all of my favorite fall flavors?

Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt Pancakes

 Enjoy all the deliciousness of a slice pumpkin pie for breakfast minus the guilt with these healthier Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt Pancakes...

When it comes to the flavors of fall, pumpkin is by far my favorite. Now, don't get me wrong. I also happen to love all the apple things & chai spiced goodies (especially when those chai spices happen to be paired with pumpkin ;) ), but pumpkin has always held a special place in my heart. 

While I do love a good pumpkin donut or ice cream, classic pumpkin pie has always been my favorite pumpkin treat. Nothing fancy- just a creamy pumpkin filling nestle inside a homemade pie crust topped with a dollop of whipped cream. 

I could probably eat a slice of pumpkin pie everyday during fall, but I don't think that my waistline would be very pleased with that choice. 

Luckily, I have come up with a way I can enjoy all the deliciousness of a slice pumpkin pie for breakfast, but still keep it on the healthier side with these Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt Pancakes...