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    Home » Breakfast & Brunch

    Vanilla Chai Spice Muffins

    Published: Jan 30, 2025 » Modified: Jan 30, 2025 by Haley » This post may contain affiliate links

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    These Vanilla Chai Spice Muffins with a simple glaze have such a delicious mixture of spices that are reminiscent of traditional chai spice. Baked with a simple crumble on top, then drizzled with a vanilla powdered sugar glaze.

    Close up of muffin with glaze drips.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients 
    • How to make vanilla chai spice muffins 
    • Tips and tricks 
    • Storage
    • FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients 

    Ingredients for vanilla chai spiced muffins.

    For the vanilla chai spice muffin batter:

    • All purpose flour: standard baking flour 
    • Granulated sugar: also known as white sugar 
    • Baking powder: leavening agent 
    • Spices: a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg make up a perfect chai flavor. 
    • Kosher salt: to bring out all the flavors and balance the sweetness.
    • Eggs: to bind and give moisture.
    • Oil: neutral oil or a mild olive oil is best to not impact the flavor too much. 
    • Whole milk: add more moisture.
    • Vanilla extract: additional depth of flavor. Vanilla bean paste can also be used. 

    For the crumb topping:

    • All purpose flour: standard baking flour. 
    • Light brown sugar: to sweeten the crumb.
    • Cinnamon: round out the warm spice flavors further. 
    • Butter: to bind the crumb mixture together. 
    • Kosher salt: to balance out the sweetness. 

    For the glaze: 

    Ingredients for the glaze.
    • Powdered sugar: also known as icing sugar is the base 
    • Whole milk: to thin the icing out just enough so you can drizzle it.
    • Vanilla extract: to flavor the icing. 

    How to make vanilla chai spice muffins 

    Wet ingredients combined in a bowl.

    1. Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, oil, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk well. 

    Finished vanilla chai spice muffins batter mixed together.

    2. Add dry ingredients. To the bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and all the spices. Whisk until just combined. 

    Crumb topping mixed together.

    3. Make the crumb topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and salt. Pinch the ingredients together with your fingers until everything is moistened by the butter and able to stick together. 

    Batter in muffin tins.

    4. Pour batter into tins. Prepare your muffin tin by spraying it with non stick cooking spray and lining each cup with muffin liners. Pour the muffin batter into each cup about ⅔ of the way full. 

    Muffins filled with crumb topping before baking.

    5. Top with crumb topping and bake. Top each with a good spoonful of the crumb topping. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes until cooked through. 

    Vanilla bean glaze.

    6. Make glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, whole milk, and salt until you get a smooth consistency. 

    Finished vanilla chai spiced muffins with glaze on top.

    7. Add the glaze. Once the muffins have cooled slightly, transfer them to a wire rack drizzle the glaze over top of each. 

    Tips and tricks 

    • To tell if the muffins are cooked through, insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center of one. If any batter comes out, it’s not ready. If just a few crumbs come out, it’s ready. 
    • If you can’t find any of the spices needed for chai spice, you can substitute pumpkin spice mix in a pinch. 
    • Don’t over mix your batter, it can lead to dense and tough muffins. 
    • Baking with room temperature ingredients is preferred because it helps ensure they mix together fully, but I don’t find that it’s crucial for things like muffins. 
    • If you want the most accurate result when baking, I recommend using a kitchen scale. 
    • ​Keep an oven thermometer in your oven to make sure it's at the temperature it says it is. 

    Storage

    • Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. 
    Baked vanilla chai spice muffins sliced in half.

    FAQs

    Why are sugars considered wet ingredients in baking? 

    Because they need to be mixed with the wet ingredients to properly dissolve and incorporate evenly into the batter.

    What is chai?

    Chai is a spiced tea that originated in India and is made with black tea, milk, and spices. More information on it here.

    Can I skip the crumble? 

    Sure! If you do, I’d recommend a light sprinkling of turbinado sugar (raw sugar) on top to give them a little crunch. 

    Can I use chai tea bags for this recipe?

    I haven’t tried it that way, I more emulate the spice flavor with ground spices. If you want to take it up a notch, you could steep some chai tea in the whole milk. However, I wouldn’t replace or remove the spices. 

    Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of muffin with glaze drips.

    Vanilla Chai Spice Muffins

    These Vanilla Chai Spice Muffins with a simple glaze have a delicious mixture of spices that are reminiscent of chai lattes. Baked with a simple crumble on top, then drizzled with a sweet glaze made of powdered sugar and a little vanilla. It's a fun way to spice up a classic vanilla muffin.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 muffins

    Ingredients

    For the muffin batter:

    • 2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder (8g)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (2.5g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 2 large eggs room temp
    • ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
    • ½ cup whole milk
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For the crumb topping:

    • ½ cup all purpose flour (60g)
    • ¼ cup light brown sugar (45g)
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter (56g)
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    For the glaze:

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 2 tablespoon whole milk
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350℉.
    • In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk well. 
    • To the bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and all the spices. Whisk until just combined. 
    • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and salt. Pinch the ingredients together with your fingers until everything is moistened by the butter and able to stick together. 
    • Prepare your muffin tin by spraying it with non stick cooking spray and lining each cup with muffin liners. Pour the muffin batter into each cup about ⅔ of the way full. 
    • Top each with a good spoonful of the crumb topping. 
    • Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden.
    • In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, whole milk, and salt until you get a smooth consistency. 
    • Once the muffins have cooled slightly, transfer them to a wire rack drizzle the glaze over top of each. 

    Video

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: muffin
    Author: Haley

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