Chai Spiced Cupcakes

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Chai spiced cupcakes. Back in fall with an overload of pumpkin, I tried my luck with a chai spiced baked good. Still all the fall and wintery vibes, but a happy change from all the pumpkin.

Chai is one of my favorite flavors. It’s so warm and cozy, absolutely perfect for these colder months. There’s lots of bold chai flavor in the cupcake and a hint in the frosting. The cupcakes are moist and very flavorful. And the frosting is super light and fluffy. I love the balance of the two.

One of the best parts of these cupcakes is that they are relatively healthy for cupcakes. I use a gluten-free all-purpose flour but you can use regular if it’s not a big deal for you. The recipe also calls for maple syrup and coconut sugar making the cupcake refined sugar free. I used butter too because I am not opposed to using some butter here and there but you can also use coconut oil if you prefer. I use individual spices of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves but if you have a premade chai spice mix, feel free to use that!

These cupcakes are:

• Fluffy and moist
• Gluten and refined sugar-free
• Rich with spice flavor
• Warm and festive

What do you need for these cupcakes?

• Maple syrup
• Coconut sugar – you can use regular sugar and sub out the coconut and maple, but I’d cut it down slightly because they will be a lot sweeter
• Nut or oat milk mixed with apple cider vinegar.  I like using oat milk because it’s so thick and creamy.  Almond is another favorite
• Melted butter – you can also use coconut oil
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour – I use gluten-free but you can use regular too
• Chai spices – cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves – I will say, if you don’t have one of these spices like cloves or cardamom, you won’t ruin the recipe.  I’m not saying skip these, but don’t run to the store if you don’t have them.

For the frosting:

• Butter or vegan butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Chai spice or cinnamon 

Looking for more sweet treats? Check out the recipes below.

Oatmeal cookies with pumpkin spice. I know this post was for an alternative to pumpkin spice, but these are another yummy treat for cold weather. Lots of warm spices in these ones.

S’mores cookies. Even though s’mores are reminiscent of summer, I think its fitting with a warm fire and hot drink like cocoa.

Tahini chocolate chip bars. The New Year is approaching and holiday baking will be sidelined so here’s a simple treat for when the sweet tooth kicks in. Not too sweet, good ingredients. Yum!