Soft and fluffy and infused with warming spices, these Baked Chai Donuts will not last long once out of the oven. They require just one bowl and 30 minutes to make from start to finish, making them a special breakfast you can whip up any day of the week!
Is there anyone out there who doesn't like chai? I find chai so comforting and warming, no matter what form it's in. Almost every morning lately I've been starting my day with a hot cup of Pukka Vanilla Chai and a splash of almond milk. I also love using whole spices to brew my own chai, but today we're not drinking chai but instead using all the amazing spices found in chai and infusing them into baked donuts.
YUM!
I did this same thing with my vegan pumpkin donuts recipe and it was amazing.
Chai meaning
In case you aren't familiar with chai, it's the the Hindi word for tea, which was actually derived from the Chinese word for tea: cha! Many languages also use a variation of this word to mean tea. Chai originated in India and is a drink made with black tea, spices and usually milk and sugar.
Spices used in chai
There are numerous variations of chai, but a few of the most common spices found in chai are green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, stare anise, black peppercorn and even fresh ginger. Like I share in my Dairy Free Indian Chai recipe, I love to make my own chai concentrate by adding these spices to a pot of water and allowing them to simmer for a long time until the water has reduced and is fragrant. Then I just chill the chai concentrate in the fridge and add non-dairy milk and sweetener to it when I heat up a portion on the stove.
For these baked chai donuts, we'll simply be using ground spices to flavor the batter. The donuts are incredibly easy to make, requiring just one bowl and a handful of ingredients. If you give these chia donuts a try, please leave your comments down below. If you like the recipe, leave a 5 star rating and share this post with others!
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📖 Recipe
Baked Chai Donuts (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour I love Bob's Red Mills Gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- ½ cup apple sauce
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
Optional Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F and spray a donut pan with cooking spray. This recipe makes 6 baked donuts.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, from the flour to the nutmeg.
- Add in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Spoon or pipe the batter evenly into your greased donut circles, smoothing out the top of the batter.
- Bake the donuts for 15-17 minutes or until slightly golden brown and toothpick inserted into one of the donuts comes out clean.
- Allow the donuts to cool for a few minutes in the pan before carefully removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- If desired, in a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and non-dairy milk (adding the milk in 1 teaspoon increments until the glaze is the consistency you want) for a simple sugar glaze. Dip the donuts in the glaze or drizzle the glaze on top.
- Serve and enjoy!
- These donuts taste best the day they are baked, but you can store them (preferably unglazed) in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.
Mike says
Thank you for this quick and delicious recipe of baked chai doughnuts, when these buns are filled with chai they taste delicious and the sweet and spices infused together.
Faith VanderMolen says
I'm glad you enjoyed them Mike!