There is something about chai spices that instantly makes a kitchen feel warmer. Maybe it’s the way cardamom and cinnamon hit the air, or maybe it’s the nostalgia tied to that familiar cup of milky, spiced tea. Whatever it is, those same flavours that make chai so comforting in a mug can bring remarkable depth to baking. It’s not a new idea; most of us grew up eating sweets subtly flavoured with spices, but using a proper chai blend in desserts feels like rediscovering something you’ve always known.
Chai spices have been part of South Asian kitchens for thousands of years. Long before the modern cup of masala chai appeared, these warming spices were used in Ayurvedic cooking for their soothing, digestive benefits. The familiar blend we now associate with chai: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, became widely popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, when tea cultivation in India transformed the spice mixture into the milky, aromatic drink enjoyed across the country.
Today, those same spices are not limited to tea. Their natural warmth and balance make them an easy extension into baking, where they add depth, comfort, and a flavour profile that feels instantly recognisable.
A lot of desserts lean heavily on sweetness, which is why warm spices work as such a good counterbalance. Chai spices bring depth, not overwhelming heat, just a gentle warmth that makes a dessert feel more rounded. Cardamom adds brightness, cinnamon brings sweetness without sugar, ginger gives a little kick, and cloves add a grounding earthiness. All of them together make flavours feel fuller.
When you add these spices into cakes, biscuits, puddings, frostings or even cold desserts, they don’t overpower. Instead, they settle into the background and make everything taste a bit more intentional. A vanilla cake becomes a cosy afternoon cake. A plain custard becomes something with character. Even chocolate tastes more grown-up with chai spices behind it.
This is why a controlled, balanced form like Holy Lama Spice Drops® works so well. You don’t accidentally add too much cardamom or too little cinnamon. The blend is already created to taste like proper chai.
If you bake often, you’ve probably experienced that moment where you add too much of one spice, and suddenly the entire recipe tastes off. Powdered spices are great, but they’re unpredictable. Some batches are stronger, some are stale, some sink to the bottom.
Holy Lama Chai Spices Spice Drops® are especially handy for such situations. Instead of buying individual spices, grinding them, adjusting proportions or worrying about uneven flavour, these drops let you add exactly the amount you want without changing the texture of your batter or dough. They blend smoothly because they’re both water soluble and fat soluble, and they’re made with plant based emulsifiers.
In addition, the formulation is alcohol free, vegan, sugar-free, nut-free, GMO-free and gluten-free, making it suitable for a wide range of dietary requirements. The product also offers a shelf life of up to three years from the date of manufacture. Given these, it is no surprise that they won the World Food Innovation Award in 2015 for Best New Ingredient.
Chai spices are magical, but like anything, they need balance. A dessert shouldn’t taste like a cup of tea, unless that’s exactly what you want. A good rule: start with 2–4 drops of Chai Spices for most recipes. Mix, taste, and adjust. Because the flavour is concentrated, tiny amounts go a long way.
Cold desserts usually need slightly more because the chill dulls the taste. Warm desserts need less because heat enhances aroma. Once you get used to it, you’ll find your own sweet spot.
Enjoy the warm, fragrant charm of Chai Spiced Biscuits, buttery, golden, and infused with classic chai notes for the perfect cosy treat.
Makes approximately 24 biscuits depending on the size of cutter
125g butter, room temperature
65g caster sugar
180g plain flour
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160°C/ gas mark 3.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the Chai Spices drops.
Sift in the flour and roughly combine. Using your hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 10 minutes. This helps easy rolling.
Remove from the fridge, roll out on a floured surface to around 3-5mm in thickness.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out your biscuit shapes. Place on a greased and lined baking sheet.
Bake for around 12-14 minutes.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: Don't let your biscuits brown too much (a little golden tinge around the edges is fine). If you find they're over-browning, turn your oven down and bake on the bottom rack for a little while longer.
Chai spices aren’t just flavourful; traditionally, they’ve been used for digestive and warming purposes. According to Ayurvedic principles, chai spices pacify vata and kapha and stimulate digestion. They are believed to act on rasa and rakta dhathuand are often used for indigestion, flatulence, cold, cough and fever. Of course, moderation is important because consuming large doses can cause a burning sensation. But when used sparingly, especially in desserts, they add flavour and support the body at the same time.
Using chai spices in baking isn’t about being fancy. It’s more about finding ways to make familiar desserts taste a little more interesting. A few drops of Holy Lama Chai Spices Spice Drops® let you experiment without effort. You’re not changing recipes drastically; you’re just enhancing them.
What’s nice is that the flavour feels like home, warm, comforting and instantly recognisable. Whether you bake every week or only occasionally, chai spices have a way of making something simple feel a little more special.
For retailers and business owners, Holy Lama Spice Drops also offers bulk order options for its award winning Spice Drops® range.
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