Pumpkin Chai Tea Loaf ~ If you love all things pumpkin and enjoy the flavor of chai tea, here’s a great item to bake during the fall months.
Pumpkin Chai Tea Loaf
NOTE: This recipe is from a previous contributor and has been fully updated 8/2019. Enjoy, this one has some great flavor!
A few weeks back a colleague and I were discussing the fall treats of Pumpkin This and Pumpkin That when the conversation turned to autumn-inspired drinks. While I love the veritable fan favorite of the PSL, I actually enjoy a chai tea latte juuuust a little bit more.When I think of the flavors in chai tea they go so well with the spirit of the season. It can hold its own next to the almighty pumpkin, but it is a flavor often overlooked in the midst of orange gourd mania.
After I told my colleague of my love for chai tea, she mentioned how the barista at her favorite java shop offered her a pumpkin chai tea latte a few weeks ago; she had nothing but raves over this hybrid fall concoction, which triggered the little light bulb in my head. “How about a Pumpkin Chai Tea Loaf to enjoy that flavor in non-beverage form?”
For those unfamiliar with chai seasoning, cardamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg are the spices that give it its unmistakable flavor and aroma. Since most of the spices in chai tea are the same complementary flavors used to enhance pumpkin, the marriage of these two dynamic tastes works exceptionally well.
Being the lover of chai tea that I am, I already had the loose version on hand (see picture above). Nothing was going to slow down my baking experiment.
Since I was using real tea and not just spices, I needed to grind the tea down to a smoother consistency. No one wants to be picking tea out of their teeth, so definitely don’t skip this step.
(See note below. When I remade this recipe I did not grind my chai tea).
HELPFUL HINT: My coffee grinder was perfect for this purpose and ground everything down to a consistent, powdery texture. I also love baked items spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger so I added those three separately in addition to what was included in the tea.
The chai tea that I had was not loose, it was bagged and not as large as the picture above depicts. I skipped this step of grinding the tea when I remade this recipe. If you prefer, grind the tea.
This was just to make sure I tasted those over the other flavorings. I’m not a huge fan of cloves (not even with ham), so I didn’t add any more than what was used in the tea.
Feel free to use more cloves or to use more of the other complementary spices if you prefer. My combination of spices is how I personalized it but be creative, make it your own creation!
The aroma, while these loaves were baking, was incredible. It was the perfect fusion of my beloved tea and pumpkin; familiar but different.
Even my girls thought this loaf was fantastic – to the point that I had to hide it from them! In fact, the next time I prepare this recipe, I’m making two loaves.
I brought a slice to my colleague who was my original inspiration for this recipe and she raved as well. With such positive feedback and the ease of this recipe, I’m eager to make more Pumpkin Chai Tea Loaf before all things pumpkin goes, “POOF!” just like Cinderella’s carriage.
Other great recipes to try:
Pumpkin Chai Tea Loaf
Pumpkin Chai Tea Loaf ~ If you love all things pumpkin and enjoy your chai tea latte, here's a great marriage of flavors sure to please those fall cravings!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon loose chai tea
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-1/4 cups pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1/2 cup oil vegetable
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º F and grease (or line with parchment) a standard loaf pan or two mini loaf pans.
(SEE NOTES) Combine loose chai tea, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a grinder (I used my coffee grinder). Grind spices until smooth, when larger pieces of spices and tea are no longer visible.
In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice mixture; set aside.
In a large bowl, gently beat pumpkin, oil, eggs, sugars, and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients to wet. Stir just until combined (do not overmix) and transfer to prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
As noted above, I chose not to grind the chai tea for this recipe as mine was not as large as the original poster. This is a matter of preference.
Find this recipe and more at the Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday!
This is so so good!!!! I won’t make it in mini loaf pans again though. The pans overflowed quite a bit.