These soft, fluffy and warmly spiced Chai Pancakes are a cozy breakfast recipe that brings your favourite tea latte flavours to your morning stack. Don’t forget to serve them with pure maple syrup!
What are Chai Pancakes?
Chai Pancakes are a spiced twist on classic pancakes. These tea infused pancakes are made by blending the warm flavours of chai spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves right into the batter. Instead of using just milk or water, homemade chai concentrate is added to give each bite that delicious tea flavour.
If you haven’t made my chai concentrate yet, check out this recipe here. It’s easy to make and the not-so-secret ingredient for these pancakes!
Why You’ll Love These Pancakes
- Cozy and aromatic: Every bite is full of warmth like a chai latte.
- Easy to make: No special equipment needed.
- Delicious brunch option: Something unique yet familiar for family and guests.
- A great way to use your chai concentrate: Adds real tea flavour instead of just spices.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: All-purpose flour creates a soft, fluffy texture.
- Baking Powder: This helps the pancakes to rise.
- Sugar: Granulated for just a bit of sweetness.
- Salt: To enhance the flavours.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves, however, you can use other ground spices, too!
- Egg: Binds everything.
- Chai Concentrate: This infuses the pancakes with deep chai flavour. Use homemade chai concentrate for best results (store-bought works, too).
- Milk: Dairy or dairy-free.
- Oil: A neutral oil is important to not overpower the chai flavour. I use vegetable oil.
How to Make Chai Pancakes
Ingredient measurements and full directions are in the printable recipe card below.
Mix dry ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift the flour and add baking powder, sugar, salt and ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
Combine wet ingredients: Add the egg, chai concentrate, milk and oil in the well of the dry mixture. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until moistened and there are no visible flour streaks.
The batter should still be a bit lumpy. It should also be pourable but thick, not runny. If you need to adjust the consistency, add a small amount of flour if it’s too thin or a small amount of chai concentrate if it’s too thick.
Cook the tea pancakes: Pour about ¼ cup of the tea pancake batter onto a hot, lightly greased frying pan or skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Once you notice bubbles on the surface of the pancake, gently turn it over to cook on the other side.
Serve warm: Stack the chai pancakes and top with maple syrup, whipped cream (maybe even chai infused whipped cream) and sprinkle of cinnamon or other toppings. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Adjust sweetness: I typically use a pre-sweetened chai concentrate. If you want to use less sugar in your pancakes, opt for chai concentrate that is not sweetened.
- Don’t overmix: Pancake batter should still be lumpy, not extremely smooth. Stir just until there are no visible streaks of flour.
- Add-ins: Try chocolate chips, chopped nuts or sliced fruit like bananas or apples for a cozy fall twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use store-bought chai concentrate?
Yes, store-bought chai concentrate can be used instead of homemade. Just be sure to check if it is sweetened so you can adjust the sugar.
Can I make the batter ahead of time?
You can mix the dry ingredients the night before. But, I recommend adding the wet ingredients in the morning for fresh pancakes.
Can I add more spice?
Definitely! Feel free to add an extra pinch of cinnamon, cardamom or other chai spices to the dry ingredients if you desire more.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Store leftover chai pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a toaster or oven.
More Tea-Inspired Breakfast Recipes
If you loved these Chai Pancakes, try:
Chai Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large egg beaten
- ¾ cup chai concentrate
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift the flour and add baking powder, sugar, salt and ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
- Add the egg, chai concentrate, milk and oil in the well of the dry mixture. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until moistened and there are no visible flour streaks. The batter should still be a bit lumpy. Also, it should be pourable but thick, not runny. If you need to adjust the consistency, add a small amount of flour if it's too thin or a small amount of chai concentrate if it's too thick.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of the tea pancake batter onto a hot, lightly greased frying pan or skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Once you notice bubbles on the surface of the pancake, gently turn it over to cook on the other side.
- Stack the chai pancakes and top with maple syrup, whipped cream and sprinkle of cinnamon or other toppings. Enjoy!
This was a fun way to use my chai concentrate! I added fresh spices to the batter too, really good.