Whole Wheat Baked Chai Donuts + Homemade Iced Chai Lattes

This is a total Friday/end of the week celebration/weekend treat. I lightened the donuts up just a bit by using whole wheat pastry flour and coconut oil, and the chai lattes are sweetened with pure maple syrup. So, they’re not a complete sugar bomb, but definitely a treat.

I don’t know about you, but I love chai. I find myself craving it more as the chillier weather hits. It’s such a comforting, warm blend of spices. My mom however, is an avid chai tea drinker. Not the chai lattes you might be thinking of, but black chai tea. She’s been drinking it every day for as long as I can remember.


This is the first time I made a chai latte at home and I’m SO glad I did. It’s super easy and you can easily keep it in the fridge for use during the week. I love using it to make dirty chai’s. SO freaking good. Just brew an espresso shot, pour it over ice, and add some of the chilled chai latte mixture. To die for!

The donuts are so light. And perfectly spiced. You should totally dunk them in the latte too. AND top the latte with coconut whipped cream!

I don’t have donuts often. Maybe a few a year. These are such a good option to make if you don’t want to completely sabotage your diet and go into diabetic shock.

So my birthday was this week, and I had been wanting to try these donuts in downtown Baltimore forever. I finally got around to going and treated myself on my b-day! So so good. I got the s’mores doughnut, which was a yeasted, fried doughnut coated in chocolate icing, graham cracker crumbs, and a torched marshmallow.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I am a total yeasted, fried donut fan. Baked donuts are good, but fried + yeasted all the way.

But, these baked chai donuts are seriously amazing. They come close for me!
Make these your weekend brunch treat!

Print

Whole Wheat Baked Chai Donuts + Homemade Iced Chai Lattes

Course Donuts, Drinks

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 7 donuts, 2 lattes

Author Molly (Spices in My DNA)

Ingredients

• For the DONUTS:
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (not regular whole wheat flour..this is a finer version)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• For the chai spice SUGAR COATING:
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• For the CHAI LATTES:
• 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 1 tablespoon whole cardamom pods
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 chai tea bags
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• coconut whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Spray a standard size donut pan with nonstick spray or grease with coconut oil. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg and brown sugar. Next add the coconut oil, vanilla, and almond milk. Whisk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.

3. Fill the donut molds 3/4 the way full and bake for 10 minutes or until firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for a couple of minutes and invert onto a cooling rack. While cooling, make the sugar coating. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in a medium bowl.

4. Dip each donut in the butter, coating on all sides, then coat in the sugar mixture, shaking off any excess. Let cool the rest of the way on cooling rack or enjoy warm!
5. To make the chai lattes, bring the almond milk, cinnamon sticks, whole vanilla bean and seeds, cardamom pods, ginger, and maple syrup to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep until mixture is completely cool. Discard teabags once cooled. Pour over ice, top with coconut whipped cream, and a sprinkle of cardamom if desired!