I have to tell you about these fluffy baked vanilla chai doughnuts. They’re everything you want in a doughnut, but without the deep frying! The crumb is super tender and cakey, and the flavour just hits all the right notes with those delicious chai spices. Honestly, making them at home is way easier than you’d think, especially since they just bake up in a doughnut pan.
I really wanted to nail that classic chai flavour, so I played around a lot with the spice blend. We’ve got cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and I made sure to add some cardamom and a little black pepper to really give it that authentic flavour you get from a good chai latte.
The buttermilk in the batter is also major for the texture, making these doughnuts so light and moist. And the simple vanilla chai glaze on top pulls everything together and adds a touch of sweetness that balances out the spices perfectly. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can whip up a batch of these easy no-fry chai donuts.
What Makes These the Best Fluffy Baked Vanilla Chai Doughnuts?
I really focused on getting that soft, tender texture and a real chai flavour. The secret to the texture is a combination of buttermilk and a little extra egg yolk in the batter, which makes them incredibly moist and gives them a fine crumb.
For the flavour, I leaned into the spices. There’s a generous amount of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and a subtle hint of black pepper. This blend ensures the chai flavour is bright and pronounced.
And the glaze, oh the glaze! It’s a simple vanilla chai glaze, but I added a tiny pinch of salt to it. It really makes the other spices pop and balances the sweetness.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cardamom
- Ground cloves
- Black pepper
- Large eggs
- Buttermilk
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Dark chocolate (optional)
*These are the main ingredients. The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found at the bottom of this post!*
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (I like to weigh out most of my ingredients for accuracy, I also think it’s more efficient when measuring things out over measuring cups!)
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Doughnut pans (2, standard 6-cavity)
- Piping bag (or large zip-top bag)
- Large baking sheet
- Wire cooling rack
Tips for Making Fluffy Baked Vanilla Chai Doughnuts
Don’t overmix the batter – When you combine the wet and dry ingredients for these donuts, stop stirring as soon as there are no visible streaks of flour. A few small lumps are totally fine! Overmixing develops gluten, which can make your doughnuts tough instead of light and fluffy.
Piping bag alternatives – If you don’t have a piping bag, a large zip-top bag works just as well. Just snip off one of the bottom corners, making sure the opening is wide enough for the thick batter to pass through easily. This makes filling the doughnut cavities so much cleaner.
Glaze consistency is key – You want the glaze to be thick enough to coat the doughnuts nicely but still thin enough to drip a little. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more milk, a quarter teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, stir in a little more powdered sugar until it’s just right.
Cool completely before glazing – Seriously, don’t rush this step. If your doughnuts are still warm, the glaze will melt right off instead of setting into that lovely, smooth coating. Let them get to room temperature on a wire rack.
Why These Spiced Baked Doughnuts Work So Well
Adding an extra egg yolk to the batter, alongside the whole eggs, boosts the fat content and brings in more lecithin. This emulsifier helps create a really fine, velvety crumb that keeps the doughnuts tender and stops them from drying out.
The acidity in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to give these doughnuts a fantastic lift and a light, airy texture. This chemical reaction creates tiny gas bubbles, making the doughnuts fluffy without needing yeast. It’s a simple trick that makes a big difference!
In dessert recipes, salt is a flavour enhancer. It helps to balance the sweetness of the powdered sugar and actually makes the chai spices taste even brighter and more complex, without making the glaze taste salty at all.
Variations and Substitutions
Make it dairy-free – For a dairy-free version, swap the buttermilk for a homemade version (1/2 cup dairy-free milk + 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes). Use plant-based butter and milk for the glaze.
Spice it up – If you’re a big fan of a particular chai spice, feel free to slightly increase it. A little extra ginger or cardamom if you’d like!
Glaze options – While the vanilla chai glaze is the star, don’t forget the chocolate glaze! You could also do a simple powdered sugar glaze with just milk and vanilla, or even a plain cinnamon sugar coating by dipping warm doughnuts in melted butter then rolling in cinnamon sugar (I’m drooling).
And that’s it! I hope you love making these fluffy baked vanilla chai doughnuts! If you whip up a batch, I’d seriously love to see them. Make sure to tag @theflournook on Instagram and leave a review below to let me know what you thought. You can also save this recipe for later by pinning it using the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below the post, or any of the photos.
Happy baking!
For more easy dessert recipes, check out these:
Baked Vanilla Chai Donuts
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 donuts 1x
Description
Fluffy baked vanilla chai doughnuts with buttermilk and warm chai spices, topped with a sweet vanilla chai glaze. These easy no-fry chai spiced donuts are a quick bake, tender and flavourful.
Ingredients
Donut
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp (3 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) salt
- 1.5 tsp (4.5 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp (0.75 g) ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp (0.3 g) ground black pepper
- 2 (100 g) large eggs
- 1 (18 g) large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter (melted)
- 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) vanilla extract
Vanilla Chai Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 tsp (2.25 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.75 g) ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp (0.75 g) ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp (0.3 g) ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) milk
Chocolate Glaze (Optional)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease two donut pans.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, melted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb. The batter will be thick.
- Scoop the batter onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form it into a log. Fold the top and bottom of the wrap around the batter horizontally so that it is covered. Grab both ends of the wrap firmly and spin the log of batter in a circular motion to tighten the ends. Cut one end of the log just before the batter and slide the log into a piping bag.
- Cut the tip of the piping bag roughly 3/4 the thickness of the donut shape in the pan. Pipe the batter into the greased donut pan, filling each cavity about 75% full. Use a lightly oiled spoon or spatula to evenly distribute the donut batter.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donuts comes out clean.
- Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes upside down on a cooling rack. Use a toothpick to gently remove the donuts from the pan.
- For the Vanilla Chai Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Adjust the consistency with more milk or powdered sugar as needed.
- For the Chocolate Glaze: In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the dark chocolate and butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip each cooled donut into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off.
- Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Don’t overmix! This is the golden rule for tender baked goods. Stir the batter only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated; a few lumps are totally fine. Overmixing develops gluten, leading to tough doughnuts.
No piping bag? No problem! A large zip-top bag with one corner snipped off works perfectly. Just make sure the opening is wide enough for the thick batter.
The ideal glaze consistency is thick enough to coat the doughnut but thin enough to drip a little. If it’s too thick, add a tiny splash more milk; too thin, stir in a bit more powdered sugar.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Donuts
- Method: Baking
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