TL/DR – Chai tea bags steeped in milk, lots of orange zest, warm spices and coconut sugar make this whole wheat muffin a great way to start a cool fall morning. –
Orange zest marries perfectly with the flavors of black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index, which is great. Even greater is the dark, molasses flavor that it has in contrast to white sugar. These muffins are comforting and cozy, even if it happens to be late July.
Start by making sure that the butter is very soft, almost melty but not melted. To do this, leave it on a plate on the indirect heat of the stove as the oven heats or very carefully microwave it for 3 seconds at a time while rotating it every 3 seconds. Next, steep chai teabags in 2% or whole milk over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.
Whisk the soft butter well, then add an egg and whisk it again.
Follow the egg with coconut sugar and vanilla extract and whisk the mixture until it is well incorporated. Once the chai milk has cooled, add this to the mixture along with the zest of 4 oranges, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves.
Fold in white whole wheat flour and stir it until it is just incorporated.
Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Bake at 350 F for about 19 minutes and enjoy once they are cool enough to eat.
For more blissful breakfast baked goods, try Lemony Zucchini Bread, Cinnamon Quick Bread, or Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.
Orange Chai Gingerbread Muffins
Chai tea bags steeped in milk, lots of orange zest, warm spices and coconut sugar make this whole wheat muffin a great way to start a cool fall morning.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c 2 percent or whole milk
- 4 or 5 chai teabags
- 1/2 c butter, very soft
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 c coconut sugar
- 1 t vanilla extract
- Zest of 4 oranges, about 2 1/2 T
- 1 t baking soda
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t ground ginger
- 1/4 t ground cardamom
- 1/8 t ground cloves
- 1 1/2 c white whole wheat flour
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat an oven to 350 F.
- Step 2 Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the chai teabags. Steep the chai over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove it from the stove, remove the teabags and pour the milk back into the measuring cup and set it aside to cool. Placing it in the freezer or the refrigerator will help to speed the cooling.
- Step 3 Make sure that the butter is very soft, but not melted. Whisk the butter in a large bowl until it is creamy.
- Step 4 Add the egg and whisk it again until it is well incorporated.
- Step 5 Add the coconut sugar and vanilla and whisk well.
- Step 6 Add the warm chai milk, orange zest, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves and whisk well.
- Step 7 Fold in the flour and stir it gently until it is just incorporated and there are no more white lumps.
- Step 8 Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by spraying with nonstick spray or adding paper muffin holders. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way.
- Step 9 Bake the muffins at 350 F for about 19 to 21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Step 10 Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool 10 minutes in the tin, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, these muffins can be frozen and reheated in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
