Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu

This Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu infuses the classic Italian dessert with the comforting spices of masala chai to make one of our favorite vegan desserts of all time! Serve chilled with a generous dusting of cinnamon. All you need is 8 simple ingredients and a batch of our Homemade Vegan Ladyfingers!

The post Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu appeared first on Sweet Simple Vegan.

This Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu infuses the classic Italian dessert with the comforting spices of masala chai to make one of our favorite vegan desserts of all time! Serve chilled with a generous dusting of cinnamon. All you need is 8 simple ingredients and a batch of our Homemade Vegan Ladyfingers!

slice of vegan masala chai on a blue plate

A Vegan Twist on the Classic Italian Dessert

If you’ve ever had the joy of indulging in a classic Vegan Tiramisu recipe, you’re in for a treat! This Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu is made with the same soft and airy ladyfingers and rich cream mixture, but instead of dipping the biscuits in espresso or strong coffee, we’re dipping the ladyfingers in a homemade chai concentrate for an Indian-inspired twist! 

Plus, if you’ve ever made a traditional tiramisu, you’ll know it’s laden with animal products. Often made with heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, and several egg yolks, it’s certainly not vegan-friendly. 

But today, we’re going to teach you how to make an easy vegan swap for the mascarpone filling that’s just as lush, rich, and infused with the delicious masala chai concentrate. Trust us; everyone will go back for seconds of this no-bake vegan dessert! 

non-dairy milk, water, non-dairy heavy cream, ladyfingers, cinnamon, non-dairy cream cheese, sugar, black tea, ginger, masala chai

Ingredients You’ll Need 

For the Chai Concentrate:

  • Non-dairy milk: Acts as the creamy base of the chai concentrate and adds a natural creaminess. Any non-dairy milk of choice will work. Try oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or our Homemade Almond Milk
  • Sugar: Sweetens the chai concentrate while allowing the chai flavors to shine through. If you have it on hand, our Homemade Simple Syrup works well as a sweetener here, too!
  • Masala chai: Infuses the tiramisu with traditional chai flavors, like cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, star anise and cloves. If you are unable to find a masala chai spice blend in stores near you, try this Homemade Masala Chai Spice Mix.
  • Black tea: The traditional base of masala chai and creates a signature-tasting chai concentrate. We used 4 black tea bags, but feel free to brew loose-leaf tea if you have it! 
  • Fresh ginger: Adds warmth and spice that enhances the overall flavor of the chai concentrate. 

For Assembly:

  • Vegan cream mixture: This mixture consists of vegan cream cheese (to mimic the tanginess of mascarpone cheese), granulated sugar, and vegan heavy cream whipped together until thick and creamy. 
  • Vegan ladyfingers: We used 1 batch of our homemade vegan ladyfingers recipe, but if you happen to be able to buy vegan-friendly ladyfingers in stores, feel free to use them here! 
  • Cinnamon: Instead of dusting with the traditional cocoa, this masala chai tiramisu is generously dusted with cinnamon. This deepens the subtle warmth in the masala chai concentrate and enhances the flavor of the final dessert! 

Equipment Needed

How to Make Vegan Tiramisu

Prepare the Chai Concentrate

  1. Bring the chai concentrate to a boil. Add the water and non-dairy milk to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the remaining ingredients and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  2. Strain and let cool. Strain the chai concentrate into a shallow bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. If making ahead, place it in the fridge until it is ready to assemble. 

Prepare the Cream

  1. Cream the cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the softened vegan cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixture or stand mixer and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of the cooled chai concentrate and beat together until combined. Set aside.
  2. Whip the vegan heavy cream into stiff peaks. Add the vegan heavy cream to a separate large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. 
  3. Combine the cream cheese mixture and heavy cream. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low until combined. 

How to Assemble

  1. Dip the ladyfingers in chai concentrate. One by one, dip half of the ladyfingers into the chai concentrate, about 2 seconds on each side. You don’t want them to be soggy. Once dipped, place them in the bottom of an 11×7″ baking dish, taking care to cover the bottom in an even, single layer of cookies. You might have to cut some of the ladyfingers to make them fit well.
  2. Top with cream mixture. Spread half of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers using an offset spatula. 
  3. Repeat layers once more. Follow this same process, dipping the remaining ladyfingers and layering on top of the cream. Top with the remaining cream mixture and spread smooth, making the top as flat and level as possible. 
  4. Dust with cinnamon. Generously dust the top of the tiramisu with cinnamon. 
  5. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Clean up the edges of the baking dish with a damp towel, as needed, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight. Enjoy! 
slice of vegan masala chai on a blue plate

Serving Suggestions 

Masala chai tiramisu is best served chilled straight from the fridge. Traditional tiramisu is often paired with a small glass of espresso or coffee to enhance the rich coffee flavors in the dessert. 

This chai-inspired version can be enjoyed as is or served with a Homemade Vegan Chai or Vegan Chai Latte. It’s perfect for sharing for a special occasion or a vegan holiday feast! 

baking dish filled with masala chai tiramisu and two slices missing

Storage Instructions

Cover leftover tiramisu tightly with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 4 days. We have not tested freezing this tiramisu, but it may work. If you’d like to try it, we’d recommend layering the tiramisu through assembly step 4. Cover tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by foil, and freeze for 2-3 months. 

Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then dust generously with cinnamon and enjoy!

slice of vegan masala chai on a blue plate

 

More Vegan Dessert Recipes You May Enjoy!

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos! 

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slice of vegan masala chai on a blue plate

Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu Recipe


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  • Author: Sweet Simple Vegan
  • Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 Servings
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu infuses the classic Italian dessert with the comforting spices of masala chai to make one of our favorite vegan desserts of all time! Serve chilled with a generous dusting of cinnamon. All you need is 8 simple ingredients and a batch of our Homemade Vegan Ladyfingers!


Ingredients

Chai concentrate

  • 1 cup water 
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons masala chai
  • 1” piece of ginger
  • 4 black tea bags

Cream mixture

  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegan heavy cream

Assembly

Equipment


Instructions

Prepare the Chai Concentrate

  1. Bring the chai concentrate to a boil. Add the water and non-dairy milk to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the remaining ingredients and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  2. Strain and let cool. Strain the chai concentrate into a shallow bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. If making ahead, place it in the fridge until it is ready to assemble. 

Prepare the Cream

  1. Cream the cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the softened vegan cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixture or stand mixer, beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of the cooled chai concentrate and beat together until combined. Set aside.
  2. Whip the vegan heavy cream into stiff peaks. Add the vegan heavy cream to a separate large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. 
  3. Combine the cream cheese mixture and heavy cream. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low until combined. 

How to Assemble

  1. Dip the ladyfingers in chai concentrate. One by one, dip half of the ladyfingers into the chai concentrate, about 2 seconds on each side. You don’t want them to be soggy. Once dipped, place them in the bottom of an 11×7″ baking dish, taking care to cover the bottom in an even, single layer of cookies. You might have to cut some of the ladyfingers to make them fit well.
  2. Top with cream mixture. Using an offset spatula, spread half of the cream mixture evenly on top of the ladyfingers. 
  3. Repeat layers once more. Follow this same process, dipping the remaining ladyfingers and layering on top of the cream. Top with the remaining cream mixture and spread smooth, making the top as flat and level as possible. 
  4. Dust with cinnamon. Generously dust the top of the tiramisu with cinnamon. 
  5. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Clean up the edges of the baking dish with a damp towel, as needed, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  6. Serve. Once chilled, slice and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Storage: Cover leftover tiramisu tightly with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing: We have not tested freezing this tiramisu, but it may work. If you’d like to try it, we’d recommend layering the tiramisu through assembly step 4. Cover tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by foil, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then dust generously with cinnamon and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 8 Hours 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 Minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Cuisine: Italian

The post Vegan Masala Chai Tiramisu appeared first on Sweet Simple Vegan.

Dirty Chai Latte

Here’s how to make a Dirty Chai Latte: this espresso drink has the best warm-spiced flavor and frothy foam top.…

Here’s how to make a Dirty Chai Latte: this espresso drink has the best warm-spiced flavor and frothy foam top. As two home barista experts, this is one of our favorite coffee drinks to whip up (or order).

Dirty chai latte in glass.

What’s one of our favorite coffee drinks for a splurge? A Dirty Chai Latte! Adding a shot of espresso to masala chai gives it a jolt of caffeine. Even better, the bitterness of coffee is just right for rounding out the subtle creamy sweetness.

Usually Alex and I order black coffee at coffee shops, but every now and then we’ll go crazy and order a dirty chai latte. Here’s our spin on this coffee house special—it’s just sweet enough, and spiced gently with a special blend of chai spices!

What’s a dirty chai latte?

A chai latte takes traditional masala chai, a milky spiced tea from India, and combines it with frothy steamed milk of a cafe latte. The “dirty” version of it adds a shot of espresso. The story goes that the ditry chai latte was accidentally invented in England in the 1990’s, when a barista making a chai latte for an American added a shot of espresso by mistake. He loved it, and kept ordering it everywhere he traveled.

Other names for a dirty chai latte you might see in other coffee shops? Terms you might hear for this drink around the world are Java chai, red eye chai, or chai charger.

How to make a dirty chai latte

How to make a dirty chai latte: basic steps

Making a dirty chai latte involves three basic steps (or skip to the recipe below). Here’s the main outline of you’ll need to do to make this tea latte:

  • Make the espresso. Use your favorite method! Use an espresso maker or simply make strong coffee (we used our Aeropress).
  • Make the masala chai. Next you’ll make the masala chai, or spiced milk tea. Our method takes only a few minutes using a homemade spice blend.
  • Froth the milk. The last step is frothing the milk! See below for tips.

Making the masala chai

The word chai translates to “tea” in Hindi, so saying chai tea is technically like saying “tea tea.” The more correct term for the Indian tea blend is masala chai. The word masala refers to a blend of spices used in cooking. Just like the word curry, a Westernized reduction of a complex blend of Indian spices, the American concept of chai can oversimplify and appropriate a rich Indian cultural tradition.

Masala chai spices can include many different ingredients based on the cook, just like curry powder. This Homemade Chai Spice mix uses common masala chai spices, but note there are many more used regionally in Indian blends. Many traditional Indian recipes use whole spices, other use spices ground in a mortar and pestle. This recipe uses ground spices to make it quick and easy (plus, you can use them for other uses like baked goods). Here are the ground spices you’ll need:

  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Cardamom
  • Black pepper
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Fennel seed (optional)

To make the masala chai, simply simmer the spices with water and black tea. In this recipe, you won’t add the milk yet because you’ll need to froth it to make the “latte” portion of this drink.

Chai spices

How to froth milk for a dirty chai latte

The most important part of a dirty chai latte: frothing the milk! This is the place where you’ll need a bit of technique. If it’s your first time frothing, we highly recommend reading How to Froth Milk before you start. Here are a few tips on how to get the perfect foam on a dirty chai latte:

  • The best milk for a chai latte? Use 2% milk (our favorite), or whole milk if you like a richer latte. Don’t use skim milk, as it doesn’t foam enough.
  • Heat the milk to 150 degrees (scalding). The exact temperature is important to get the right frothy foam. Use a food thermometer if you have one. Or, simply heat the milk until it’s hot to the touch with some small bubbles starting to form on the outside, but it’s not yet simmering.
  • Use a French press, hand frother, or whisk. We used our French press and it worked great. You can also use a hand frother or simply vigorously whisk the milk. For the French press, pump 100 times or 1 minute: this should result in beautiful, creamy and frothy foam!
Dirty chai latte

Vegan variation

Want to make a vegan dirty chai latte? No problem! Our favorite way to make a vegan latte is with oat milk. It froths up with a beautiful foam, almost like a dairy milk! It also has a nice creamy neutral flavor. While the foam isn’t quite as thick as dairy milk, it’s still quite good. Head to our Vegan Chai Latte recipe, then add 4 ounces of espresso.

Another variation? Add a shot of espresso to make a dirty Iced Chai Latte!

Serving your dirty chai latte

And that’s it! Make your masala chai, add the espresso, and top it off with frothed milk! It’s nice to serve it in a clear glass so you can see the lovely separation of the foam, but a mug works too. We like to add a sprinkle of chai spices on top as a finishing touch.

*Want to make dirty chai lattes throughout the week? Make a big batch of the spiced tea and refrigerate. When you’re craving a latte, warm up ¾ cup of the tea, add espresso and froth the ½ cup milk.

Dirty chai latte

Dietary notes

This dirty chai latte recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, go to Vegan Chai Latte.

Frequently asked questions

How does a dirty chai latte taste?

The flavor of a dirty chai latte is complex and layered. You’ll experience the warmth of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves, balanced by the sweetness of milk and the richness of espresso.

How much caffeine is in a dirty chai latte?

A dirty chai latte typically contains around 140-200 mg of caffeine. This amount comes from two sources:

Black tea: A chai latte typically contains black tea, which can have anywhere from 14-70 mg of caffeine per bag.

Espresso: A single shot of espresso usually has around 64 mg of caffeine.

Can I customize my dirty chai latte?

Definitely! You can customize your dirty chai latte to suit your taste preferences. You can adjust the amount of espresso, use different types of milk, add extra spices, or experiment with sweeteners like honey syrup or maple syrup. You can even try iced or blended versions for a refreshing twist.

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Dirty chai latte

Perfect Dirty Chai Latte


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5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 large or 2 small
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Description

Here’s how to make a Dirty Chai Latte at home! This espresso drink has the best warm-spiced flavor and frothy foam top.


Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Homemade Chai Spices
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 bag black tea (or 1 teaspoon loose leaf black tea in a tea strainer)
  • 4 ounces espresso or strong coffee, made using your favorite method
  • ½ cup fresh 2% milk (or whole milk)*
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or simple syrup)

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, whisk together chai spices, water and tea bag and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove it from the heat and allow it to rest for 1 minute.
  2. Meanwhile, make the espresso in an espresso maker (or the Aeropress). Add the espresso to one large or two small mugs.
  3. After the 1 minute rest, strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer** into the mug(s).
  4. Rinse the saucepan. Add the milk and maple syrup. Heat the milk to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (measure using a thermometer): this is hot with some small bubbles forming around the outside, but not simmering. The exact temperature is helpful for getting the perfect foam (if you don’t have a thermometer you can approximate).
  5. Use hand frother, whisk, or French press to foam the milk. (The French press is a favorite method: Add the scalding milk to the French press and pump vigorously until frothy, about 100 times for 2% milk or approximately 1 minute; use 50 times for whole milk.) Rest the foam for about 30 seconds, which allows it to set. Go to How to Froth Milk if it’s your first time frothing.
  6. Pour the milk and foam evenly between the mug(s). Sprinkle with additional chai spices and serve.

Notes

*Fresh milk is best for getting a nice frothy foam. You may find that a container of milk that has been open for several days will no longer froth. For vegan, make our Vegan Chai Latte using oat milk and add 4 ounces espresso.

**You can skip straining if desired: the spices will settle to the bottom of the drink.

  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

More coffee drinks

We’re coffee fiends over here! If you are too, here are some of our favorite espresso drinks and coffee recipes:

  • Americano This popular coffee drink smooths the bitterness of espresso with hot water.
  • Mocha Rich and chocolaty, with just the right topping of fluffy milk foam.
  • Cappuccino, Flat White, and Latte Creamy with just the right touch of foamed milk and bitter espresso.
  • Iced Latte This iced drink is creamy, icy and refreshing!
  • Amaretto Coffee Add a swig of booze to your coffee! This spiked hot drink is part cocktail, part dessert: and you won’t be able to stop sipping it.
  • Espresso Martini A modern classic cocktail made with coffee, Kahlua, and vodka!
  • Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee A refreshing way to feed your pumpkin spice addiction.
  • Cold Brew Coffee Easy to make in just a few minutes of hands on time: then just wait overnight!