Chai Pudding Recipe

A creamy chocolate chai pudding recipe made with almond milk, cocoa powder, and spiced chai tea, plus a dollop of chai whipped cream (and plenty of candied ginger!) on top.

Why Make This Chai Pudding Recipe?

Comprised of black tea, milk, spices (such as cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper) and sweetener, chai is an Indian beverage which has grown in popularity around the world. In the US and UK, for instance, you’ll find chai and chai-inspired drinks on the menu at coffee shops, and instant beverage mixes for sale at grocery stores.

Chocolate and chai make a particularly winning combination, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.  You can buy chocolate chai latte mix, chocolate chai loose tea, chocolate chai cocoa, and even chai-infused dark chocolate. In fact, I love this flavor combo so much that I started using it in my own recipes, like my chocolate chai truffles, and this chocolate chai pudding.

Like my truffles, this pudding recipe infuses real tea into liquid (in this case, a plant-based milk) to create the chai flavor. Made with cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and a touch of cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken—and garnished with chai whipped cream and bits of candied ginger—this chai pudding is gluten free, and easily made dairy-free or vegan by using coconut whipped cream and a vegan chai latte mix to make the whipped cream topping.

Chai Pudding Ingredients

To make this chai pudding recipe, start by gathering the following:

• Almond Milk – You’ll need unsweetened almond milk, such as Almond Breeze or Blue Diamond. I don’t recommend using sweetened almond milk, as this recipe already contains sweetener, but if you do opt for sweetened plant milk, you may prefer to decrease the sugar accordingly.
• Chai Tea – I recommend using strong chai tea bags from the international aisle. I used the Chai Express brand:
  

• Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the pudding. Measured by weight, caster sugar makes a fine substitute.
• Cocoa Powder – You’ll need unsweetened cocoa powder, not the sweetened kind you’d use for hot cocoa.
  
• Cornflour – Or cornstarch, depending on your location. In this recipe, cornflour/cornstarch replaces eggs as the thickener, making the finished dish suitable for vegans and those allergic to eggs.
• Salt – A touch of salt cuts the sweetness of the sugar. I like fine sea salt, but kosher salt or table salt will also work
• Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream in the US, to make the topping. Substitute coconut whipped cream if vegan.
  
• Powdered Chai – Look for powdered chai, or instant chai powder—the same product you’d mix with boiling water to quickly make a mug of chai at home.
  

Creating the Chai-Infused Almond Milk

To infuse the milk with the chai flavor, warm it in a small saucepan, stir in the chai tea bags, then remove the pan from heat and allow the tea to steep for about 30 minutes, or up to one hour. After steeping, pass the almond milk through a fine mesh strainer to remove the tea bags.

After carefully removing out the tea bags (do not squeeze, or the bags might break) re-weigh and discard the excess milk, if any. And if you don’t have quite enough (it really depends how much your tea bags absorb), you can “top up” with additional plain almond milk as needed.

Dietary Considerations and Substitutions

As written, this recipe is naturally gluten free—just double-check the packaging on the chai powder you’ve chosen. The pudding itself is dairy-free and vegan, and you can make the topping dairy-free and vegan by using my coconut whipped cream recipe and a vegan chai latte mix for the chai whipped cream.

To make the pudding nut-free, you can substitute another non-dairy milk such as oat milk. And if you’re not worried about keeping the pudding dairy-free, feel free to use whole or semi-skipped cow’s milk instead.

Tips and Tricks

After making the pudding mixture, I suggest pouring it into your serving dishes (ramekins or other small bowls work best) rather than chilling it in a large bowl. I tested both methods, and found that the big bowl took a long time to set, whereas individually pudding portions will set fully after about two hours in the fridge.

Have some extra almond milk on hand for topping up, in case your tea bags absorb a large amount of liquid. And because you’ll need to re-weigh the infused milk after removing the bags (see my notes above) I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe, rather than a measuring cup.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Refrigerate the pudding for at least two hours prior to serving. If you want to work ahead, you can make the base up to 24 hours in advance and chill it overnight. However, I suggest waiting until serving time to prepare the whipped cream.

Other pudding recipes you might enjoy:

Butternut Squash Pudding
Basil Coconut Milk Pudding
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Chocolate Almond Milk Pudding

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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