If you like a hot cup of chai tea, you’ll love this delicious one too oat chai recipe. This delicious recipe is flavored with vanilla chai spice and extra cinnamon. It only takes 5 minutes in the kitchen!
Post originally published November 2016; Updated February 2023.
I’m a big coffee drinker, but when I was pregnant with my son, coffee was the last thing I wanted. So, I started drinking a lot of chai tea as a substitute for my morning coffee. All the wonderful flavors of chai like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger work really well with oats too.
I love to try new flavors in my morning bowl of oats that’s how this Chai Spiced Oats recipe was born! You can infuse your oats with chai flavor in two ways: one is by first steeping the oatmeal cooking liquid (milk/water) in tea and then brewing the oats OR you can add a chai spice blend. This recipe uses a spice blend so it saves the extra step!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- All the delicious spices you love in your cup of chai tea are infused into this bowl of oats.
- A healthy way to start the day! This oatmeal is packed with fiber, protein and antioxidants.
- This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients you will need
- Old-fashioned oats: I like the texture of old-fashioned rolled oats best for oatmeal, but you can also use instant/quick-cooking oats, just reduce the cooking time. To make it with steel cut oats, you will need to cook it much longer. Use gluten-free oats to make this gluten-free recipe.
- I’m Milk: I prefer unsweetened soy milk for oatmeal as it has more protein than other plant milks, but you can also use almond milk or oat milk.
- Maple Syrup: My favorite way to sweeten my morning oats is with a little maple syrup. You can also use agave, brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Chia seeds: They’re optional, but an easy way to add a little more fiber and heart-healthy omega-3 vegetable fats to your oats.
- Chai spices and cinnamon: Use a blend of powdered chai spices and a little ground cinnamon to infuse these oats with lots of chai tea flavor. My favorite blend is the Spice House Vanilla Chai Spice Blend. (affiliate – Use code DIETITIANDEBBIE to 10% discount your order from The house of spices!)
Topping suggestions
- Fruit: I love adding fresh blueberries and banana to this oatmeal (as pictured). However, you can also add other berries, pomegranate or even stewed apple or pear. Frozen fruit can be a great addition too! I stir it in after the oats are done cooking and the hot oats defrost the fruit.
- Nut butter: Almond butter is my favorite nut butter for these oats. You can also use a cinnamon almond butter, yum!
- Nuts and seeds: Add some texture/crunch to your oats by topping them with some nuts or seeds. I really like pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, and pistachios for this recipe.
- Coconut: Add some texture with some coconut flakes on top of this oatmeal.
Step by step
MICROWAVE: If you prefer, you can do it in the microwave. Simply add all of the oatmeal ingredients to a large microwave-safe bowl and heat for up to 5 minutes in the microwave. (Oats can puff up in the microwave, so use a larger bowl than you think you need! I like to use a small bowl.) Stir the oats every now and then while it’s microwaved. Carefully remove from the microwave when the oats have thickened to your liking.
STOVE LID:
Step 1: Add all of your ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently.
Second step: Simmer until the oats have reached the desired consistency and remove from the heat.
Expert advice
- Adjust the sweetness: Feel free to add more or less sweetener to these oats. The chai spice blend I like from Spice House is sweetened, so I used less maple syrup than you might prefer for your oats. Just taste and adjust to your preferences!
- Make your own chai spice blend: If you can’t find a chia spice mix, you can make your own. I like Chai spice mix recipe by The Spruce Eats.
- Make it with a chai tea bag: If you want to make it with a chai tea bag, add milk and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 2 chai tea bags (for 1 serving) and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until the oats are thick.
Frequently asked questions about recipes
Chai originated in India and the spice combination varies from family to family, but generally includes cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves.
Yes, you can save leftover oats to eat later. Simply transfer the cooled oatmeal to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. The oats thicken after they cool, so you’ll want to add a little milk to thin them out again. When you’re ready to reheat, add to a bowl with a splash of milk and reheat in the microwave.
Oats too runny? There are a couple of ways to fix this: 1) cook it a little longer to get some of the extra liquid out, 2) add ground chia seeds or flax seeds to help absorb the extra liquid, or 3 ) add some mash. banana
More Oat Recipes You’ll Love
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Chai Spiced Oats
If you like a hot cup of chai tea, you’ll love this delicious one too oat chai recipe. This delicious recipe is flavored with vanilla chai spice and extra cinnamon.
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Instructions
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Add all of your ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Serve with desired topping.
notes
- Adjust the sweetness: Feel free to add more or less sweetener to these oats. The chai spice blend I like from Spice House is sweetened, so I used less maple syrup than you might prefer for your oats. Just taste and adjust to your preferences!
- Make your own chai spice blend: If you can’t find a chai spice blend, you can make your own. I like Chai spice mix recipe by The Spruce Eats.
- Make it with chai tea bags: If you want to make it with a chai tea bag, add milk and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 2 chai tea bags (for 1 serving) and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until the oats are thick.
nutrition
Service: 1to serve | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated fats: 5g | Monounsaturated fats: 2g | Trans fats: 0.02g | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 277UI | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 324mg | Iron: 4mg
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