Looking for a new twist on an old classic? Looking for something a little spicy, yet sweet at the same time? Then you’ve come to the right place. These chai donut muffins are a wonderful recipe that combines two of your favorite foods – chai tea and donuts.

           They are as easy to make as just having store-bought chai tea bags in your pantry. Plus, these muffins hold a secret cream-cheese filling surprise and a crunchy streusel top. Your guests will have no idea what they’re in for, and then they wont be able to stop!

         Not to mention  in our version we chose to substitute regular wheat flour in the muffins with the complementary flavor profile of spelt flour. Spelt flour breathes new flavor depth into this recipe, combining the nuttiness of the flour to chai tea mixture inside. Not to mention the array of added health benefits for your body just from this simple alternative. 

Tips & Facts

• Spelt flour contains gluten which helps bind food together, however the gluten in spelt is slightly more delicate than wheat gluten, so it requires special attention when using it in baking or cooking.
• When substituting spelt flour for wheat flour, use as a one-to-one ratio substitute for whole wheat flour and up to half the flour in recipes calling entirely for all-purpose flour.
• Spelt flour has a lighter, sweeter flavor than traditional whole wheat flour with a slight nuttiness. This can greatly add to the depth of flavor in a variety of recipes over wheat.
• This flour is LOW FAT! A single 2 Tbsp serving has 3g of dietary fiber, 4g of protein, and only .5g of fat. Not to mention, it’s a whole grain source of vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B3, and magnesium. 

Lastly, these chai donut muffins are:

• LOADED with Vitamin D, healthy fats, and protein.
• EASY to make and easy to enjoy. 

Chai Donut Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 35 min

Instructions:

To make the Streusel:
Mix together flour, brown sugar, salt and melted butter until clumps of crumbly streusel are formed.

To make the Filling:
Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well combined.

To make the Muffins:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin, or use muffin liners.

2. In a mixing bowl, gently whisk together butter, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the egg. Add in the buttermilk and vanilla extract, whisking until combined. Mix in the chai spice.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix the batter.

4. Fill the muffin tin with batter about 1/4th of the way. Add in a dollop of filling, and then cover with more batter, making sure not to fill the muffin cups all the way. Top with streusel.

5. Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, and then transfer them to a cooling rack, allowing them to fully cool.

Nutrition:
Calories 397 | Fat 25.78g | Sodium 201mg | Carbohydrates 36.53g | Fiber 3.19g | Sugars 18.22g | Protein 6.22g |