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Chai Latte Cupcakes with Caramel Brulée Frosting. Autumn in a sweet cupcake, and so good! Extra sweet, chai-spiced cupcakes made with warming spices and brown sugar. Each cupcake is generously frosted with the most delicious creamy caramel-like frosting. Then finished off with a sprinkling of salted caramel brulée candy. Sooo much to love here! You can’t beat these cute little latte cupcakes.
It’s fall, it’s Friday, and I’m sharing my favorite cupcake of the season…well so far anyway! Look, I know I’ve been overly excited about fall this week, but today’s recipe is my favorite. The second I made these, I knew I was going to love them so much.
If a cupcake could scream fall, this cupcake would be screaming it loud and clear. I know, cheesy, but as I said, I’m excited, and well, I really love fall.
Here’s the quick story
Every single fall there are a handful of things I truly crave and get excited over. A good bowl of broccoli cheddar soup, homemade soft pretzels, all the sweet apple desserts, and a warming, steaming latte.
Latte’s just say fall to me. And while everyone mostly thinks of pumpkin spice lattes, I love a good chai latte equally as much.
Last October I created a pumpkin latte cupcake, that was a big fall favorite. But this season I wanted a chai cupcake…with a slight twist…to make it even more exciting. Enter the caramel. It may be a little over the top, but I’m ok with it, these cupcakes are so good.
To make these chai latte cupcakes…
You need vanilla, chai teas, and a good amount of warming autumn spices. Plus butter…lots of butter, and well, sugar.
For the cupcakes, I knew I really wanted the chai flavor to shine. To achieve this, I used a mix of steeped chai milk and a whole lot of chai spice. The chai spice mix is key, it really brings the aromas of fall into the kitchen and into each cupcake.
Before you start the cupcake batter, make the chai spice mix. It’s a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and the tiniest bit of black pepper. You’ll be using half of the spice mix in the cupcake batter, and the remainder for the frosting.
Next, make the batter. Bring some milk to a gentle boil, then add a few chai tea bags and allow the tea to steep in the warm milk.
While the tea cools, mix up the batter, then stream the chai milk into the cupcake batter until just combined. Divide the batter up between the cupcake molds and bake.
The smells coming from the oven will have you so excited. It’s like fall in the air, with cozy scents of chai mixed with hints of sweet sugar wafting throughout your kitchen.
Each cupcake is so soft and perfectly sweetened.
The brown sugar “caramel” frosting
This is the perfect frosting for these cupcakes. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, and the rich, warming flavors of caramel pair so nicely with the chai.
The brown sugar melts down adding hints of warm molasses and really deepens the flavor to create an icing that’s perfectly rich and caramel-like. And when you add a touch of vanilla and sea salt? Well, it’s hard to say no to a second cupcake. I highly recommend slathering on more icing than you think your cupcake will need.
Lastly, the caramel brulée
This last step is optional but so good…the caramel brulée candy. It’s going to get very hot, so just make sure to be careful when handling this. This is that extra special fall touch to these cupcakes. It’s very easy to make and requires just two ingredients, sugar, and flaky sea salt.
Simply melt granulated sugar on the stove until it turns deep caramel in color, then spread the caramel out over a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt and let sit for a few minutes. And then? In almost no time at all, the caramel has hardened. It can then be easily smashed into small shards for sprinkling over your latte cupcakes. Again, be sure you’re being careful when handling this!
Frost each cupcake and then sprinkle with the caramel brulée candy. I love adding a cinnamon stick for cuteness.
These cupcakes are delicious. Each bite is filled with sweet chai-spiced cupcake and light, fluffy frosting. Best kind of autumn weekend cupcake!
Looking for other chai and sweets? Here are a few ideas:
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting
Lastly, if you make these Chai Latte Cupcakes with Caramel Brûlée Frosting be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch our how-to video here:
Chai Latte Cupcakes with Caramel Brulée Frosting
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories Per Serving: 274 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Chai Spice
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cupcakes
- 1 cup milk
- 2 bags chai tea
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Caramel Frosting
- 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. To make the chai spice. In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and pepper. Reserve the chai spice blend for the cupcake batter and frosting.2. To make the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 24 cupcake molds with paper liners.3. Bring the milk to a boil in a small pot. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags, cover, and steep 10 minutes.4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and sour cream, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 teaspoons of the chai spice mix. Stream in the chai milk, beating until just combined. 5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Transfer to the oven and bake 22-25 minutes, until the tops are just set, and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool.6. To make the frosting. Melt together 1 stick butter, brown sugar, and cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Add a pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl in the freezer (or fridge for longer) for 15 minutes or until cool to touch.6. Grab the cooled butter mixture from the freezer and add the remaining 1 stick butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and 1-2 teaspoons chai spice to the bowl. Beat together until well combined, adding more sugar as needed. 7. Frost each cupcake and sprinkle with Caramel Brûlée (recipe in notes). Add cinnamon sticks, if desired.
Notes
Caramel Brulée: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium pot, cook 3/4 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-proof spatula until the sugar has melted and turns a golden caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread in a thin, even layer and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Once hardened, crush the caramel into small pieces/shards with the back of a spoon.
This post was originally published on September 24, 2021
They seem so delicious , really need do make it myself!!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
I hope you love the recipe!!
Nice Recipe
Thanks so much!
SO damn good. I have dairy intolerant family members so I subbed for almond milk, vegan sour cream, and coconut cream.. It came out perfect! The frosting was more of a glaze for me considering I didn’t use heavy cream but tasted just as good. Also, don’t skip the creme brulee topping!!
Hey Aisha,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
Oh my gosh—I made these last night—so, SO good! And so pretty! Thank you so much for the recipe. (I used 2 Bigelow vanilla chai tea bags and one Stash double spice chai tea bag to really amp up the flavor. It was perfect!)
That frosting is nothing short of divine, and the Brulé topping takes it to an entirely different level.
Hi Debren,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
Hi! You mention chai tea bags, may I know how you divide the blends into tea bags please? Cause not sure how to divide them into the bags.
Hey Lina,
I purchase chai tea bags where everything is already in the bag. Here is the link:
http://l.thrv.me/HBH4147-thrive-market-fair-trade-organic
I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
LOVED these cupcakes! The process is obviously more lengthy but it’s also really enjoyable and the payoff is worth it.
Hi Ali,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner. Thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Is there a way to substitute chai latte concentrate instead of using tea bags?
Hey Charlie,
Yes, I would use 1 cup in the cupcakes. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Honestly the best cupcakes I’ve ever made… I had to use more powdered sugar in my icing but I think that was user error in not letting my mix cool enough… ten thumbs up for this recipe!
Hi Kristen,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner. Thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe sounds incredible! Just curious if anyone has trying making these GF and if so, which flour did you use successfully (since many have different properties when baking). Thanks, Tieghan, for sharing your love of fall through these wonderful recipes.
Hi Jayne,
This recipe will work well using an equal amount of GF flour. I would recommend using Cup4cup or Bob’s Red Mill. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
What size scoop are you using for the muffins?
Hey Stacy,
I used a large scoop, but really you just want an equal amount of filling in each spot. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Can’t we make the cupcakes the night before and frost for the day of? If so. How should we store the cupcakes till frosted?
Hey Ancy,
You bet! Just keep the cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made these this morning and wow wow wow. Everything came out beautifully. The cupcakes turned out with perfect texture and density, the frosting was pretty sweet but good (It actually tasted just right once you got it on top of the cupcake.)
I also considered omitting the caramel brûlée part on top but I’m so glad I didn’t. It seriously elevated the presentation of the cupcake and gave it a nice little crunch. I didn’t do the sprinkle of salt, but that’s preference. Will definitely be making these again 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
I appreciate your recipes and your work but please do your research before using terms that don’t exist. Which is the case of caramel brûlée. The spelling is wrong (it should read caramel brûlé) but most important it means burnt caramel which is … unedible. I understand you wanted tu refer to Crème brûlée which is a well-known dessert, but if you “brûle” anything else it won’t be good at all. I’ll still try these cupcakes though 🙂
Maybe you should do your research first before putting your two cents in.
If starbucks says caramel brulee exists then it exists.
https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/517/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Flattes
Haha Starbucks compared to French cuisine… History and culture anyone?
Obviously it’s meant to refer to the crackled top of a creme brûlée. You can calm down. If you want to argue semantics “unedible” isn’t a word.
Daphnée you are BEYOND rude. HBH is a blog post with a recipe, not a published cook book or thesis paper. Get over yourself. Wow! Just wow.
I love your recipes and have been so inspired to cook and try new things. I’m amazed at your creative recipes. I love the IG storys that show each step of the recipe. I love Chai Latte in cooler weather and I am a sucker for any caramel AND Carmel. LoL BTW I despise the burnt flavor of the Starbucks Brule drinks…too overpowering of burnt flavor. This cupcake looks like a perfect match of flavors I love and most of all so glad for a alternative to the overdone pumpkin recipes. Thank you!
Thanks so much Kelli! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Wow, daphnee, get a life & the spelling of to is to not tu. Don’t be such a prude.
Hey there Daphnée! Thanks so much for making me aware of the spelling, I will fix that! It was an honest mistake, spelling isn’t my strongest ability. Hope you have enjoyed the cupcakes! xTieghan
Can this be made into a cake?
Hey Adrika,
Sure, that would work well for you, I would just increase your baking times according to your pan size. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I just put this in the oven in a 9×13!! Fingers crossed it works for me!
Thanks for the recipe!!!
I hope you love the recipe Angie!
the first instruction about the chai spice mixture is unclear – do we mix it with the powdered sugar for the frosting or the granulated sugar in the note below for the brulee topping? Can you perhaps clarify that point? Looks like an amazing recipe! Thanks
It’s added to the cupcake batter and icing as stated in the directions. Hope this helps!
Hey Susan,
The chai spice is used in step 4 and step 6, it is not used in the brûlée topping. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These sound amazing; cannot wait to try them! Just made your pumpkin chai cupcakes for a wedding last weekend and they were a hit.
Hey Lisa,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan