Indian spices in a French delicacy—a winning combination for sure! If you’re looking for something new to serve during the festivities, this Eggless Chai-Spiced Madeleines recipe is going to a be a solid hit!

Madeleines are cute little French butter cakes that have truly drowned me in an obsession I cannot seem to (or want to) get out of. And Indianising it with chai masala has been one of the most rewarding epiphanies in my baking journey. This combination continues to amaze me till now and I cannot wait for you to experience it. Well, Diwali is around the corner—are you thinking what I’m thinking?

The process

The key to a good madeleine lies in achieving that signature, soft sponge with a perfect hump on top, which comes down to a few precise steps. For these Eggless Chai-Spiced Madeleines recipe, I use a combination of yoghurt and a touch of baking soda to create a light and airy texture without eggs. This allows the batter to rise beautifully, while a bit of melted butter added at the end brings a delicate richness that gives these little cakes their characteristic crumb and softness. I personally love cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon, and use the chai masala that has all these spices. Maybe as much for the aroma as the flavours. Put it to bake and test your patience 😉

Serving suggestions

Once baked, use some more of your willpower to allow them to cool a little, before demoulding. Serve as is or dust some icing sugar. Needless to mention, these madeleines go best with tea or coffee. Legend has it, these madeleines infuse you with so much peace, they might just drive you a little mad. Check out the process of this Eggless Chai Spiced Madeleines recipe in this quick video at loveandflourbypooja Want to indulge in some bite-sized pieces of heaven? Here you go –

Print Recipe

Eggless Chai Spiced Madeleines

Tea time is the best time of the day. Period. But, I'll be bold enough to start a sentence after period just to tell you that this addictive festive fusion treat elevates even that time of your day. Imagine!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Milk (60ml)
1 tsp White Vinegar
1/4 cup Yogurt (60g)
20 g Brown sugar
1/4 cup Castor sugar (50g)
1-2 tsp Chai masala
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/4 cup Melted butter (56g)

Instructions

Grease the madeleine pan/cupcake mould with butter and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
In a small bowl, add vinegar to milk and set aside to form buttermilk.
In another bowl, whisk yogurt and both sugars.
Add the chai masala and whisk. Then add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and the buttermilk prepared earlier.
Whisk to make a thick batter.
Add the melted and slightly warm butter to the batter and whisk well to combine into a smooth batter.
Transfer the batter to the pan, then bake at 200 degrees C for 15-16 minutes or until the edges of the madeleines turn golden brown.
Remove the madeleines and allow them to slightly cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with tea or coffee.

Notes

For measurement conversions to grams and ml, refer to the conversion guide here – Measurements Conversion Guide