A tray of cinnamon rolls gives a holiday breakfast something to gather around. In this recipe, White Cap Chai appears in three places: the infused milk for the dough, the cinnamon filling, and the glaze drizzled over the warm rolls.
Our teas are hand-mixed in small batches on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula, with a kiss of Pacific Ocean air. This recipe brings that coastal tea tradition into a familiar bake, giving the chai’s spice character room alongside butter and brown sugar.
White Cap Chai Cinnamon Rolls
Yield: 12 rolls.
Allow 8 minutes for the milk infusion, 5–10 minutes for the yeast mixture, time for the first rise until doubled, a second rise of 30–45 minutes, and baking for 22–28 minutes. Preparation and first-rise times vary.
Dough ingredients
1 cup whole milk; 2 tbsp White Cap Chai; 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 1/4 cup melted butter; 3 1/2–4 cups flour; 1 tsp salt.
Filling ingredients
1/2 cup softened butter; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 tbsp cinnamon; 1 tsp very finely ground White Cap Chai.
Glaze ingredients
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 2–3 tbsp strongly brewed White Cap Chai; 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Instructions
- Warm milk and steep tea for 8 minutes. Strain and cool until just warm.
- Combine 3/4 cup infused milk with yeast and sugar; stand 5–10 minutes. Add eggs, butter, salt, and flour. Knead until smooth and let rise until doubled.
- Roll into a rectangle. Spread with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and finely ground tea. Roll and slice into 12 pieces.
- Place in a greased baking dish and rise 30–45 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 22–28 minutes.
- Whisk glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm rolls.
Keep the three tea preparations distinct
Start with 1 cup milk for the infusion, then measure 3/4 cup infused milk into the dough. The glaze uses a separate strongly brewed tea, not leftover milk.
The filling calls for very finely ground White Cap Chai. Remove hard whole spices or woody botanicals and grind only suitable ingredients very finely. Do not leave coarse or hard pieces in the filling.
Use 2–3 tablespoons strongly brewed tea for the glaze; the milk infusion is not interchangeable with it.
Why this recipe uses White Cap Chai
White Cap Chai has a white tea base with chai spices and contains caffeine.
Check its current full ingredient information, along with the milk, eggs, butter, and flour, against the needs of anyone you are serving. Baking with tea is not a reason to assume the finished rolls are caffeine-free.
Plan a breakfast with room for rising
Read through the method before beginning so the two rises fit your plans. Use active dry yeast and allow the first rise to continue until the dough has doubled.
Serve without adding a full brunch menu
Drizzle the glaze over warm rolls and serve with drinks your guests enjoy. Fruit or another familiar breakfast dish can be an optional addition, but the rolls do not need a large spread around them.
A shared breakfast can be simple. Make the rest of the meal manageable so the baking has the time and attention it needs.
Shop the featured tea
Explore White Cap Chai for the blend used in the dough, filling, and glaze.
