Chai latte cheesecake bars recipe

Our fragrant, creamy chai latte cheesecake bars have a buttery speculoos base, indulgent spiced filling and a smooth chai ganache topping.

This chai latte cheesecake makes a delicious dessert but it would also be an excellent birthday cake alternative. Chai latte, or more traditionally ‘masala chai’ literally translates to ‘spiced tea’ and dates back thousands of years.

Ingredients

For the spice mix

• 2tsp ground ginger
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2tsp ground cloves

For the base

• 200g Biscoff biscuits
• 100g unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake

• 720g cream cheese
• 200g caster sugar
• 1tbsp chai spice mix
• 1tsp vanilla paste
• 5 gelatine leaves, soaked in water
• 160g whipping cream, softly whipped

For the ganache

• 1tsp chai spice mix
• 1tsp black tea leaves
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed
• 120g whipping cream, just boiled
• 100g milk chocolate, melted
• 20g unsalted butter, very soft

You will need

• 20cm x 28cm baking tray, lined with parchment

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180/Gas 4. Mix spices together and set aside. To make the base, crush the biscuits and mix in the melted butter. Press in the base of the tin and bake for 10 mins. Cool.
2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, spices and vanilla. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine and gently melt in a pan. Add a few spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture to the pan and stir to combine and fold this through the cheesecake mixture, followed by the whipped cream. Pour on top of the base and chill.
3. Make the ganache by infusing the spices, tea and cardamom with the hot cream for 20 mins. Strain the mixture and bring back to a simmer. Pour over the melted chocolate and mix to emulsify. Cool to room temperature before mixing in the soft butter. Pour over the cheesecake and leave to set in the fridge for 4 hrs before cutting into bars.

Top tips for making Chai latte cheesecake bars:

Where most teas are brewed in water, masala chai is commonly an infusion of black tea, spices and milk. A chai latte doesn’t contain any coffee, despite the association, but you will find it on most coffee shop menus.

Swap the Biscoff biscuits for plain digestives if you prefer. This is better if you don't want such a sweet finish.

While a Chai latte doesn't contain caffeine, you could add a shot of espresso to the cheesecake mixture for a delicious coffee hint in flavour.

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