Layered with an eggless, creamy masala chai, delicious butterscotch sauce, and chai-soaked lady finger biscuits, this masala chai mousse is perfect for your dessert table when you want to do something different, but still keep it simple and easy!
Loving chai is my whole personality. If you know me even 5%, you know that I LOVE chai. I need to have my daily two cups or I won’t survive.
Given all that, I also consider myself a chai connoisseur; I am super specific about my chai – it has to taste right!
Of course, I also love using it in desserts. It’s the perfect flavor – really. Especially when you combine it with spices (i.e. masala chai). But my pet peeve is desserts that have “chai” in the title but use only spices and no actual tea. How can you call something chai without using the actual chai?!
Anyway, you can clearly see how passionate I am about chai, so before I get carried away, let’s talk about our masala chai mousse trifle.
I love mousse and I love trifles, you know why? Because they are both very simple desserts that, for some reason, have a “fancy” reputation. People often think that they require a lot of time and effort, but in reality, they’re one of the simplest things you can make. And the best part? They look great, too, which makes them perfect for your dessert table at any party or potluck.
This chai mousse combines both those desserts and creates a delicious, good-looking, yet simple dessert that has warm, delicious flavors of chai and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, paired with a salted butterscotch sauce that brings another level of depth into the trifle.
Also – it’s no-bake and can be prepped the night before. Convinced yet? Let’s get into the details of the recipe.
If you like chai desserts, you will love these!
Eggless Masala Chai Mousse
The masala chai mousse is the star of this trifle. It’s super simple to make and is full of that strong chai flavor. The milk and cream are infused with the tea leaves and spices before being mixed with the remaining ingredients, giving it that strong flavor. I highly recommend using good-quality tea leaves so that the chai flavor does not turn bitter while infusing.
Here are the steps for making the masala chai mousse.
- In a saucepan, add the milk, cream, tea leaves, sugar, and whole spices of your liking. I like to use cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger but you can use other masala chai spices like cloves and whole black pepper.
- Cook on low heat and let the mixture infuse for 5-8 minutes. If your chosen tea leaves get bitter soon, then cook for less time.
- In a bowl, place the white chocolate and strain the infused milk and cream on top, making sure it’s still hot. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, allowing the chocolate to melt from the heat of the milk mixture, then whisk until fully melted and combined. At this step, you will have a smooth ganache.
- In another bowl, whip the remaining cream to medium peaks. Make sure not to overwhip at this step as the cream has to be mixed again with the ganache and it will split if overmixed at this step.
- Once the ganache has cooled down to room temperature, pour it over the whipped cream and fold it in gently using a silicone spatula in two intervals until fully combined. Make sure to do this gently so that you don’t deflate the air in the whipped cream.
- Transfer into a piping bag for easy assembly.
Butterscotch Sauce
This salted butterscotch sauce is the perfect pairing for the masala chai mousse. It adds a depth of flavor to the trifle and is made with only four ingredients – brown sugar, cream, butter, and salt. You can make it a few days in advance or make a big batch and store it for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
Here are the steps for making the butterscotch sauce.
- In a saucepan, add the brown sugar, liquid whipping cream, and butter.
- Cook it on medium heat until fully melted and combined, mixing often.
- Let it cook for another minute, then take it off the heat and mix in the salt. Don’t cook for longer as the sauce will become too thick as it cools. Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly
This trifle can be assembled in individual serving bowls or in a full-size serving dish. The assembly process would be the same for both.
- In your chosen bowl or dish, add a layer of the chai mousse and smooth it out.
- Top the mousse with a layer of the butterscotch sauce, then add a layer of chai-soaked ladyfinger biscuits. To soak the biscuits, you can make a simple milk and water-based masala chai.
- Add another layer of butterscotch sauce on top of the ladyfingers, then top with the remaining. chai mousse. If using a large serving dish, add a few dollops of butterscotch sauce on top and swirl it into the mousse. For single-serving bowls, you can drizzle the sauce on top before serving.
- Let the trifle set for 3-4 hours before serving.
This is one of those desserts that is so, so simple and quick but makes an absolute impression. My only tip is to make sure that your tea leaves do not leave a bitter after effect and infuse the milk and cream accordingly, because all tea leaves are different!
Ready to make it? Let’s get started!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Masala Chai Mousse Trifle
Equipment
- 7×7 serving dish or 3-4 single serve bowls
- Hand whisk
- Electric Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Butterscotch Sauce
- 75 grams unsalted butter
- 130 grams packed brown sugar
- 95 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream
Masala Chai Mousse
- 120 ml full-fat milk
- 110 ml liquid whipping cream
- 12-14 grams chai leaves depending on how strong they are
- 20 grams sugar
- 4-6 cardamom pods
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 150 grams white chocolate
- 165 ml liquid whipping cream
For Assembly
- 100 ml full-fat milk
- 100 ml water
- 5 grams tea leaves
- 10 grams sugar
- 1 pack ladyfinger biscuits
Instructions
Butterscotch Sauce
- Combine brown sugar, liquid whipping cream, and butter in a saucepan.
- Heat over medium flame, stirring frequently, until the ingredients melt and blend into a smooth mixture.
- Allow it to simmer for another minute, then remove from heat and stir in the salt.
- Avoid overcooking, as the sauce will thicken more as it cools. Set aside for later use.
Masala Chai Mousse
- In a saucepan, mix milk, cream, tea leaves, sugar, and your choice of whole spices. I recommend cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, but feel free to include other spices like cloves or black pepper.
- Heat on low and let the mixture infuse for 5-8 minutes. If your tea leaves tend to get bitter, reduce the cooking time.
- Strain the infused milk-cream mixture over a bowl of white chocolate while it’s still hot.
- Let it sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate, then whisk until the ganache is smooth and fully combined.
- Whip the remaining cream in a separate bowl until medium peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip, as the cream will be folded into the ganache later.
- Once the ganache cools to room temperature, gently fold it into the whipped cream in two additions. Use a silicone spatula to avoid deflating the whipped cream.
- Transfer the mousse to a piping bag for easy assembly.
Assembly
- Make a simple chai with milk, water, and tea leaves for soaking the ladyfinger biscuits.
- Start by spreading a layer of the chai mousse in your serving dish or bowl. Smooth it out evenly.
- Add a layer of butterscotch sauce on top of the mousse.
- Dip the ladyfinger biscuits in the cooled chai for 5 seconds and create a layer of the dipped biscuits on top of the mousse.
- Follow with another layer of butterscotch sauce and then the remaining chai mousse.
- For a large dish, dollop a few spoonfuls of butterscotch sauce on top and create a swirl pattern. For individual servings, drizzle the sauce before serving.
- Let the trifle set in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving.
Notes
- This mousse trifle can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- The butterscotch sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- The trifle can be assembled the night before.
- Remove the butterscotch sauce from the heat as soon as it’s ready. Overcooking can make it too thick once cooled.
- For the mousse, make sure that the milk-cream mixture is hot enough to melt the white chocolate fully. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before whisking for a silky-smooth ganache.
- Don’t steep the tea leaves too long if they tend to become bitter. Reduce the cooking time accordingly to maintain a smooth, pleasant flavor.
- Stop whipping the cream as soon as it reaches medium peaks. Overwhipping can lead to a grainy texture and make it difficult to fold into the ganache.
- Fold the whipped cream into the ganache in two additions using a silicone spatula. This ensures the mousse stays airy and light without losing volume
If you’re looking for a simple dessert that’s gonna have everyone talking, this masala chai mousse trifle is a recipe you must try!
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments, and of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
