Chai Custard Toast with Pecan Icing

I love the warm spices of chai tea, so I wanted to recreate that with this chai custard toast! It has a creamy, chai-spiced layer of (healthy!) yogurt custard, baked into a slice of bread. Then, it’s drizzled with easy 2-ingredient icing and topped with chopped pecans.

It tastes like a chai-spiced cinnamon roll, with a soft center and crispy edges. It’s a drool worthy breakfast, sweet snack, or dessert, and only takes 15 minutes to make!

Chai Spiced Custard Toast

I could sing the praises of yogurt custard toast all day. It’s just so easy and delicious. And, it’s ripe for tons of flavor variations – like this one!

This can be a breakfast, snack, or dessert – the choice is yours. 😉 It has a good amount of protein (thanks to the egg and yogurt) and is quick to make. And, you can choose how sweet you want it – just use more or less maple syrup and/or icing.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this chai custard toast:

• bread: Any kind of bread works! If you want that cinnamon roll feel, you’ll probably want a thicker, softer bread like white bread, brioche, or challah. French bread works great, too, if you want a bit of crunchy crust. (I used french bread here).
• yogurt: I prefer Greek yogurt, because it’s thicker and tangier than regular yogurt. Plus, it has more protein. But, regular yogurt works too! You can use plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt.
• egg: This binds the custard, plus helps it rise.
• homemade chai spice: You can use any combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and allspice that you have on hand. I only had the first four, and it came out great! You’ll find details on specific amounts to use in the recipe card at the end of this post. Alternatively, you can add just cinnamon for a non-chai, cinnamon roll flavored toast.
• vanilla extract: A splash of vanilla extract pairs really well with the chai spice in the custard, and elevates the flavor. If you’re using vanilla yogurt, you can leave this out.
• maple syrup (optional) : A bit of maple syrup adds some extra sweetness to the custard. Feel free to leave this out if you want a less-sweet toast.
• powdered sugar: This is the main ingredient for our 2-ingredient icing! So simple, and adds a lovely sweetness and texture to the toast.
• milk: We whisk a bit of milk (dairy or non-dairy, whichever you prefer!) with powdered sugar for a smooth and drizzly icing.

You might also like these chai oatmeal cookies with pecans!

How to Make Chai Custard Toast

The first step to make this toast is to prep the custard. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and chai spice mix (see instructions below) until well-mixed. Set aside.

Next, place the sliced bread on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a spoon, press down in the center of the bread, making a “well” for the custard. Spoon or pour an equal amount of custard into each “well”.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius) until the custard is set and the toast is golden brown. (See baking times in the full recipe at the end of this post).

While you wait, it’s time to make your icing!

How to Make Quick Icing

While the toast is in the oven, stir together powdered sugar and a small amount of milk, until smooth and drizzly. When the custard toast is ready, drizzle icing over it, then top with chopped pecans. That’s it!

Homemade Chai Spice

You can easily make your own chai spice at home! Just combine 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of cloves, pinch of cardamom, and pinch of allspice in a small bowl and stir.

(If you don’t have some of these spices, it’s not a big deal – the main essential one is cinnamon! Just use what you have).

Custard Toast Variations

If you want to switch up this recipe a bit, here are some ideas:

• Make it ‘cinnamon roll’ custard toast (if you don’t have the other chai spices)
• Add banana slices before baking for a delicious caramelized banana flavor
• Drizzle with melted chocolate instead of icing
• Add orange zest for a bright, unique flavor

This toast is like a sweet chai latte you can eat – which I am all about! It’s very similar to a cinnamon roll, but much easier to make.

You’ll find the full chai custard toast recipe at the bottom of this post. If you try it, I’d love if you shared your thoughts with a rating and comment below!

More easy treats and sweet snacks you might like:

• Churro Custard Toast with Chocolate Drizzle
• Pecan Chocolate Avocado Truffles
• Cherry Chocolate Custard Toast
• Chocolate Nutella Tarts with Greek Yogurt
• No Bake Carrot Cake Cheesecakes