A homemade chai recipe filled with spices like cardamom, ginger and cinnamon. Make it with your choice of milk and maple syrup for a vegan friendly drink. You will love this easy at-home chai.
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If you’re a tea latte fan you’re going to love this amazing drink! Make it in the comfort of your own home, avoid those way too sweet chai concentrates and save some money at the same time!
What is Chai?
Chai, in America, is a westernized take on the traditional masala chai from India. The word “chai” translates to “tea”. And “masala” is a mixture of spices ground into a paste of powder.
There are some main spices you’re looking for when making masala chai. I’m obsessed with them so I make a very simple homemade blend that is comprised of spices that are easy to find and you likely already have most of these in your pantry.
Homemade Chai Spice Blend
I use a homemade chai spice blend – you can make it using this simple recipe that uses just 6 basic ingredients!
- Cinnamon, ginger and cardamom (two of the key ones!), cloves and all spice for a simple blend.
You can also add star anise and black pepper for some extra flavor.
The Rest of the Ingredients
- water – Using boiling water helps the spices to dissolve easily when being whisked.
- black tea – Either tea bags or loose leaf tea leaves will work here. If you use loose leaf tea you will need a mesh infuser.
- milk – My favorite dairy free milk option is oat milk, but you could use almond, cashew, or coconut milk too. Hemp and soy also work! Whatever you have on hand is fine.
- maple syrup – For a lightly sweetened latte, maple syrup works great. You could also substitute agave nectar or honey as well.
How to Make Chai at Home
To make the best chai recipe at home, you’ll want to follow these steps for making it on the stovetop. This recipe takes just a few minutes to throw together once your tea and spices have simmered.
Simmer Black Tea & Spices
Place the bags of tea, or black loose leaf tea, and spices in a medium saucepan with water and bring to a simmer.
Simmer this for about 5 minutes to steep the tea and also let the flavor of the spices steep as well.
You can also use whole cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods in place of the ground spices.
Add Milk & Warm
Pour the milk, maple syrup and stir; change heat to medium to warm oat milk, about 3-4 minutes.
Strain Spices
Use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the thick chai spice blend. This will help make it so you don’t end up with a clump of spices in the bottom of you cup.
Alternatively you could use a straining bag, like a nut milk bag.
Make it Dirty (Optional)
To make a dirty chai latte recipe for an extra caffeine boost, add a shot of espresso! If you’re at home and don’t have an espresso machine, add 1/4 cup extra strong coffee – works just as well!
Top it Off With Whip
And if you’re looking for a special treat, add a little whipped cream and some dashes of cinnamon on top.
Helpful Tools for Making a Latte at Home
Milk Steamer – You can get an electric milk frother or a handheld steam wand to use after milk is warmed. It really helps add to the “coffee shop quality” of the chai latte.
Tea Infuser – A mesh infuser could be helpful to you. If you want to skip the processes of straining, just put your spices and/or loose leaf tea in this infuser.
If you have a chai blend of loose leaf tea, you could also use that and add additional spices based on how spicy you like your chai.
More Homemade Lattes to Enjoy
If you’re looking to make more lattes at home be sure to check out these favorites:
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Homemade Chai Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 black tea bags, or 1/2 tablespoon loose leaf tea
- 1 ½ teaspoon chai spice blend, recipe here
- pinch black pepper, optional
- 2 cups oat milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup, more or less depending on desired sweetness
Instructions
- Make tea: In small saucepan bring water, black tea bag or loose leaf tea, and chai tea spices to a low boil then simmer for 5 minutes to steep tea and spices.
- Add milk & sweetener: Pour in oat milk, maple syrup and stir; change heat to medium to warm oat milk, about 3-4 minutes. Once warmed through, strain mixture through fine mesh sieve (or cheese cloth, or mesh straining bag).
- Serve: Taste test before adding more sweetness; top with whipped cream and little cinnamon for a coffee shop homemade chai latte experience! Feel free to froth for some foam.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information
photography by: The Almond Eater
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