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This homemade chai tea latte makes use of fresh spices, ginger, milk, and Darjeeling tea leaves for a delicious, smooth and comforting drink on a cold morning. It's easy to make and comes together in 15 minutes or less.
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Two chai tea lattes in glass mugs. The front latte is sitting on a creamy white plate with two forks and a stack of granola bars.
This delicious chai tea latte is scratch made for ultra flavor. Enjoy it with some homemade no bake oatmeal peanut butter bars.

If you find yourself often ordering the chai tea latte at your favorite coffee and tea establishment, but really hate paying the high prices, save yourself some dough and make your own at home! It is way easier than you think and tastes just as amazing, if not better!

I got this wonderful recipe from this great cookbook, The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan for Williams Sonoma. It’s chock full of fun and delicious breakfast and brunch recipes. I highly recommend it. This chai latte is one of the first recipes I tried, and I loved it so much I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

  • Café-Quality at Home. With this recipe, you can recreate the cozy atmosphere of a café right in your own kitchen. Impress your friends or family with a delicious chai tea latte that rivals those from your favorite coffee shop.
  • Homemade Goodness. Making your own chai tea latte allows you to control the quality of ingredients and avoid any artificial flavors or preservatives commonly found in store-bought versions.
  • Health Benefits. The spices used in this recipe, such as cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, are known for their various health benefits. They can aid digestion, boost metabolism, and provide antioxidants.
  • Customizable. You can adjust the sweetness and intensity of the spices according to your preference. Whether you like it sweeter or spicier, you have the flexibility to tailor the recipe to suit your taste.

Origins of Chai Tea

According to Wikipedia, masala chai originated in India. Traditional chai tea is made by boiling black tea in milk and water along with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices. There are many different spices that are used to make chai tea, including ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, peppercorn, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom seeds, ginger root, honey, vanilla, lemongrass, mace, chili, coriander, rose, liquorice root, cumin, or allspice. (source). The exact spice combination and cooking method used will vary from recipe to recipe, but a few things remain in common – black tea, milk, ginger and cardamom.

Most chai tea recipes use black tea, and for that this recipe utilizes Darjeeling. Darjeeling tea comes from the Darjeeling or Kalimpong Districts in West Bengal, India. (source) Because it comes from this specific region, just as Champagne comes from Champagne region in France, Darjeeling is known as the “champagne of teas.”

Ingredients

Chai tea latte ingredients
  • 1 cinnamon stick.
  • 4 green cardamom pods.
  • 4 black cardamom pods.
  • 10 whole cloves.
  • 2 peppercorns.
  • 5 thin slices fresh ginger.
  • ⅔ cup whole milk.
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. This is used as a sweetener. If you are trying to watch your sugar intake, you can substitute a sugar-free sweetener like Swerve.
  • 4 teaspoons Darjeeling tea leaves.
  • 2 cups water.

Instructions

Overhead view of fresh spices in a saucepan with water
Step 1. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, ginger and water to a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Overhead view of chai mixture in a saucepan with milk and sugar.
Step 2. Add the milk and sugar and return to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves.

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Overhead view of Darjeeling leaves in a small saucepan with chai mixture
Step 3. Add the tea leaves and stir. Remove from heat, cover, and let rest until the tea reaches the desired strength, about 3-5 minutes.
Chai tea mixture being poured through a small mesh strainer into a small metal carafe
Step 4. Pour a little of the chai mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small metal carafe, add a splash of additional milk, and use a milk frother or add to a lidded jar and shake vigorously to froth it. Set aside.
Chai tea being poured through a small mesh strainer into a tall glass mug
Step 5. Strain the tea through a small mesh strainer into two mugs.
Latte in a tall glass mug with foam being added to the top with a spoon.
Top with the foam.

Click here to learn how to make this chai tea latte in a visual story.

Close up view of two chai tea lattes in glass mugs sitting on a creamy white plate with a stack of granola bars and cinnamon sticks.
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    FAQs

    Yes it does. This recipe uses Darjeeling tea which does contain caffeine.

    Yes it is. This recipe contains no gluten.

    Yes you can, but bear in mind that you won’t get the volume of foam with nut milk that you would with regular milk. If you are lactose intolerant, I recommend that you use lactose free milk instead.

    Yes, if you want to use chai tea bags instead, simply brew the tea according to the package instructions, add a little milk to a small metal carafe then use a milk frother to heat and foam the milk. Sweeten your tea to taste, pour the hot milk in, and top with the foam.

    Related Recipes

    More morning beverages to make and enjoy!

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    Chai Tea Latte

    This homemade chai tea latte makes use of fresh spices, ginger, milk, and Darjeeling tea leaves for a delicious, smooth and comforting drink on a cold morning. It's easy to make and comes together in 15 minutes or less.
    Print Recipe Save Rate
    Two chai tea lattes in glass mugs. The front latte is sitting on a creamy white plate with two forks and a stack of granola bars.
    Prep Time:2 minutes
    Cook Time:13 minutes
    Total Time:15 minutes

    Equipment

    Medium saucepan
    Small mesh strainer
    Milk frother

    Ingredients

    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 4 green cardamom pods
    • 4 black cardamom pods
    • 10 whole cloves
    • 2 peppercorns
    • 5 thin slices fresh ginger
    • ⅔ cup whole milk
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 4 teaspoons Darjeeling tea leaves
    • 2 cups water
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, ginger and water to a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
      Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
      1 cinnamon stick, 4 green cardamom pods, 4 black cardamom pods, 10 whole cloves, 2 peppercorns, 5 thin slices fresh ginger, 2 cups water
    • Add the milk and sugar and return to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves.
      ⅔ cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • Add the tea leaves and stir. Remove from heat, cover, and let rest until the tea reaches the desired strength, about 3-5 minutes.
      4 teaspoons Darjeeling tea leaves
    • Pour a little of the chai mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small metal carafe, add a splash of additional milk, and use a milk frother or add to a lidded jar and shake vigorously to froth it. Set aside.
    • Strain the tea through a small mesh strainer into two mugs and top with the foam.

    Notes

    This delicious recipe came from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan for Williams Sonoma.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 1mg
    Servings: 2 lattes
    Calories: 130kcal
    Author: Heavenly Home Cooking

    References

    This delicious recipe came from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan for Williams Sonoma.

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    Sandra
    5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    2 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      This is a pretty good drink!
      The flavor is amazing when it’s all put together, & it’s easy to make. Think I will make this again on crushed ice. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply