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.
💛 Reasons to Love this Recipe
- It's quick. A mere 15 minutes stand between you and this delicious tea latte.
- It's homemade. Because you are making this beverage using whole spices, and not a prepared spice blend, you can control the strength of the spices, and vary them according to your taste.
- It's comforting. The warming spices in this drink make it the perfect cozy beverage for a cold morning.
☕ 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
- 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
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
🥄 Equipment
Click here to learn how to make this chai tea latte in a visual story.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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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📖 Recipe
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
- 4 teaspoons Darjeeling tea leaves
- 2 cups water
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
Nutrition Facts
Nutritional information provided is for one serving and is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
📚 References
This delicious recipe came from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan for Williams Sonoma.
Preston says
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.
Sandra says
So glad you enjoyed the tea latte. I appreciate your kind comment. 🙂