How to make a vanilla chai tea latte at home as good as the one at starbucks coffee! This drink is really delicious and very easy to make with just tea bags and spices. My chai concentrate is perfect for a hot drink with milk or as an iced chai teal latte version.
If you are already a fan of this popular spiced drink then here is the Starbucks copycat recipe that you can make yourself without leaving home! The perfect taste of black tea flavored with Indian spices with a creamy mousse. This homemade recipe has a much better composition and is closer to the traditional Indian recipe than the industrial versions.
What is chai tea latte
Chai tea latte is a traditional tea drink from India that is also called massala chai or simply chai, which means tea. It is composed of a combination of black tea, sugar, an intense blend of massala spices and served with very hot milk.
It is widely used for its benefits in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. This powerful blend of tea and spices contains extraordinary benefits for the body, Anti-oxidant anti-inflammatory, energy booster...
It has become a very popular drink all over the world and it is now taken over by big American coffee chains.
Chai concentrate
There is no single recipe for chai latte but several recipes depending on the region and the preferences. But it is most often composed of the same basic ingredients.
To simplify, you only need 3 ingredients to make a good chai latte: black tea, milk and sugar. But to get closer to the traditional recipe and get the best of the benefits of this drink, it is also composed of a mixture of spices.
Chai (tea)
Indian black tea has a very strong and full-bodied taste. Using black tea leaves or tea bags is more convenient.
The spices
There is also a mixture of spices to flavor the concentrate, to take whole if possible or ground:
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom
- Star anise (badiane)
But to get closer to the Indian way of cooking, you can also add black pepper, coriander seeds, fennel seeds
Sugar
Indian tea is served very sweet to bring out the full flavors of the spices. But it is sweet enough to balance the powerful taste of the spices. I used a brown sugar but you can also add a natural sugar like honey or maple syrup.
Materials needed to make this recipe
How to make vanilla chai tea latte
How to prepare the chai concentrate
Start by preparing the chai latte concentrate that will be used to make the drink. Place the chai tea bags, brown sugar and spices, cinnamon stick, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, star anise and vanilla extract in a small saucepan.
Add the water to brew the tea and place over medium heat to boil for about 5 minutes while stirring to combine occasionally.
Then pour the mixture into a container and strain through a sieve to remove all the seeds and tea.
You can store your chai concentrate in a container with a lid in the refrigerator.
Steps to make a homemade chai latte
- Heat the milk in a saucepan or in the microwave. (you can also froth the milk to have even more foam)
- Pour the hot milk into a mug to fill it up to ⅔.
- Fill ⅓ of the mug with the heated concentred tea base.
- Add the cream mousse previously whipped with a frothing tool.
- Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and enjoy hot.
FAQS Frequently asked questions about chai tea latte
Does the chai latte contain caffeine?
Yes, black tea has a small amount of caffeine which makes it a perfect morning wake up drink.
How do I make an iced chai latte?
Use my chai concentrate mixed with ice and cold milk for an iced version.
How do I make a dairy-free chai?
By simply using vegetable milk like almond milk, soy milk or any other dairy milk of your choice. Also remove the heavy cream from the recipe and you will have a vegan chai latte.
Other recipes with spices
I love to see your achievements 😉 So feel free to share your photos with me and tag me @sweetlycakes on Instagram if you make my vanilla chai tea latte recipe and add a link to my recipe if you share it on your blog 😉
Vanilla chai tea latte recipe
Ingredients
- 2 black tea bags
- 1 stick Cinnamon - or 1 ground tea spoon
- 1 Star Anise - Badian
- 10 Cardamom pods - or ½ teaspoon ground
- 10 Cloves - or ½ teaspoon ground
- 1 pinch Nutmeg - ground
- 1 Ginger slice - or 1 pinch ground
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract - - liquid
- 100 ml Water
- 400 ml Milk - or vegetable milk
Instructions
Making the chai tea concentrate
- In a small saucepan place all the ingredients, the 2 black tea bags, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, star anise and liquid vanilla.
- Add the water to the pan and heat the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove all the spice bits and tea bags.
- Pour the chai tea concentrate into a container with a lid and store in the fridge.
Making the chai tea latte
- Heat the milk in the microwave or in a saucepan.
- Pour the hot milk into a mug and pour about 50 ml of chai concentrate into the milk.
- Place the heavy cream with the powdered sugar in a small bowl and froth with a milk frother.
- Pour the foam into the mug and sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon and enjoy hot.
Nutrition
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