Vanilla Chai Latte

How to make a vanilla chai latte at home as good as the one at starbucks coffee! This drink is really delicious and very easy to make with just tea bag and spices.

My chai concentrate is perfect for a hot drink with milk or also as an iced chai tea 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 chai latte at home with the taste of black tea flavored with Indian spices and topped with a creamy mousse.

What is chai tea latte?

The chai tea latte is an Indian recipe made with tea, it is a very popular drink that is also called masala chai or simply chai, which means "tea".

Made of tea concentrate, sugar, and an intense mix of masala spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and black pepper.

In the traditional recipe, all the ingredients are heated together in a saucepan and the drink is usually served very hot or cold as in this recipe for iced chai tea latte.

It has many benefits for the body but it is especially a delicious recipe and very popular worldwide, it is even served today by the major American coffee shops.

My version of vanilla chai latte has a much better composition and is closer to the traditional Indian recipe than the industrial versions.

>> More recipes for beverages, smoothies and juices

Benefits of chai tea

This tea is widely used in India and around the world for its benefits in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine.

This powerful blend of black tea and hot spices (masala) contains extraordinary benefits for the body, it is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, energy booster, and more….

Equipment: A small saucepan and an electric milk frother

Which spices for tea 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 + sugar

But to get closer to the traditional recipe and make the most of its benefits, it can also be composed of a mixture of spices that will give a more intense taste to your drink.

Chai (tea) :

It is black tea from India with a very strong and full-bodied taste. Use preferably black tea leaves or as in my recipe to make it simpler tea bag.

Spices :

Here is the masala spice combination that is usually used to make the chai concentrate. You can use whole grains or simply ground spices:

• 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 :

This Indian spice tea is served very sweet to bring out all the flavors of the spices but also to soften the intense taste of this drink.

In this recipe, it is sufficiently sweet to balance the strong taste of the spices. I used brown sugar however, you can also add a natural sugar like honey or maple syrup.

Vanilla :

To flavor your vanilla chai latte, you need to use a strong vanilla extract and then either use pure liquid vanilla extract or seeds from a vanilla bean that will give it that delicious fragrant flavor.

Which milk to use for this latte

As in the majority of latte recipes we use whole milk, which is a fatty cow's milk and that's how we get a nice foam. But you can also use the milk you are used to drinking or even substitute it with a vegan drink like almond milk to make tea lattes.

How to make Vanilla chai latte

1 - Make 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.

Tip: You can store your chai concentrate in a container with a lid in the refrigerator.

2 - Add milk to make the tea latte

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan or in the microwave. (you can also froth the milk to have even more foam)
2. Pour the hot milk into a mug to fill it up to ⅔.
3. Fill ⅓ of the mug with the heated concentred tea base.
4. Add the cream mousse previously whipped with a frothing tool.
5. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and enjoy hot.

How can I do a simple latte with spice? 

You can easily make your usual latte using your home latte machine and add a little chai concentrate to it. Or use a black chai tea bags to make your tea lattes to simply flavor your drink without having to use ground spices

Frequently asked questions about Chai Latte

How long does chai latte last?

I suggest you to make the concentrated tea ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a week. Then you will just have to add this preparation to your hot or cold milk to make your tea latte.

More latte and hot drinks recipes

• Homemade almond milk
• Hot chocolate with whipped cream
• Chocolate almond milk
• Latte macchiato recipe
• Dalgona coffee whipped coffee

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