I may have mentioned before that I am not a coffee drinker unless it is filled with sugar and flavorings and made by a fancy barista at a fancy coffee shop.
Tea is my drink of choice; it’s my jam.
I enjoy a cup of hot tea in varying flavors of green tea, herbal tea, white tea, red tea, and good ol’ black tea. I guess you could say that I drink every color of the tea rainbow.
I never mess with my teas. No sweeteners or milk, just plain, simple tea.
However, there is one type of tea that I do drink occasionally as a treat. It has added spices, is sweetened, and has milk.
You guessed it, a chai tea latte!
Chai tea lattes are usually what I order at a coffee shop on the rare occasion that I visit one. They are spicy, sweet, and creamy! I am absolutely smitten with them.
My 3 complaints about ordering a chai tea latte from a coffee shop are:
- They cost at least, AT LEAST $4 for some water, tea, spices, and milk. $4 can add up quickly if you drink chai teas a lot.
- You never know what is going into your chai tea. Are they using a syrup with artificial spice flavors? What kind of sweetener do they use? (which brings me to number 3)
- How much sweetener are they putting into my latte? Lately I have found my chai lattes to be far too sweet for my taste.
My mission was to learn to make them at home so that I can put in real spices and sweetener of choice. So that I can control the level of sweetness. And save a few bucks in the process.
A win-win if you ask me!
Just one teensy problem. I had tried to make my own chai tea latte at home by using a pre-mixed bag of chai tea. I would add a little milk and some sugar.
It was never good. The spices were never strong enough; they got drowned out by the milk and black tea.
Finally, I tried boiling whole spices in water then adding the tea bags. Success!
Friends, I am crazy about this recipe! I seriously did a dance around the kitchen the first time I tried a sip, I was that excited!
It is perfectly spiced, sweetened, and creamy. It is warming and comforting in every wintery way.
Give this recipe a try and I guarantee that you won’t want to buy an overpriced chai tea latte from a coffee shop ever again!
Cheers!
Dairy-Free Chai Tea Latte
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 to 2 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage, Tea
- Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Indian
Description
Making chai tea latte at home is really simple and it is cheaper than buying one at a coffee shop. Using the fresh, whole spices is the way to get all of that delicious chai-spiced flavor in your tea.
Ingredients
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8–10 green cardamom pods, cracked (or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground, with varying results).
- 6–10 black peppercorns
- 1 to 2 star anise pods
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional*, see notes below for advice on spices)
- 8 to 10 whole cloves
- 2 to 4 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 to 5 teaspoons honey (sub in agave nectar or maple syrup if vegan)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teabags of strong black tea (such as Irish or English breakfast)
- 1/2 cup cashew milk (can sub almond milk, or coconut milk for slightly varying results)*
Instructions
- Combine the water, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, peppercorns, star anise pods, fennel seeds, whole cloves, and fresh ginger in a small sauce pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. (The longer you simmer the stronger the spices will taste in your tea).
- Once the spices have simmered for 20 minutes stir in the honey. I suggest stirring in 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time; you can always stir more honey into your hot mug once you’ve tasted it. But make sure the tea is sweetened enough; otherwise the spices almost taste bitter.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla and the tea bags. Allow the teabags to steep for 4 to 5 minutes.
- While the tea is steeping gently heat up your cashew milk in the microwave. Be careful to not overheat it; otherwise the cashew milk thickens into a cream. Set the milk aside.
- Remove the tea bags and cinnamon sticks from the tea. Pour the mixture over a fine mesh strainer into 1 large mug, or 2 smaller mugs depending on desired serving size. Pour ½ cup of the warmed cashew milk into one mug or ¼ cup into 2 mugs. Stir to combine.
- Serve the tea warm. I like to serve mine with a stir stick or a spoon because the milk tends to separate from the tea.
Notes
*What I love about making chai tea latte myself is that it is very customizable. If you prefer your tea to have stronger licorice notes, add more fennel seeds or star anise pods. If you prefer a spicier latte add more peppercorns, ginger, and/or cloves. If you don’t have some of the spices that’s okay. The main flavors you want to shine through are cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, ginger, and vanilla. This recipe is a guideline for how I like my chai tea but feel free to play around with the flavors.
**I prefer the taste of cashew milk over almond milk for this recipe because the cashew milk is milder in flavor and has a creamier consistency.
You can make the tea mixture up to 48 hours in advance (don’t exceed 48 hours; otherwise the tea begins to ferment). Store in the refrigerator in an airtight glass pitcher or jar. Warm in the microwave and add the milk before serving.
Adapted from: Give Me Some Oven
Where did you find cardamom pods for your beautiful photo and recipe? I have never seen them in a store, only the seeds and ground seeds. I am jealous. Recipe sounds delicious, as always.
Thank you. I found the green cardamom pods at my local Super Target. I did a quick search on Amazon.com, there were a lot of selections to chose from for a decent price. Hope that helps. Let me know how you like the recipe!