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
