This do-it-yourself chai latte recipe is simple to make with black tea, heat spices, and your favourite milk. Sweeten it to style with maple syrup!
I keep in mind the primary time I tasted a chai latte from a espresso store. It was wealthy, candy, and deliciously spiced. I instantly fell in love with the mix of earthy black tea and heat spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. And naturally the frothy milk on high didn’t damage both…
For just a few years after that, a chai latte was my go-to order each time I went out for espresso (erm…tea). However over time, espresso store chai lattes received to be too candy for me. Most are made with cartoned chai focus, so I wasn’t capable of alter the extent of sweetness.
That’s the place this chai latte recipe is available in. Made with complete spices, black tea, maple syrup, and a milk of your alternative, it provides you full management over your drink…whereas nonetheless delivering heat, spiced taste. I feel it beats any coffeehouse chai tea. I hope you find it irresistible too!
What Is a Chai Latte?
A chai latte is expounded to masala chai. This kind of Indian tea is made by simmering black tea in water and milk with fragrant spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and black peppercorns. In Hindi, “masala” means spices and “chai” means tea.
A chai latte has related elements, nevertheless it makes use of extra milk and is usually topped with milk foam. It has a milder tea taste than masala chai.
Does chai have caffeine?
Most chai lattes are made with black tea, which incorporates caffeine. If you happen to’d prefer to make a decaf chai latte, use decaffeinated black tea as an alternative of normal.
The way to Make a Chai Latte
You’ll find the entire chai latte recipe with measurements on the backside of this put up. For now, right here’s a step-by-step overview of the way it goes:
First, toast the spices. I exploit cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, and star anise on this recipe. Toast them in a saucepan over medium warmth till aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes.
Then, add the milk and ginger. After I first made a chai latte at dwelling, I steeped the tea and spices in water and added steamed milk earlier than serving. It got here out a lot too watery for my style, so now, I steep the tea and spices straight within the milk!
To the pot with the spices, add a milk of your alternative (I like almond) and contemporary ginger (no have to peel!). Gently simmer for five minutes.
Subsequent, steep the tea. Flip off the warmth and add the tea luggage. Cowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
Pressure the chai by way of a wonderful mesh strainer set over a bowl. This step removes the chai spice mix and tea luggage.
Sweeten to style with maple syrup. If you happen to don’t have maple available, one other liquid sweetener, corresponding to honey, would work too!
Lastly, pour the chai lattes into mugs. If you happen to like, high yours with frothy milk, a cinnamon stick, and a dusting of floor cinnamon. Get pleasure from!
Chai Tea Latte Recipe Ideas
- Use complete spices. I’ve tried making this recipe with floor spices. Belief me once I inform you that the entire spices are higher! They provide the latte a stronger taste and higher texture. The bottom spices can settle on the backside, making it gritty.
- Retailer the leftovers within the fridge. Solely serving one? The leftover latte combination retains nicely in an hermetic container within the fridge for about 2 days. Pour it over ice for an iced chai latte, or reheat it within the microwave for a heat drink.
- A bit of frothy milk takes it excessive. I’ve made this recipe many instances and skipped the frothy milk on high. And you recognize what? It’s nonetheless scrumptious! That mentioned, the milk foam is a enjoyable contact right here. When you’ve got an espresso machine, use the steam wand to froth milk for this latte. If you happen to don’t, you’ll be able to shake heat milk in a lidded jar for about 30 seconds to froth it or mix it with an immersion blender. Although I like almond milk on this latte, creamier dairy-free milks like coconut milk and oat milk make higher foam. In fact, complete milk works too!
Extra Cozy Drinks to Strive
If you happen to love this chai latte recipe, attempt considered one of these cozy drinks subsequent:
Chai Latte
Serves 2
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
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Place the cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, and star anise in a small pot. Toast over medium warmth for 1 to 2 minutes, or till aromatic.
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Add the almond milk and ginger and scale back the warmth to low. Gently simmer for five minutes.
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Flip off the warmth and add the tea luggage. Cowl and steep for 10 minutes.
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Set a wonderful mesh strainer over a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour the tea combination by way of the strainer to take away the spices, tea luggage, and ginger.
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Stir within the maple syrup, including extra to style. Pour into mugs and high with foamed milk, if desired. Garnish every mug with a cinnamon stick and dirt with floor cinnamon, if utilizing.
