This homemade Starbucks copycat Chai Tea Latte gives you all the delicious flavor of the store-bought drink at the fraction of the price. It’s a caffeinated latte that makes the perfect warm drink on a cool day, and equally as good iced too. You can now save money and make this easy recipe at home with a few simple ingredients.
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Starbucks is known for its elaborate drinks, and some of my favorites include Caramel Cloud Macchiato, Salted Caramel Mocha, and this delicious chai tea latte.
Chai Tea Latte is made with Chai tea and milk, and that’s basically it. This drink is great when you look for something tasty without a ton of extra sugar, or want a small caffeine kick that isn’t as powerful as the one you get from coffee.
One of the greatest parts about the Chai Latte is how well it tastes hot or cold. If you’ve never tried it, get ready for what might just become your signature drink year-round. By making it at home, you get to customize it even more. I’ll show you ways to adjust the sweetness, play around with your milk options and try some other versions of the Starbucks Chai Tea Latte.
What is Chai Tea Latte?
Chai comes from India and is made of black tea and a combination of spices including ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and cloves. While in India most families have their perfect Chai recipe down pat, in North America, you can find it premade anywhere you would buy tea. Because of its richness, when blended with milk, Chai makes a really delicious and creamy latte that radiates warmth.
What is a Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Made of?
- Chai Tea Bag: Almost every tea brand has its own version of Chai. I recommend using Tazo or Teavana Chai Tea.
- Water: You’ll need boiled water to steep your tea.
- Milk: You have quite a few milk options when it comes to this recipe. The Starbucks original recipe uses 2% milk and the easiest dairy-free match would be soy. However, you can use pretty any milk you like such as almond or oat milk.
- Sugar: Since you’ll be adding the sugar into hot water, granulated sugar works just fine as it will dissolve easily. If you’re looking for a healthy substitute, try Stevia, but since it’s much sweeter than sugar, add just 1/4 teaspoon to start. You could also substitute honey in a 1:1 ratio with sugar.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon will be used both in the latte itself and as a garnish to give your latte a beautiful finish.
How to Make Chai Tea Latte
1. Add water to a small saucepan. Bring it to boil and add chai tea bags.
2. Cover with lid and let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Then remove the teabag.
3. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, pour milk into the pot.
4. Add sugar and cinnamon. Heat up the milk until it just starts to steam, but is not boiling.
5. Froth the milk with a handheld frother or immersion blender.
6. Add the tea into the cup, and pour the milk on top. Stir to combine. Add more milk on top and sprinkle with cinnamon powder.
Tips and Tricks
- Cover when steeping: In order to give your tea a full-bodied Chai flavor, make sure to let it steep for the full 5 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid so your tea can steep in the hottest water possible.
- Adjust the sweetness: This recipe is lightly sweetened, but you may find you like it sweeter…or less! Adjust the amount of sugar to your preferred taste. Start with 1 tablespoon and gradually add more.
How Much Caffeine Does a Chai Tea Latte Have?
A Chai Tea Latte will give you a good energy boost, but not in the same way a coffee drink will. A Grande (medium) Chai Tea Latte contains 95 mg of caffeine. To give you an idea, a Tall (small) Pike Place Brewed Coffee has 155 mg.
Is Chai Latte Bad for You?
Chai has actually been shown to have some wonderful health benefits. Since Chai is a blend of spices, drinking it has the combined advantage of each of their favorable qualities. It’s good for your heart health, blood sugar levels and might even help with digestion. Of course this recipe adds sugar, but you can always swap it out or use less if that’s something you’re watching. Overall, it’s a delicious drink that actually has a lot to offer.
How to Make Chai Tea Latte Mix?
It’s actually quite simple to make your own Chai mix. I recommend mixing powdered versions of cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves in equal parts. Then add double the amount of cinnamon and ginger powder. You can keep the spice blend stored in an airtight jar and add a few tablespoons to a pot of milk whenever you’re in the mood for a latte. Don’t forget to add black tea if you want the caffeine. You can do this either in bag form, or by adding it in loose leaf and straining it out. Use a frother or whisk to thicken the milk!
Variations
Iced Chai Tea Latte
The Iced Chai Tea Latte is great for occasions when you don’t want to sip a hot drink. It may seem as simple as just adding in some ice, but for a drink that’s refreshingly cool and not too watery, let your Chai tea cool to at least room temperature before adding in the ice.
Dirty Chai Tea Latte
Sound intriguing? A Dirty Chai is a great choice when you want your normal latte but maybe need an extra boost. It adds a shot of espresso into the mix. For an Iced Dirty Chai, add the hot espresso to your hot Chai blend and let them cool together before adding ice.
If You Like This Recipe Try Out These Starbucks Copycat Drink Recipes
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Chai Tea Latte turns out in the comments below!
Easy Chai Tea Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 chai tea bags
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar (this will make a slightly sweet drink, add 2 tablespoons if you prefer a sweeter drink)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Add water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Place chai tea bags in the pan, and cover with a lid.
- Let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Then remove the tea bags.
- In a separate saucepan over medium heat, pour milk into the pot.
- Add sugar and cinnamon.
- Heat up the milk until it just starts to steam, but is not boiling.
- (optional) Use a handheld frother or immersion blender to froth the milk.
- Add the tea into the cup, and pour the milk on top. Stir to combine.
- Add more milk on top and sprinkle with cinnamon powder. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- For Iced Chai Tea Latte, you’ll need to make your chai tea ahead of time and let it chill before making the drink.
- You can customize the sweetness of your drink. Taste and adjust the amount for the perfect subtle touch.
Nutrition
Supriya Kutty says
The chai from the outside is so very costly that it is not possible to try it every time you crave it. This post of yours is saving my pocket and I am very thankful to you that you shared this with us.