Home Made Chai Latte Recipe

This Chai Latte recipe has the sweet and spicy flavor that you love, and can be made at home in just minutes. It’s dairy-free, naturally sweetened, and makes a great healthier alternative to the kind you’d buy at a coffee shop.

As an added bonus, it’s cheaper and has no weird preservatives or additives. I love making it at home because I get to control the amount of spice and sweetness. You can simply taste as you go!

When I worked as a barista in college, the chai concentrate we used had enough sugar in it that it could sit on the counter for over a month without refrigeration. I wanted to figure out a healthier alternative to make at home to avoid that!

How To Make A Chai Tea Latte

Chai lattes that are made with black tea do have some caffeine. In this particular recipe, you can make it with or without the tea– either way it will taste great!

Make a latte out of it, so this recipe gets its flavor from an easy combination of spices instead. If you make it without the tea, it’s a caffeine-free drink.

This recipe is quick and simple to make on the stove top, but if you want an extra-authentic drink that would come from a coffee house, you can use a milk frother to heat up the milk instead.

Easy Homemade Chai Tea Mix

I usually just whisk the milk and spices in a saucepan over the stove, so that I don’t have to get out any extra equipment.

If you want to make this drink with tea, you’ll need to heat up the almond milk first, then use the hot milk to steep the tea bags for 3 to 5 minutes.

Once the tea is steeped, you can remove the tea bags and continue with the recipe by adding the spices and sweetener. I recommend using a plain black tea, rather than a chai tea bag, so that the drink isn’t too spicy.

Homemade Chai Tea Recipe

It’s the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth when it’s chilly outside, and I have a feeling it would be delicious served over ice for a warmer day, too.

This naturally-sweetened chai latte tastes like a coffeehouse drink without the extra sugar or preservatives. You can make it with or without tea (for a caffeine-free drink) and it can be easily customized to your tastes! 

Calories: 119 kcal , Carbohydrates: 22 g , Protein: 1 g , Fat: 3 g , Sodium: 328 mg , Potassium: 67 mg , Fiber: 1 g , Sugar: 18 g , Calcium: 340 mg

Iced Chai Latte (starbucks Copycat)

Nutrition information is for 1 of 2 servings. This is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, so it’s just an estimate and not a guarantee. Recipe Notes:

Reader Feedback: Do you have a favorite coffee house drink that needs a healthier makeover? Feel free to make any requests in the comments below!

Subscribe to my weekly email newsletter for a free 7-day kick start guide. Plus, you'll get weekly meal ideas & new recipes every week!Curl up with a blanket and this easy chai latte - it's just the thing to warm you up on brisk fall mornings and chilly winter evenings. This drink is sweet, creamy, and full of cozy spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. It's also made completely from scratch! For an extra boost of caffeine, just add coffee to make it a dirty chai.

Easy Chai Tea Latte

In the world of cozy beverages, does it get any cozier than a chai latte? A steaming cup of tea, creamy frothed milk, and a mix of warm spices - there is

No cozier combination. I've had my fair share of good chai at coffee shops, but there's nothing more I want to do on a cold day than hunker down at home.

The best of both worlds? A comfy couch, a warm blanket, and this easy chai latte recipe. Throw in a spiced muffin or a thick slice of homemade pumpkin bread, and I can guarantee you won't be missing Starbucks anytime soon.

Starbucks Chai Tea Latte

Most recipes call for cinnamon, ginger, clove, black peppercorn, cardamom, and star anise in this milk tea - I like to add vanilla to mine as well. Combined with your sweetener of choice, it makes a drink that's inherently comforting: perfectly sweet and creamy, with the naturally rich flavor of black tea amplified by fragrant warm spices.

Now that you have a basic idea of what traditional chai tea lattes consist of, let's take a closer look at the ingredients used in

Ground spices, presumably because they're more widely available and don't have to be infused like whole spices do. That being said, I feel that you need whole spices to make a perfect chai latte. Here's why:

Authentic Homemade Indian Chai Tea Recipe

As with all of my coffee and latté recipes, I prefer (and highly recommend) using whole milk in this chai recipe. It's creamy and naturally sweet, and its neutral flavor blends well with both coffee and tea. While not as creamy, 2% milk will also work!

If you prefer to use non-dairy milk, I'd suggest using whatever your go-to is for lattes - many people like almond milk, although I personally prefer oat milk.

I like honey in this recipe, but brown sugar and maple syrup are all also great options for sweetening a chai latte. Their warm undertones compliment the spiced tea well and contribute to the overall flavor rather than merely adding sweetness.

Iced Chai Latte

While you can use any variety of black tea to make a chai latte, Darjeeling and Assam teas tend to be the most widely recommended. I often use Ceylon tea as well. If your options are limited, you can usually find English breakfast tea in most grocery stores, and this will work just fine.

True tea lovers will tell you that loose leaf tea is the superior choice for a more full-bodied flavor, but I typically make this recipe with tea bags for simplicity's sake. Do your research when purchasing - even tea bags can be high quality if sourced well.

If you decide to use loose leaf tea, I'd suggest starting with about 2 teaspoons of tea per latte, and adjusting as needed to suit your personal taste.

Easy Chai Latte With Almond Milk

The key to a flavorful chai latte begins with infusing a chai spice blend into hot water. To do this, combine water, cinnamon sticks, star anise (chopped), cardamom pods (split), cloves, ginger root, a vanilla bean (split), and black peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat.

Then, remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it, and let it steep for 1 hour. Strain the spices from the water using a fine-mesh strainer, reserving the liquid to use as your chai concentrate.

Place the chai concentrate back in a medium saucepan and bring to a near boil (about 205ºF-210ºF) over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, prep two mugs with 1-2 tea bags each, depending on how strong you like your tea.

Easy Masala Chai Recipe

Note: To use loose leaf tea, add the tea leaves directly to the saucepan after warming the concentrate. Let them steep in the saucepan and then strain them out.

Meanwhile, froth the milk and honey (or other sweetener) together in a milk frother. Remove the tea bags from the mugs and top each cup with an equal amount of hot milk before serving.

For an iced chai latte (perfect for those hot summer months!) follow the same steps above to heat the concentrate and brew the tea. Then, chill the chai tea concentrate in the refrigerator until it's cooled completely.

Ultimate Homemade Chai Tea Latte Recipe (step By Step)

Once cool, you can use it right away or store it for up to a week. Assemble your iced lattes by combining with cold-frothed milk and honey, and serving over ice.

In order to give this latte a thick, creamy layer of foam on top, I use an electric milk frother. It may seem like an unnecessary kitchen appliance to own, but if you make lattes often, I promise it will

That being said, if you don't own one and don't plan on buying one, a good alternative is to use a mason jar. Pour the milk into a large jar, shake it vigorously, and then microwave it for 30-60 seconds. The foam won't be quite as fine and velvety as what you get with a frother, but still SO much better than regular steamed milk.

Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Recipe (copycat)

. However, you can easily make this homemade version using decaffeinated black tea instead. I'd recommend using tea that's been decaffeinated using the Swiss water or CO2 method - these are both non-toxic, chemical free ways to remove caffeine from tea and coffee. Allegro is my go-to brand for decaf black tea.

To make this a dirty chai latte, just add 4 ounces of strongly-brewed coffee or 2 shots of espresso. When adding coffee I also recommend increasing the honey or other sweetener to 1 ½ tablespoons.

Yes! Although I prefer using whole milk, any dairy-free or vegan milk alternative can be substituted in this recipe. I'd recommend using one with a neutral flavor and no sugar added, since this latte is already sweetened. Oat milk would be a great choice!

Homemade Chai Latte Recipe

Absolutely! Adding collagen peptides to this latte is any easy way to get a little extra protein