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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!
What is a Chai Latte?
Similar to a latte made with coffee, a chai latte is typically made with a tea concentrate and steamed milk.
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!
Does Chai have caffeine?
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!
I personally don’t have the patience to wait for tea to brew, and then 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.
How to Make It
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.
Tip: My homemade almond milk and almond milk coffee creamer both make amazing foam in a milk frother.
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.
However you make it, I hope you’ll enjoy this easy and flavorful drink!
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.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 2 black tea bags (optional; I like to use Darjeeling)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon , or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
Instructions
- If using tea, keep in mind that this drink will have caffeine. Heat up the almond milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat, until it begins to bubble around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat, and add the 2 tea bags to the pot of hot milk. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for the tea to steep, then remove the bags and continue with the next step.
- If you're skipping the tea, add the plain almond milk to a sauce pan.
- Now that the milk is in the saucepan (whether it's been brewed as tea, or not) add in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and maple syrup. Whisk to combine, stirring over medium heat, until the mixture is piping hot.
- Adjust any seasoning to your taste and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can serve them chilled over ice, or reheat on the stove again.
Video
Nutrition
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:
- Because this is a quick stove top recipe, you can adjust anything you like and taste as you go. If you need to use a zero calorie sweetener, just add it to your taste instead of using maple syrup.
- The same goes for the spices! I think Chai Lattes tend to have a lot of spice, but if you don’t care for as many, you can always start will less and just add more to taste as you go.
- If you prefer to use another milk, go for it. I think my homemade hemp milk would work great for this recipe, too, if you need a nut-free option.
- If you’d prefer a frozen version of this drink, be sure to try my Frozen Chai Latte smoothie. It tastes so much like a blended drink from Starbucks!
As always, if you try something different please leave a comment below so we can all benefit from your experience.
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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!
So yum! The sweetness of the maple syrup and the spiciness from the spices go so well together! 😊
Absolutely delicious and takes No time at all. Easy easy easy! Will definitely make this again. Thanks!
This is delicious! Quite honestly I’ve also wondered why bother with the tea – i cant normally taste it in chai lattes. I have also tried this with 5 crushed green cardamom and 6 black peppercorns lightly broken. I also use cinnamon stick instead of powder which means I had to leave mine to infuse a bit longer.Obviously you need to pass it thru a tea strainer into a cup to remove the whole spices. I found 2tblspns maplesyrup plenty sweet enough so test as you go with that too.
I had my first chai latte out at a local coffee shop. I am telling you this is so much better. I can’t believe this is so good. I make my own almond milk, per Meghan so I can’t speak for the store bought kind as the base, but this is in my weekly menu several times from now on!.
So simple and delicious, I was a little skeptical at first due to no chai in the chai, lol…I used on stevia to replace maple syrup and added a little pepper. A keeper for sure
Peets Coffeehouse Pumpkin Chai latte is A-Mazing! I’m guessing it is a mix but I don’t know. I would love to be able to duplicate this at home & know it is a low sugar, guiltless version.
My wife boils the spices and then adds milk. The moment it looks like a skim forms on the top, remove the pot from the heat and serve. I hope you enjoy this
Mmm. I used this instead of water to steep my tea and I might never go back. My new job allows me to work from home sometimes, and while I like the opportunity I find myself getting distracted and looking for stimulation. This has kept me satisfied and helped me focus 🙂
Can’t wait to try this, I’ve given up coffee to ease symptoms of hyperthyroidism, I have started making homemade turmeric latte with coconut/nut milk, fresh turmeric and fresh ginger, I whizz this in my NutriBullet to chop the turmeric and ginger before heating, but it also gives it great froth for all those who don’t have a milk steamer 🙂 stays frothy through heating 😉 just thought I’d share, and def going to try this chai latte yummy
I added 1/8 tsp cardamom and toasted the spices until fragrant before adding the milk, using goner as my sweetener. Was delicious, will make for my family during winter. Thanks for the recipe!