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This iced chai latte tastes like the kind you’d purchase at a coffee shop! You can make this homemade chai concentrate in minutes and enjoy affordable iced lattes all week.
If you love the Starbucks iced chai tea latte, you’ll love this drink. It uses a simple blend of spices you probably already have, and there’s no special equipment needed.
It’s the perfect drink to keep on hand during the warmer summer months when you’re not as likely to enjoy a warm chai latte.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These pantry ingredients create a delicious chai flavor. If you’d like to add even more spice, feel free to add a pinch of ground star anise, cardamom, or nutmeg, and you can also add up to a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Try a pinch of black pepper to boost the spice level, too.
Traditional recipes usually call for boiling whole spices together, like cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and cardamom pods, to create a simple syrup mixture.
The easy recipe below is for those who might not want to go through that effort. Just shake it all together in minutes!
How to Make an Iced Chai Latte
1. Brew the tea.
Arrange 4 black tea bags in a large mug or measuring cup, and pour 1 cup of boiling water over them. Let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Mix the spices.
In a 16-ounce mason jar, add the maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. When the tea is done brewing, remove the tea bags and pour the strongly brewed tea into the mason jar with the syrup and spices.
Use a whisk to mix everything together, or secure a lid on the jar and shake well. This is your chai tea concentrate!
3. Assemble.
Add roughly 1 1/2 cups of ice cubes to a glass, then pour 3/4 cup of your favorite milk over the ice.
Shake the concentrate well in the jar each time you’re ready to use it, then pour a 1/4 cup of the concentrate into the iced milk. (It makes beautiful swirls this way!)
Stir well and enjoy! If you need a sweeter or spicier flavor, add more chai concentrate as you see fit.
Variation: Make a dirty chai latte by adding a shot of espresso or a serving of cold brew into your glass. You can make it fancier by adding a dollop of foam or whipped cream on top, too.
Storage Tips: Store the leftover concentrate in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe makes roughly 5 servings as written, but you can double or triple it if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use a black tea (English breakfast or Darjeeling) for this recipe, rather than a chai tea bag so that the tea flavor won’t compete with the added spices. If you want to use a masala chai or other spiced tea, you may want to cut back dramatically on the spices in this recipe so your latte doesn’t become overwhelmingly spicy.
Yes, this drink does contain some caffeine if you use black tea. Use a deaf tea or herbal tea if you’d prefer a non-caffeinated drink. Or you can simply use extra milk as the base instead of tea.
I serve this with almond milk or oat milk, but regular milk or other non-dairy milks will work. For a creamier dairy-free drink, try using coconut milk.
Swap the maple syrup for honey if you don’t need a vegan recipe. In that case, I’d start with just a 1/4 cup of honey since it has a stronger flavor than maple syrup.
Yes, I tested this recipe in a mason jar and in a blender. I was hoping the blender might help the spices break down even more (so you won’t see spices floating in your drink). However, the blended version isn’t significantly different than the shaken version, so pick whichever method you prefer for mixing.
Looking for more tasty drink recipes? Try my Easy Mocktail, Basil Lemonade, or Adrenal Cocktail for more refreshing ideas.
Ingredients
Chai Tea Concentrate
- 4 black tea bags
- 1 cup boiled water
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
For Serving
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (per serving)
- 1 1/2 cups ice
Instructions
- Place the 4 tea bags in a large mug or measuring cup, then pour the boiled water over them. Let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove the bags.
- While the tea is steeping, add the maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to a 16-ounce mason jar with a lid. Use a whisk to stir them together, or secure the lid on the jar and shake well. Add the tea and shake again to complete the chai tea concentrate.
- When you're ready to make a serving, add ice and 3/4 cup of milk to a glass. Pour a 1/4 cup of the chai concentrate (shake well before measuring each time!) over the milk, then stir. You can add a little more concentrate for a sweeter and spicier flavor, or add more milk to dilute the flavor. The choice is up to you!
- Store the concentrate in the airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this iced chai latte recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it.
This chai latte is amazing! My girls and I tried it on the weekend and we all loved it. This will be a summer staple for sure.
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’ve tried several different recipes and this one is the best!
I made this yesterday and it is DELICIOUS! I followed your recipe exactly and the spices were perfect! My new summer beverage! Thank you!
I was so excited to see this recipe and couldn’t wait to try it. I love chai and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. I did have to use honey as per the notes section as I didn’t have enough maple syrup but it came out delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Absolutely perfect combination of flavors, & so easy to make. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
I literally JUST finished drinking this and it tastes AMAZING! It’s the perfect balance of spices and sweetness. This is my new summer drink and I’ll be drinking this regularly.
If we cannot use maple what would be a suitable substitute? Thank you
Honey or agave would be the most similar swap, but I’d use a little less, since both of them are sweeter than maple syrup.
Thank you so much!
I love this recipe!!! Thank you for sharing. I used decaf black tea and homemade almond milk.
Any suggestions on how much if a homemade chai mix blend I could use?
My first foray into the Chai tea concentrate world… I’m sold!! Thanks for getting all the details so right, Megan.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kim!
Ooh, might try this with rooibos.
Can Chia tea bags be used in place of black tea and spices?
Yes, you can try it that way, too! I’d love to hear how you like it.
I am a chai latte snob. I don’t like many recipes, let me tell you, and I’ve poured out a few from various coffee shops (including Starbucks).
Your recipe is DIVINE!!!! I did not modify it at all. It is perfect!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nathalie! I think I’m a chai latte snob, too. LOL