Home Made Chai Latte'

If you love a great chai latte' but don't want to run to Starbucks and spend $3 every time you want a cup, you need this recipe. It is so easy to make it at home. You probably have nearly everything you need in your cupboards right now.

In the final step, I give tips for saving more money on this recipe. So don't miss the last step!

WARNING! Many people (myself included) have developed addictions to this recipe! Proceed at your own risk!

Step 1: Gather your ingredients.

Here's what you'll need:

Saucepan
2 C. Water
2 Regular Tea Bags
1/8-1/4 teaspoon EACH of ginger and cardamon
1 whole clove
1 cinnamon stick
6 Splenda packets or 1/4 cup Sugar
2 1/2 C. Milk

Comments

[Dealande]

I am an absolute Chai addict! Can’t live without it! I can’t afford Starbucks every day so I started buying the Tazo Chai Tea Latte Concentrate. It’s already made and sweetened you just add milk and warm it up. It’s the exact product that Starbucks uses. But the price of it has been going up. Now days I can’t find it for less than 3.85 for a 32oz container, so even though I can get several cups out of it it’s still expensive. My point is I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe! I’m sooo excited I found this! Thank You!

[MattLindley]

For those who would like the richer flavor, without the extra fat, I would suggest fat free half-n-half. Most grocery stores carry at least one brand, and the flavor (particularly in coffee and in a recipe like this) is not distinguishable from regular half-n-half.

[Dealande]

The only thing with fat free half and half is that a lot of brands have High Fructose Corn Syrup in them. I don’t know why but they do. So if you’re going to go this way be sure to read the ingredients before you buy.

[treep1]

I was low on milk yesterday, but had some cream and real half and half in the fridge, which I substituted for part of the milk. Man, was it rich. A little too rich for my liking - I'm a skim milk drinker. Your suggestion is a great one for keeping the richness and losing the fat - everybody's looking for a way to trim the fat. That's why I like this recipe so much - using skim milk it's really not bad for you. So thanks for the note. Something else that makes a great add-in without adding much in calories or fat is low fat Coolwhip. Adds a nice sweetness but not a lot of "weight."

[Dealande]

I am an absolute Chai addict! Can’t live without it! I can’t afford Starbucks every day so I started buying the Tazo Chai Tea Latte Concentrate. It’s already made and sweetened you just add milk and warm it up. It’s the exact product that Starbucks uses. But the price of it has been going up. Now days I can’t find it for less than 3.85 for a 32oz container, so even though I can get several cups out of it it’s still expensive. My point is I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe! I’m sooo excited I found this! Thank You!

[capheind]

Actually what you've made is essentially Masala Chai, unless I missed something there is no steamed milk in this and hence no Latte. So basically you've made the original article, Kuddos are well deserved (I'd take classic Masala Chai over a Latte any day). What folks in the US, Canada, and much of Europe call "Chai" is basically the distilled and localized tea traditions of India and the surrounding areas, as such there is no right or wrong with chai, but I would recommend picking up a decent loose leaf over the teabags, not necessarily much more expensive, the flavor will be better, and your straining it anyways...

[amille]

That's where you're wrong. It is Latte and one can buy it almost anywhere they sell coffees. Duh!

[capheind]

Actually no. A Latte involves steamed milk, which (unless I misread) the author did not use. What has been made is in fact Indian Masala chai, sans the elaborate pulling in which a chai-walla would engage (as demonstrated here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i1-2O6mUu0). If you take a look at the equipment at your favorite coffee house you'll notice a frothing wand off the side of the Espresso machine, this frothing wand steams the milk and gives it its foamy "Latte" quality.

[J@50n]

 this is probably a dumb question, but what is "regular tea" i have flavored will it be the same?

[amille]

Regular tea isn't necessarily black tea, Lipton tea, generic brands that just say plain old tea for Iced tea is what is referred to as "Regular tea."

[amille]

The best way to put it is Unflavored tea not necessarily "black tea." Just your basic tea bags and they don't have to be expensive brands.

[treep1]

Hi,
By "regular" tea, I mean black tea (the label will say orange pekoe and cut black pekoe, or something similar). 

Flavored tea will change the taste of the Chai, though it may not be in a bad way.  I would avoid anything fruity, for sure.  Think of the other spices (ginger, cardamon, cloves, and cinnamon) and avoid anything that would clash.  I've made it with green tea (like it best when I also use both a black tea bag and a green tea bag.)  I've also used oolong tea, which is supposed to be a diet help.  That was pretty good.  

"Regular" black tea is the cheapest of all, so you may want to purchase some for this recipe.  If you try your flavored teas, I'd like to know how it turns out.  Good luck!

Theresa

[J@50n]

 O.k, thanks! i as wondering if i could put your link in one of my featured instructables (Fakeuccino).  I will just put the link so you get the views!

Tell me if its o.k with you!

Thanks also for the help about the tea!

[treep1]

You're welcome for the help, such as it was!  Feel free to link-away!  Glad to share my favorite recipe!

[J@50n]

ok, thanks!

[grsoto]

great post i love chai lattes and i find that in place of using splenda or that bleached white sugar (both taste chemically to me) i get my sugar for free @ starbucks when ever i go in and get like a juice or something or if im just their with friends. So far i havent had to buy sugar or napkins for 5 years. also add less of the starbucks sugar its way sweeter then normal sugar i guess cause its "Raw Cane" sugar.

[amille]

Can you say blue collar crime? That's theft. You are only to get what you use while you're there not use them as your lifetime supplier.

[dmichalski]

You don't find that stealing the sugar for five years at Starbucks is a problem? No wonder things cost so much at Starbucks - they have to compensate for the thieves who help themselves to things they have no right to have!

[IRQ_VET]

I boiled the cinnamon and 1 clove first then shut off the heat add the tea bags let it sit a few minutes warmed light cream on the side with my choice of sweetener, and in the summer i like to add premium vanilla ice cream for a shake

[sanderson ŧ]

That sounds totally amazing!

[karthikvasudevan]

Take it from me , a long time Chai aficionado. You never boil tea. You bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat off and then add the tea, the difference in taste is revelatory. Also ive read that boiling the tea removes all the anti-oxidants and some other stuff that makes the tea so healthy.

[florencev]

You are quite right. Boiling or even having the tea sit in water that is too hot will take out all the anit-oxidents and leave only the caffine.

[lblondeau]

Artificial sweeteners such as Splenda are horrible for you health, especially at 6 packages. This recipe sounds great if one omits that and uses honey : )

[dmichalski]

For diabetics the use of Splenda or other artificial sweeteners are the only way they can sweeten their beverages. You might want to consider that before you make statements such as they are "horrible for your health." The alternative, using sugar, is not in the best interest of a diabetic person's health.

[florencev]

There are some healthier sweetner options now. There's Xylitol and Stevia, also Evaporated Palm (Coconut) sugar with a Low 35% glycemic index. They all come from natural sources rather than Splenda which is synthetic.

[ygm]

As "hurtful" as you think lblondeau's comment is, it is indeed truthful. You are the one who might want to do a little research as this sweetener is in fact, "horrible for your health".

[katherinepotatoes]

You should do some research prior to correcting someone who has had to reflect so much on their diet in general. The research on splenda or sucralose is actually pretty inconclusive, if you go way over the expected daily amount there are negative effects. However, if you go way over the daily amount of anything, there are going to be some lasting health effects. So what you said isn't truthful and telling someone that they haven't done a little research is much ruder than what ther first person said. The person providing the recipe said to use either sugar or splenda, it was good that that person was being inclusive of diabetics.

The data on high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, the importance of exercise and saturated fats are all much more conclusive then this data, so unless you exercise the proper amount, are way within your bmi, and eat an incredibly healthy lifestyle. Don't be rude.

[hivant]

Diabetics can also use stevia. Stevia is a sweetener that is natural and has no calories. It is made from the stevia plant.

[cherrybomb101]

This was delicious!! i just made it a few minutes ago. i used vanilla chai teabags. unfortunatly in the midst of all this, i managed to set a tea towel on fire and the chai ended up boiling over all over the stovetop!!! it is still amazing!! i used soy milk (as i dont drink cows milk) and it helped. i also used a sprinkle of ground cloves as its all i have at the moment. I am now addicted!! im going to make this every morning before school!! also, im wondering if anyone knows how much tea leaves = a teabag

please respond :) XOXO

[shelleyk]

Thank you! This is a lovely recipe. I only had cardamon pods so I used a few instead and it is terrific. I am enjoying it immensely.

[mcarfagno]

this is a fantastic chai tea recipe!! the strength of the tea greatly depends on the type of tea bag used. we prefer a heartier flavor, so we used a heartier malty leaf along with cutting the milk back about 3/4 of a cup. thanks so much for the guidance!!

[mbrauer]

Clove of what???

[Carrienguns]

You can buy "Cloves" ground or whole, it's a spice. You want the whole in the case, but it's expensive, where if you buy the ground, you can add to your taste and use in baking.

[lblondeau]

A CLOVE... you know, the SPICE 'CLOVE'.. you use it to spice a ham. Cloves.

[chubbymummy80]

WEIGHT WATCHERS TIP!!!! Tim Hortons sells an awesome Chai Tea. To simplify just buy a box of that for $3.50 and add skim milk and sweetener. It's low fat and tastes just as good as Starbucks, plus it's ZERO pointsplus until you drink enough to use 1/2 cup skim milk. (1 cup is 2 pointsplus)

[grayseep189]

If I have chai tea tea bags do I just need milk, water and sugar?

[thartaros]

im in your situation as well. i used 2 tea bags, did everything else like normal and it came out pretty tasty.

[lilhobbit]

hi can't wait to try this recipe. what do you mean by c. milk? is that chocolate milk???? or plain milk? And where do you find the cardamon, is that a spice or liquir?

[treep1]

c. stands for cup - 2 1/2 cups of milk. just white, skim, whole or whatever you like. some people like soy, or even vanilla soy (yum). cardamom is a spice, a seed that I buy ground for this recipe. i like buying it in a local health food store that sells spices by weight, though if you have more money than health food stores available, you can buy a jar at the grocery store for about $12. (the same qty. in bulk costs me about $2) hope you try it and enjopy it!

[hjennings23]

Wow, thanks! This looks fantastic! I'm going to go make some right now!

[ksa123456]

Thank you for this great recipe.  Just made it ......... it is just as good as Starbucks, but a whole lot cheaper!  Do you have an idea how to make the Starbucks Chai  Frappuccino.  Maybe add vanilla ice cream instead of the milk, once step 4 has cooled?

[treep1]

Oh, good!  I'm always glad to hear that someone else is enjoying this recipe!   I don't know how to make a Frappuccino, but adding ice cream couldn't be a bad thing!  Let me know how it turns out!

[ladybellringerm]

 Living in Minnesota, I've discovered that a cup of chai at the end of the day with a shot of rum is a very good thing.

[were.0313]

So im a fellow Chai addict and needless to say my addiction is expensive so tomorrow I have to go get these ingredients and I will leave another comment but im rather excited :)

[cranders]

Excellent taste and easy to make. Brilliant!

[kammhron]

Nice recipe. I like to use some honey also. Try It! Yummy!

[atropos]

I'm broke and didn't have any cinnamon sticks, cardamon or cloves. But I did have a box of Good Earth Chai Tea and it's ingredients had all those things. The first time I made this I used 2 chai tea bags. I added some ground ginger and regular powdered cinnamon. It was pretty good. It was missing a "kick" though. So the next day I used 3 tea bags. And I added the cinnamon when I added the milk and I think that made a difference. It was very yummy. Now I only have 1 tea bag left, so I'm thinking of cutting the recipe in half. :)

[mackamitsu]

Try using a gunpowder tea instead of regular black tea. I use a little stevia instead of artificial sweetener (1 tsp for 4 cups of chai), and I like to use homogenized milk instead of cream or skim. If you want a real treat, add a bit of vanilla to your mix when you add the milk, you will need less sweetener, and it gives it a very nice taste. I add about 1/2 tea spoon for 4 cups.

[The Reverend]

thanks for posting this - I will try it when I get home. Usually I drink the Tazo chai tea straight without milk or sweetener - but I must confess one of my secret guilty pleasures is a lovely sweetened iced Chai Latte. You way has an added bonus - the house will smell great! Have you tried your recipe with soy milk? If so is there a brand you found works best? Cheers!

[Aleksandr Skotbot]

I've been vegan for almost 4 years, so I've tried a lot of soy milks. My two favorites are Pacific Vanilla and Silk Vanilla. I know that for making lattes, the pacific aerates a bit better, but that only applies if you have a way to foam your milk, a steam wand or a frothing device. Personally, I never make lattes at home because I think they are so much better with aerated milk; so to the author of this instructable, that's what I'd like to share. I'm saving up for an espresso machine, but I believe I've seen milk frothers for $10 or less. If you've never seen one, it's like a tiny stick blender with a circle of coiled wire on the end. (: everything else in this chai makes me realllly want to try one!

[treep1]

I have never used soy milk, but my sister does. I don't know what brand she's used - sorry I can't be of help there. I think mine can be iced, too. I would make it stronger - less water, and maybe a less milk? - then serve it over ice. I'm just a fan of it this way - you're right, it makes the house smell GREAT! Thanks for writing!

[AnarchistAsian]

ha ha great! you finally made it!

[houseofdixon]

I've never tried to make my own before... I think I will give it a shot!!! Recipe looks pretty simple.

[treep1]

It's very simple! I hope you try it - let me know how you like it!

[Brian Baity]

Well Done, I am a Chai addict anyway so this is great. I think I will premake the ingredients and store it for later use. I think with a tea ball this can be ready to use anywhere anytime. Hooray for you.

[treep1]

I like your thinking, and I've tried to make this more portable to take it camping or to give as gifts. Something to consider, though, is that the spices will lose their flavor quickly if they're not tightly sealed. My first attempt was with large u-fill tea bags. I figured that with all the ingredients sealed inside, I could just toss one in to brew. The very first one was OK, but after just a day or two, the spices had lost their flavor and all I could taste was the tea. My second attempt was better - I purchased small (2x3ish) zip lock baggies (ask your local drug dealer where to buy them :) ) and put all the ingredients in there, leaving the tea in the tea bags. This worked much better - just dump out the bag and brew - and the spices maintained their flavors much better. Thanks for your comment!

[pfingers]

This is an excellent recipe... I prefer this to the latte I'm used to, and I work at Starbucks... Bravo!

[treep1]

OOOh!! I'm excited to get that kind of feedback! Thanks for trying it and commenting! I've never had a Starbucks Chai Latte, but I've had others tell me that this is as good or better. Now I have it from an authority! Thanks!

[tercero]

Tetley Tea (Canada) makes this fantastic tea of Chai in these vacuum sealed small canisters (bags). My wife and I enjoy it anytime we have curry, masala, or even with a semi sweet desert. My favourite tea outside of Earl Grey/Vanilla and Mint Green tea mixed.

[treep1]

When I discovered Chai, I was surprised at how many different ways it could be made, and at the variety of spices that could be used in it - even pepper! And varying the tea you use will change the flavor of the tea -- I like oolong - a little sweeter flavor, I think. Green tea would add other benefits. And of course you can mix them together - sometimes I use black and green or black and oolong. Do you make yours as tea, or do you make a latte' with it? I often drink mine in place of dessert. I find that it's satisfying when I'm just not sure what I want. And it really is good for you. The only calories/fat come from the milk (minimize those with skim milk). The tea has antioxidants, and the spices are good for respiration (it's helped my asthma a lot). Cardamon is supposed to be a bit of an aphrodisiac as well - bonus! Anyway, thanks for your comment!