Description
A warm, cozy, and slightly sweet homemade chai latte perfect for fall, made with simple pantry ingredients like cinnamon sticks, black tea, and brown sugar. Ready in under 15 minutes and customizable for dairy-free options.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 black tea bags (Assam or English Breakfast recommended)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) brown sugar (dark or light)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3–4 whole cloves
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk of choice (whole milk, almond, oat, or soy milk)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups (480 ml) of water into a small saucepan and add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, ground ginger, and cardamom. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer the spices for about 5 minutes to release their flavors.
- Add 2 black tea bags to the simmering water and steep on low heat for 3-4 minutes, ensuring the tea is strong but not bitter.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons (45 grams) of brown sugar until fully dissolved.
- In a separate pot or microwave-safe container, warm 2 cups (480 ml) of milk until hot but not boiling. Froth if desired.
- Strain the spiced tea mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a mug, discarding solids.
- Pour in the heated milk and stir gently.
- Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir once more.
- Serve topped with a cinnamon stick if desired and enjoy.
Notes
Simmer spices gently to avoid bitterness. Use fresh cinnamon sticks for best flavor. Heat milk separately to prevent skin formation. Adjust brown sugar to taste. For dairy-free, use almond, oat, or soy milk. Leftover spiced tea (without milk) can be refrigerated up to 2 days and reheated gently.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Protein: 6
Keywords: chai latte, fall drink, brown sugar chai, cinnamon latte, homemade chai, dairy-free chai, cozy drink, autumn beverage