Description
A thick, fragrant, and deeply spiced chai syrup made with just five pantry staples. This concentrate allows you to create luxurious, warming chai lattes in seconds, offering a customizable, budget-friendly alternative to coffee shop drinks.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
- Milk of choice (e.g., oat, almond, whole, or coconut milk)
- 2 black tea bags or 1 tablespoon loose leaf black tea (optional)
- Honey or maple syrup (optional, for extra sweetness)
Instructions
- Combine 4 cups of water and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir gently until the sugar is dissolved, which takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Add ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and crushed peppercorns to the saucepan. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly and becomes more concentrated.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Pour the concentrate into mason jars or glass containers. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer if desired to remove sediment, or pour carefully leaving sediment at the bottom.
- To serve, heat your choice of milk in a mug or saucepan. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the chai concentrate.
- For a caffeinated version, add a tea bag to the hot milk and steep for 3-5 minutes before removing.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or spice level as needed.
Notes
[‘Use fresh spices for the best flavor; old spices will taste dusty.’, ‘The concentrate keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.’, ‘Adjust spice levels to taste: add more ginger/cloves for heat, or more cinnamon for sweetness.’, ‘For a dairy-free version, use oat or coconut milk.’, ‘For a caffeine-free version, simply heat the concentrate with milk without adding tea bags.’, ‘The concentrate will thicken slightly when chilled.’]
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-3 tablespoons of c
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 40
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Protein: 3
Keywords: chai concentrate, chai syrup, fall spices, homemade chai, cozy drinks, meal prep drinks, caffeine-free chai, spiced milk