Description
A homemade iced vanilla chai latte that is creamy, spicy, and refreshing. This recipe uses a simple chai concentrate made with real spices, allowing for customizable sweetness and a fraction of the cost of café drinks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6–8 black tea bags (Assam or Ceylon) or 3 tablespoons loose leaf black tea
- 2 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick (1 inch) or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4–5 cardamom pods (lightly crushed) or ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3–4 whole cloves
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger (sliced or smashed) or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 4–5 black peppercorns
- ½ to ¾ cup honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup milk (whole, oat, almond, or coconut)
- 1–2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- Combine water and whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, peppercorns) in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes to extract spice flavors.
- Add black tea bags and sweetener to the simmering water. Stir to dissolve sweetener and simmer for another 3 minutes. Do not boil the tea longer than this to avoid bitterness.
- Turn off heat. Remove tea bags (squeeze gently) and let the concentrate steep with spices for 5 minutes.
- Strain the concentrate through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar or bottle. Discard spices and let cool to room temperature.
- To assemble, fill a glass with ice. Pour in ½ cup chai concentrate and ½ cup milk.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Shake vigorously in a shaker bottle or stir well to combine.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or strength as desired. Garnish with cinnamon if desired.
Notes
The concentrate can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. For less dilution, freeze chai concentrate into ice cubes. Use real vanilla extract for best flavor; imitation vanilla tastes artificial. Adjust sweetener based on the milk used, as milk dilutes sweetness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass (approx. 12
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 40
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 17
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
Keywords: iced chai latte, vanilla chai, homemade chai, iced coffee alternative, chai concentrate, summer drinks, healthy latte