Homemade Chai Tea Latte (Iced/Hot)
There's nothing quite like the warm embrace of aromatic spices and a steaming cup of chai tea latte on a chilly autumn morning. Whether you prefer your chai tea latte hot or cold, this easy recipe has you covered. So, grab your favorite mug or glass and let's dive into the world of homemade chai!
Equipment
- Mortar and pestle
- Measuring cups
- Small saucepan
- fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 4 cardamom pods
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ inch fresh ginger
- 5 cloves
- ½ star anise (optional)
- 4 black peppercorns (optional)
- 2 black tea bags (or 2 teaspoons of loose tea)
- 2 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cup milk (You can use whole milk, 2%, soy milk, or any milk of your choice. I used unsweetened oat milk.)
Instructions
- Use a mortar and pestle to lightly crush ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anises (optional), and black peppercorns (optional).
- Place the crushed spices, black tea, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the milk in the saucepan, stirring well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and use a fine mesh strainer to strain the chai tea latte into a clean container. Discard the spices and tea leaves. Taste the chai tea latte and add more sugar if desired.
- Optionally, pour the chai tea latte from one container into the other. Keep pouring the chai tea latte back and forth between the containers until you achieve the desired amount of foam. The more you pour, the frothier it will become.
- Once you've created enough foam, carefully pour the chai tea latte into your serving mug to serve it hot.
- To make an iced chai tea latte, transfer the chai tea latte to the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 30 minutes. Fill a glass with ice cubes, pour the chilled chai tea over the ice to fill the glass. Serve your iced chai tea latte immediately.