Chia Tea Latte Recipe | Creamy Homemade Chai Latte Drink for Cozy Mornings
A cozy homemade chai latte made from a spiced black tea concentrate and finished with steamed milk and a touch of sweetness. Brew once and enjoy café-style lattes all week.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2–3 black tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose-leaf Assam or Darjeeling)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 black peppercorns, lightly crushed (optional)
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 2–3 tablespoons sweetener (honey, maple syrup, or sugar), to taste
- 1 cup milk (whole, oat, or almond)
- Ground cinnamon or nutmeg, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Combine the water, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, and sliced ginger in a small saucepan, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add the black tea bags or loose tea, and steep for 4–5 minutes, then strain the mixture into a jar or measuring cup.
- Stir the vanilla extract and sweetener into the hot tea to create the chai concentrate.
- Warm the milk on the stovetop until steaming without boiling and froth using a whisk, jar shake, or frother until velvety.
- Fill a mug halfway with hot chai concentrate, top with steamed milk, spoon foam over the top, and dust with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.
Notes
Use robust black tea like Assam for bold flavor. Sweeten while warm for best dissolution. Heat milk to about 150–160°F for optimal foam. Store chai concentrate in the refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 2 months. Start with a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to milk and adjust to taste.