The cravings started earlier than normal this year…
I’m blaming it on our cooler-than-normal summer, and our early snow (YES, it snowed two weeks ago… *facepalm*), but I’m already hankering for sweaters, and fires in the stove, and chai tea.
Especially the chai.
I’m kind of a picky chai drinker… The chai tea bags you can grab in the tea aisle don’t quite cut it for me. And the pre-made concentrates are often filled with junk ingredients… So what’s a chai-aholic to do?
Make it herself, of course!
I tried a bunch of different chai recipes before I tweaked it enough to finally come up with this one. You’ll find it’s pleasantly sweet and spicy, yet not overpowering. You can absolutely adjust the level of sweetener, so feel free to adjust it as necessary to fit your tastes.
It’s pretty much autumn in a cup. Oh yeah…
How to Make Chai Tea
Yield: Approximately one quart of chai concentrate
You Will Need:
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- 6 cups water
- 1/3 cup sucanat, or rapadura, or natural sweetener of your choice (where to buy)
- 2 to 3″ fresh ginger, sliced
- 5 cinnamon sticks (where to buy)
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns (where to buy)
- 2 vanilla beans (where to buy)
- 3 star anise (where to buy)
- 15 cloves (where to buy)
- 5 allspice (optional) (where to buy)
- 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds (where to buy)
- 5 black tea bags
- Milk of your choice (both dairy and non-dairy milks will work– my favorite is whole, raw cow milk)
Instructions:
In a medium pot, bring the water and sweetener to a boil and simmer until the sweetener is fully dissolved.
Add all of the spices, and continue to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat, add the tea bags, and let them steep for 10 minutes.
Strain out the spices and tea bags and store your chai concentrate in the fridge (it will last for several weeks–but I doubt it’ll be around that long!)
To serve:
Mix the chai concentrate 1:1 with milk. Gently heat in a small saucepan until it reaches the desired temperature. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy with a good book.
Kitchen Notes:
- I used sucanat, an unrefined cane sugar, (where to buy) in my chai tea concentrate. However, this recipe is super flexible, so feel free to play around with other ingredients. Honey will work too, although I would suggest starting off with a lesser amount to avoid overpowering the mixture.
- If you like your chai less sweet, I would start off with 1/4 cup of sweetener instead of 1/3 cup.
- I love using whole spices in this mix, but if you can’t find the whole versions, it’s generally easy to substitute the ground/powdered versions as well. If you aren’t sure about the conversion rate, try googling it (for example: “conversion rate of fresh ginger to powdered ginger”)
- To save yourself the step of straining out the spices, you can place them in a small muslin bag to let them simmer instead.
- If you are feeling especially decadent, try adding a bit of cream or half-and-half in place of the milk. Ohhhhh boy…
- Missing one of these ingredients? It’s OK! This recipe lends itself well to tweaking and adjusting.
- Yeah, I know the “cinnamon sticks” in the pictures aren’t really “true” cinnamon. I just had a big bag of them I needed to use up.
How to make Chai Tea Concentrate
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1/3 cup sucanat, or rapadura, or natural sweetener of your choice (like this)
- 2–3” fresh ginger, sliced
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 2 vanilla beans
- 3 star anise
- 15 cloves
- 5 allspice (optional)
- 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds
- 5 black tea bags
- Milk of your choice (both dairy and non-dairy milks will work– my favorite is whole, raw cow milk)
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring the water and sweetener to a boil and simmer until the sweetener is fully dissolved.
- Add all of the spices, and continue to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat, add the tea bags, and let them steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain out the spices and tea bags and store your chai concentrate in the fridge (it will last for several weeks–but I doubt it’ll be around that long!)
- To serve: Mix the chai concentrate 1:1 with milk. Gently heat in a small saucepan until it reaches the desired temperature. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy. 🙂
My favorite place to purchase bulk herbs and spices is Farmhouse Teas. Use the code PRAIRE10 for a special discount.
Yum, have you tried using oils instead of spices? I was just thinking I have some of those oils and wondered how it might turn out. Love your blog!!
I’m thinking the same thing. I going to try oils in place of some of the spices. I have plenty of oils and they can be used internally. I will have to mess around with the quantity.
I think that’s a great idea!
How did the oils turn out?
Not yet– but I bet it’d be delish with oils too!
Can you clarify how much ginger this recipe calls for? I have never seen a recipe use ” and I am unclear what that means. Thank you
Inches
I am eager to try this recipe, especially since it is getting a chill in the air. Thank you for posting.
Thanks for doing this! Like you, I’m not fond of the teabag chai’s. I also won’t pay coffee shop prices for a daily treat. Can’t wait to try this, and am also going to try it with a double shot of dark chocolate syrup.
Made this today and it looks and smell so good. I’m trying to drink less coffee and this will be a great replacement. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I drink chai year round, but I’m an Oregon girl, the place that put chai on the map! Oregon Chai uses only all natural ingredients, so look for that one when you need to buy it. Not sure how far across the country it’s available, but they sell it all the way in Ireland, so who knows. This recipe looks great too! : >
I’ll have to look for that–maybe I can find it here in Wyoming. 🙂
Costco has Oregon Chai here in Helena, Mt…so there’s a chance for Wyoming!!!
(My husband buys it there for the coffee shop where he works…delicious) I am going to try to make it at home, though, because I get a little freaked out by the amount of sugar in the store-bought boxes :/
What makes this “chai” tea?
The spices are what defines Chai. Of course, the spices also vary from region to region, town to town, and household to household. The defining characteristics are cardamom, anise, and clove.
Actually, chai is the Hindi word for tea. masala chai is the spiced tea.
I just came across your recipe today. Looks like I’m just a few years behind the chai tea love wagon! I really love chai and I was wondering if you have modified this recipe over the years. If so, would you please share. I’m hoping to use no sugar ,heavy ginger ,and turmeric. I’d appreciate your ideas, comments. Thank you ?.
Hi, how did yours turn out with no sugar? I love Chai, but I don’t use any sweeteners anymore.
Oregon Chai powder is my favorite if I need chai tea quickly! But homemade is SO good. Thanks for the recipe.
I believe India put chai on the map thousands of years ago… cultural appropriation at its finest!
Question about this recipe – how many cups does it make? Does it HAVE to be refrigerated?
You are soooo right Pryia! I should have specified: on the AMERICAN map! India is where the Oregon lady fell in love with it. 🙂
This sounds delicious – and I like that you put it in a 1/2 pint jar instead of a mug 😉 My favorite chai tea right now is Double Spice Chai from STASH – very strong cinn. and I prefer half n half with whipped coconut cream on top! It’s finally a bit cooler in the mornings here in FL, so yes, I’ll be enjoying some tea.:)
I’m going to have to try that!
How do you store the concentrate and for how long?
I make chai tea gummies with great lakes gelatin the concentrate and they are soooooyummy !! If you would like the recipe let me know and I can email it to you 🙂
I would love your recipe! mchsmom@yahoo.com
Thanks, Carol
Ooooh… I love the gummy idea!
http://www.deliaspantry.ca/chai-tea-late-gummies/
I’m not blogging anymore and my shop is closed (too busy with the farm and babies) but here is the recipe I use 🙂
PS I made your recipe and it was amazing !
I tried to open your link but unfortunately it doesn’t work anymore. I would love your recipe for the gummies also! 🙂
I would love the recipe
Yes that sounds soo good
Yum! This looks absolutely delicious. I’ve been trying to hold out until October 1st to do fall-ish things. It has been such a cool summer though that it seems like it has been fall for awhile! Thanks for sharing, I’ll be trying this one ASAP 🙂
Absolutely YUM. Thank you.
Gosh I would give anything to have a cooler than normal summer. It was so exciting to have weather in the high 70s this weekend so I was actually able to use my oven and I also canned tomatoes! Unfortunately this week it is going back up to 95.
I love chai tea and have tried to make it but this recipe looks like a good one.
Hi Jill! I read this recipe as I was drinking my organic chai tea (bag, but not bad) and began to “Ooohhh!” I will try this soon! (On a side note, I really enjoyed hearing your presentation at convention. Love all the great tips for blogging and more. Thanks for the pep talk!)
Jill,
Are the black tea bags just plain ole reg. tea bags for making iced tea? I have plenty of those… This looks heavenly! Can’t wait to get all the ingredients to make it! Thanks!
Yep! I just used regular old tea bags!
Thanks Jill!
How do you think using chai tea bags would work? I bought a ton and they weren’t strong enough, would it make my concentrate stronger?
I bet those would work great!
What do you do with your vanilla beans. Seems like a waste to throw them away after this.
I use them several times, and then will often chop them up and use in various recipes
You could blend them up and use for vanilla paste
Jill- do you think that you could use maple syrup as your sweeter for this? This will be nice on these cold mornings!
Lynn
You bet! Maple syrup would be yummy here. 🙂
I made this using your recommendation and converted the recipe for ground spices. This is what I used, and it was wonderful!
2.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4t black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoon anise seed, 1 teaspoon ground clove, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1.5 teaspoons cardamom.
Yum! thanks for sharing!
Okay…I am probably a bit silly for asking but how much milk do you use? I am guessing you don’t actually simmer it in the pot too but rather just add it when you have poured it out into a mug.
Oops! Nevermind…just found the info. Missed it scrolling through 3x..lol! I think I apparently need sleep rather than to be cooking in the kitchen tonight…dangerous!!
I just mix it 1:1 with milk. So if I use 1/2 cup of concentrate, I use 1/2 cup of milk.
Anyone attempt vanilla bean paste as a subsitute for whole beans? The beans I have available are high dollar and low quality, but I can’t bring myself to buy in bulk online for a single recipe.
I was wondering the same. I have paste, but not whole beans.
Do you scrape the vanilla beans into the mixture as well, or just use the empty pods?
Add a little white chocolate and a shot of espresso and you have one phenomenal drink?? it’s called a dirty girl here in California lol?? (I love the name)
YUM!
Soooo good as “Apple Pie Chai”! Sub real apple juice/cider for half the milk. Like apple pie in a cup!
ooooh… I like that idea!
Hey, it’s nearly Christmas 2016 … Here in Australia it’s full on summer, and I’m enjoying icy cold Vanilla Chai Lattes. Trouble is, the sugar content can be very high, so as a Diabetic I’m can’t drink them often – this adaptable recipe might just be what I need – thank you!
Hope it works for you Lynn!
Do you think you could actually can this recipe to make it last longer?
I’ve never thought about that– not sure how that would work!
You could freeze it?
It’s totally cann-able, I have done it… wb 20 min…
I don’t have vanilla bean at home right now. Would it be okay to substitute pure vanilla extract? If so, at what point do you suggest to add?
Yes, that should be ok. I would add it at the very end.
I cannot wait to try this! I have the same issue. Tea bags are too weak, and pre made stuff has sweeteners I can’t use. You just may be my hero!
Do you think this would keep for a couple of days in the fridge if I have already added the milk?
Yep!
Tried it and liked it, but I prefer it less sweeter (I’ll try using maple syrup next time) and a bit spicier. How do I tweak the above mentioned spikes to keep the balance right?
More chai concentrate, less milk did the trick.
Hi Jill,
How innovative! Love it.
I have a question. Will this recipe last for that long without a preservative even though it’s in the fridge? I recently started making my own skin care products and I know that anything with water starts to breed bacteria pretty soon.
Would love your thoughts on this.
The “tsp” in your recipe, was it serving teaspoon or measuring teaspoon (5mL)?
I have a question. Roughly what’s the quantity of all the spices..e.g 1 cup? Less? More?. Someone has given me a hand made batch of combined chai spices similar to your ingredients which I’ve been using via an infuser one cup at a time. Since I have it on hand, I’d like to try your process, but couldn’t figure out how much of this batch to substitute (roughly). Thanks for the recipe and the process.
Monica
The “tsp” in your recipe, was it serving teaspoon or measuring teaspoon (5mL)?
What happened to stevia? I have never heard of sucanat or rapadura.?
This is very nearly the same recipe I use, I’ll need to add vanilla and try that. Do you think that putting the tea bags in nearly boiling water for 10 minutes is too long? I would have thought that this would have bought out too many tannins and made the tea bitter.
Hi! This sounds amazing! I have star anise power can I use that instead? If so how much? Thank you for all of your amazing recipes and posts!
Ooo–thanks for the recipe! My chai recipe is a bit weak, so I’m looking forward to trying yours.
And thank you for making it printable! Genius move.
I’ve read elsewhere, chai is high in antioxidants, good for warding off diseases, cancer as well.
This recipe is yummy!! Thank you so much. I tweaked it for my pepper and caffeine sensitivities and so excited to enjoy it with no repercussions.
I tried this recipe today. It’s great! Everyone in my family loved it, so it will not last long. I had read somewhere once that whole spices could be rinsed, dried, and reused. Have you ever tried this? I imagine that if I have to use new each time, I will going through spices very quickly and the cost will add up… Hoping to cut down on that. I used homemade vanilla extract instead of the beans (2 tsp, added after the spices and tea were strained out), and that seemed to work fine. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I have loose tea we got at the local Indian store which I used instead of tea bags (I used 5TBS loose black tea.) I am thinking about measuring out the sugar, the spices and loose tea into separate little baggies then packaging them up together with directions for a cute, inexpensive Christmas present.
Your chai concentrate is excellent! I am curious as to what book you have open in the pics. I’m always on the lookout for a good read esp vintage books. 😉
Please,Name of book you are reading in pic??
I have been hooked on this for the last 2-3 months. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I like it a bit stronger, so I add a more of all the spices (especially the ginger and black pepper!) and I steep it much longer. Also, I use honey in place of the sugar, which I add after I’ve strained out the spices. For a mugful, I use 1/2 cup milk to 3/4 cup of the chai. Sometimes I use eggnog in place of some of the milk for extra flavor, and my favorite is to add some Tuaca (an Italian brandy), especially in the evening for dessert.
Great recipe and a great idea to make a concentrate. I like to enjoy a cup of chai with spices at work sometimes; I once tried boiling spices in the office microwave haha, I must say it did make the breakroom smell divine. With a concentrate I can make a nice big batch at home and be all set for a week or two.
Indian cooking is spicy, and it is also hot.
This looks like a fine recipe. However, tea is the incorrect way to write it. You’re basically writing tea tea.
whoops I meant chai tea is the incorrect way to write it
Thank you, I was looking for a receipe!
Since someone asked quite some time ago, I have an amazing chai honey recipe using raw honey and essential oils. You can use it alone in hot water or milk if you do not have a black tea bag or with black tea. You can also put it on hot biscuits. English muffins or anything else that would make you happy just to have an excuse to add more Chai to your life. I imagine you could Google or Pinterest to find the recipe.
Hi, thanks for this recipe. Just a quick question… do you cover the pot when you simmer the ingredients or leave uncovered? I don’t think you mentioned it. Thanks!
I have a question. Roughly what’s the quantity of all the spices..e.g 1 cup? Less? More?. Someone has given me a hand made batch of combined chai spices similar to your ingredients which I’ve been using via an infuser one cup at a time. Since I have it on hand, I’d like to try your process, but couldn’t figured out how much of this batch to substitute (roughly). Thanks for the recipe and the process.
Monica
I will never be going back to carton chai mixes! This is so good and I love the spices!!
After using this recipe for at least a couple of years, I’m hooked on it more than ever and make a larger batch of this weekly. Now that I’m an Instant Pot owner, I’ve begun to make this in the IP. I bring it to a boil with the Saute function, and when it boils I put on the glass lid and switch to Slow Cook for about an hour. I want to get all the flavor out of those spices that I can! I use honey for the sweetener, and add it after straining out the spices and letting it cool a bit.
Love it! So happy to hear that you’ve been using this recipe for a long time! And thanks for sharing your modifications! 🙂
I am unable to use the link to the sweetener as posted, it takes me to Amazon but does not display the product. Can you clarify the name of the sweetener that Jill likes the best and recommends? Can’t wait to give it a try!!
sounds close to my everyday coffee spice mix. cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in equal measurements. 1/4 tsp per pot of coffee in the filter with coffee on top then brew
Can you water bath can this recipe with out the milk? I have a sister that loves chai tea.
Hi there-
What measurement would 15 wholes cloves be? I’m trying to find a conversion rate to ground cloves, but everything is in tsp/tbsp etc.
Can’t wait to make it!
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Any substitute for the black tea? Can’t do caffeine but love the spices.