I was really really excited when I saw this post over on Judicial Peach the other day. Homemade chai is something that I’ve been wanting to make for quite some time. Never did I expect it to be so easy and so delicious. The final drink tasted every bit as good as what you’ll spend $4 on at a coffee shop and it is completely customizable (want less sugar? soy milk? orgainic?)
I did make one huge mistake in thinking that I had some cardamom in my cabinet. Turns out I didn’t and the grocery store near me did not have cardamom pods either so I had to make it without. Now, cardamom is kind of the signature spice in chai but I have to say, the drink was still freaking delicious without it. The recipe and prices below do not include the missing cardamom.
Chai Concentrate
The cost of making this concentrate can be quite variable. The spices tend to be a little on the expensive side so you have to shop smart. I found a little bag of cinnamon sticks (photo below) in the hispanic foods section for only $1.50. You’ll pay three times that much if you buy it in a jar from the spice section. Cloves are pretty pricey too but luckily you don’t need many.
Tea can also vary quite a bit in price. Chai usually is made with black tea but I happened to have some Stash Black and Green Earl Grey so I used that. The floral aroma from the bergamot in the earl grey added a really nice touch. I bought the box of organic Stash tea at Target for $2.29 (18 bags). Tea can be 10x that expensive so shop around.
Chai Concentrate
Servings 4 1 cup concentrate + 1 cup milkIngredients
Instructions
- Place four cups of water in a medium pot. Add the cinnamon sticks, tea bags, whole cloves and ginger (peel and slice the fresh ginger).
- Bring the pot up to a boil, place a lid on top, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes to make sure it is brewed strong.
- Remove the pot from the heat and carefully strain out the tea bags and spices (Place a colander over a bowl and pour it in). Using whole spices not only adds more flavor but makes straining them out much much easier.
- While the spiced tea is still hot, stir in the sugar and vanilla. Store the chai concentrate in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
- To make a drink, combine one part chai concentrate with one part milk. Heat and serve!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Step By Step Photos
This is the tea I used, it is very very delicious for a “bag” tea (I usually prefer loose leaf). Using a flavored tea may muddy up the chai flavor so go for plain black tea if you’re unsure. Luckily, the earl grey blended really well with the spices.
These are the cinnamon sticks I found for a really low price. If your local grocer doesn’t have them for a decent price, try checking ethnic markets.
My itty-bitty jar of cloves. I didn’t have time to shop around for this one but luckily, the recipe doesn’t call for a lot.
If you’ve never seen a whole clove, this is what they look like!
Peel and slice one inch of fresh ginger.
Throw it all in a pot with 4 cups of water (sugar and vanilla is added later).
Bring the pot up to a boil, place a lid on top, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain out the spices and tea bags.
While it’s still hot, stir in the sugar and vanilla.
To make a drink, combine one part chai concentrate with one part milk (I did 8 oz. of each). Heat and serve!
Add a little whipped cream if you feel like something extra special.
The best basic recipe I have tried (and I have been searching for a while), I added a few peppercorns, a bay leaf and several cardamom pods and a few extra cloves. It held up perfectly in dirty chai
How long do you think the concentrate will last in the fridge?
Maybe 4-5 days? I have to be honest, mine never lasted that long because I used it all up! :)
This was leagues better than coffeeshop chai. Thank you! I do have a few recommendations after experimenting: Only use 1/3 cup of sugar for this recipe and simmer the tea for 10 minutes, not 5. The tea is a bit stronger, still sweet, but not overpowering, and transports you to Christmas time in front of a crackling yew log.
I’m wondering if you’ve ever experimented with canning this concentrate…? I, too, was thinking of making this for Xmas gifts. I made a powdered chai mix once, with instant black tea granules, powdered creamer, and the powdered spices. It was yummy, but I didn’t love using the more processed versions of things. THIS is the real deal, and it would be cool if there was a way to make large quantities and store it. If I try it, I shall report back… ;)
Unfortunately I know next to nothing about canning, so I haven’t experimented with that yet. :(
Hi! I am planning to give this out as a “gift in a jar” for Christmas. Do you think ginger powder or those crystallized ones worm as a substitute for the fresh ginger?
Honestly, I think fresh ginger is the only way to go here. Powdered ginger, for whatever reason, has a really different flavor than fresh ginger and I don’t think candied ginger will steep. :(
I had success using 1/4 tsp of ground ginger.
Just tried this recipe and it is fantastic! Easy and delicious. I am now making a second batch to have on hand with a different type of tea to change it up. Thanks for the great recipe!
Made this recipe twice already… this is the first chai that’s come close to my fave coffee chain’s chai latte. I used a combo of 3 earl grey and a ‘stash’ chai with all the spices still. I like this combo but I think I will add one more tea bag as I still want a stronger tea flavor. Either way- so easy to adapt your recipes to personal taste!
This may replace coffee as my new morning drink. I was able to get the tea and spices (and cardamom!) from the bulk bins at my local health food store. Paid a little more than you did, but I guess that’s the price of organic, non-GMO, all-natural, free-range spices. They also have a ton of different teas, so I could try a different one each batch. This time I had one called Lapsang Souchong, which was really earthy and smoky, and went well with the other spices.
I was going to buy cardamom pods on Amazon, but there is a choice of green or black? Anyone have a suggestion?
I think you could use either, but I have green.
Use green cardamom in teas and sweets. Black has a smoky flavor and it’s best for savory meat dishes like curries/stews. IMO the smoky black cardamom and cinnamon do not go well together. Also, black is very strong compared to green so use sparingly.
Also, the cheapest source of cardamom, cloves, fennel, turmeric, etc. will be your local Indian store, not Walmart, Whole Foods or Amazon.
green!!
Just wanted to jump on here to say thank you! I’ve been making this for about a week straight and i’ve found a coffee alternative!
From a former barista-one of the best home made chai recipes ive come across so far!
So delicious. I love chai. Best recipe I have found so far. Thanks Beth. I love all of your recipes.
This looks amazing. I have some ground cardamom (that I got for you chai scones…sooo good). How much would you recommend adding to this?
Hmm, maybe try 1/4 tsp to start?
You may also want to check out your local grocery, if they have a bulk section. One of the local Whole Foods and my co-op have a bulk section that includes spices, herbs, and loose teas. Just a thought.
Are you able to use any herbal teas? My stomach has an intolerance to caffeine, so I feel like I am dying the rest of the day. I mean, no white, green, black, or sodas (if I liked soda) because of how horrible I feel afterwards. It’s very sad. :(
It will definitely taste different because black tea is a major part of the flavor of chai, but I think it would still be very delicious. You just can’t go wrong with steeping fresh herbs and spices :)
You could try infusing your water. Republic of tea has a Apple Cider tea that doesn’t have any white, green, or black in it.
I enjoy getting mint or peppermint in the bulk section, and infusing it with hot water, for some mint tea. Just an idea.
Hey Megan, I know it’s been a while since you originally posted so I’m not sure you’ll even see this, but I work at a coffee shop where we make a decaf chai using rooibois red bush tea.
Rooibos is naturally caffeine free (not processed into decaffeination which leaves negligible amounts of caffeine) and creates a nice balance with traditional chai spices. It definitely isn’t the same, and I would be lying if I said I thought it was just as amazing as a chai made with black assam tea, but it’s still pretty freakin’ good and would totally recommend trying it out! Good luck!
I absolutely love Chai! This is going to be a mainstay all winter long at my house! Thanks!