How to make chai latte at home

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

What do you need to make chai tea latte at home?

If you’ve been to a café and smelled the warm and spicy aroma of cinnamon and cloves, you’ve probably caught a whiff of a chai latte. In colder months, a warm cup of masala chai blended with steamed milk warms the body and soul. When the sun comes out, iced chai offers a cool spicy drink with less caffeine than cold brew. If you want to save a few dollars, you can make yourself a chai latte from the comfort of your kitchen.

What is a chai latte?

Masala chai is a spiced tea beverage that originated in India. It’s typically made by boiling or steeping a blend of black tea and herbs, spices and other aromatics. While some enjoy masala chai steeped and served as a hot tea, it mixes well with hot milk of some kind — the traditional way to serve it in India. In the U.S., the chai latte is as popular as drip coffee, and in some regions, it’s even more of a café superstar.

What you need to make a chai latte

Teapot with strainer
Electric or stovetop kettle
Milk frother
Black tea, usually Darjeeling or Assam
Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole cardamom seeds, star anise and peppercorns
Sliced ginger
Brown sugar
Vanilla bean, split in half
Ground nutmeg (for garnish)

Shop Now

How to make a chai latte

In a small steaming pitcher, combine 3 ounces of masala chai (either homemade or concentrate) with 6 ounces of milk or a milk substitute. Either steam with a milk steaming wand (found on most espresso machines) or steam and froth it in an independent steamer. When it finishes, pour it into an attractive glass or mug and garnish with a dusting of nutmeg, a whole cinnamon stick and a star anise floating atop the foam.

Shop Now

For the cold version, cold chai or chai concentrate is simply mixed with the milk, stirred or shaken and served over ice. Sometimes, flavor syrups like vanilla or cinnamon are added for enhancement. Garnish with cloves, star anise or a cinnamon stick.

Shop Now

How to make your own chai concentrate

To make your own masala chai, mix cloves, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns and one cinnamon stick and add them to either a food processor or mortar and pestle. Grind the spices coarsely and add them to your teapot’s strainer basket. Add 1 ounce of brown sugar, one slice of ginger and split vanilla bean to the basket before adding 2 heaping tablespoons of looseleaf black tea. Heat water to a boil before pouring hot water into the teapot, filling it.

Set a timer for 8 minutes and let it steep. Once it’s finished, pour the tea into a separate pitcher to cool. Store any concentrate that you don’t use right away in a sealed container in the fridge.

Shop Now

What you need to buy to make a chai latte

Willsence Electric Gooseneck Water Kettle

This all-in-one electric kettle with temperature control and timer is an excellent tool for making tea and coffee at home. It comes with a timer built in for added convenience.