If you’ve ever wondered how to recreate Starbucks iced chai latte, look no further. This homemade iced chai latte is SO much better and will make you never want to buy Starbucks again.
It’s flavorful, lightly sweet, and packed with all the aromatic notes of a traditional masala chai.
Unlike Starbucks, this iced chai latte recipe is refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and made with better-for-you ingredients.
I do want to point out that this iced chai latte isn’t made the traditional way. Instead of brewing the chai in milk, I like to make a batch of chai concentrate to mix with my vanilla cashew milk whenever I want a chai latte. This method works better, particularly for plant-based milk, so the milk doesn’t separate when brewing.
Ok, enough said, let’s get into the recipe.
But First, What is Chai?
Before we dive in, I thought I’d quickly go over what chai is.
First things first, chai means tea. So please stop calling it “chai tea latte”, because you’re basically saying “tea tea milk” lol.
Anywho, chai is made by brewing black tea in milk and then sweetening it with sugar. My dad taught us the traditional way to make it, however, my brother and I have both found that steeping the tea in water to make a concentrate works better. Brewing the tea in milk can lead to the milk separating (especially if you’re using plant milk). Plus, if brewed too long, the chai will have a bitter undernote.
Most chai is traditionally made with no spices, just sugar and milk. But the most popular variation is masala chai (aka spiced tea). I like my chai with whole cardamom and a tiny pinch of ginger and salt (which is not traditional, but it amplifies the flavors).
What You’ll Need For This Iced Chai Latte
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this homemade iced chai latte recipe.
- Loose leaf black tea: Going in-depth into black tea recommendations here.
- Coconut sugar: Date sugar works great as a substitute.
- Whole cardamom: Whole cardamom pods add so much more flavor to the chai than ground cardamom (which is usually stale anyway).
- Ginger powder
- Kosher salt: Just a small pinch of salt amplifies the flavor in the chai so much. So don’t skip this!
- Cashew milk or any creamy plant milk: Use whole milk obviously if you’re not dairy-free!
A Few Important Notes
Just a few tips to make the best iced chai latte ever!
- Use good quality black tea. The black tea you use is SUPER important. Not all of them are created equal. I highly recommend using Darjeeling loose-leaf tea; linking a good brand here. Darjeeling has the best full-bodied flavor which is perfect for an iced chai latte. However, if you can’t find Darjeeling, I’d recommend any English Breakfast loose-leaf tea. Quick note, don’t get Earl Grey as it’s flavored with bergamot and will ruin the overall flavor of the chai.
- Steep the tea according to the package instructions. Black tea, just like green tea, will start to become bitter and release tannins into the water if steeped too long. The tea I use recommends 7 minutes of steeping time and no more. This will vary depending on which tea you use, but make sure to follow the package instructions.
- Don’t use store-bought milk, instead make my vanilla cashew milk. Most chai lattes use whole milk or half-n-half, which is why they taste so creamy and good. That said, you won’t achieve that creamy texture with store-bought plant milk. It’s just too watery! That said, my homemade cashew milk comes very close to the creamy texture of whole milk and will give your chai latte the same mouthfeel.
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PrintHomemade Iced Chai Latte
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Cuisine: Indian, American
Description
Introducing this copycat Starbucks iced chai latte. It’s flavorful, lightly sweet, and packed with all the aromatic notes of a traditional masala chai.
Ingredients
- ½ cup loose leaf black tea*
- 6 cardamom pods, crushed
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- Vanilla cashew milk
Instructions
- Add the black tea, crushed cardamom pods, ginger, salt and water into a pot. Heat the tea on medium-high heat, and once it’s reached a roiling boil (about 5 minutes), turn the heat off immediately and let the tea steep for 7 minutes or according to package instructions.
- Add the coconut sugar to the bottom of a large jar and then strain the tea into the jar using a fine mesh sieve. Stir the tea until the coconut sugar is dissolved, taste and adjust sugar as needed. Keep in mind that once the tea cools, the sweetness and other flavors will be more prominent.
- Store the tea concentrate in a glass jar in the fridge overnight before using. Or pour directly over ice, followed by equal parts of the vanilla cashew milk (or really any creamy plant milk or even whole milk if you’re not dairy-free). Regardless if you pour this tea over ice or just drink it chilled, make sure to use equal parts tea concentrate and cashew milk.
Notes
The black tea you use is SUPER important! I highly recommend using Darjeeling loose-leaf tea; linking a good brand here. Darjeeling has the best full-bodied flavor which is perfect for an iced chai latte. However, if you can’t find Darjeeling, I’d recommend any English Breakfast loose-leaf tea. Quick note, don’t get Earl Grey as it’s flavored with bergamot and will ruin the overall flavor of the chai.
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