The Best Chai Tea Latte Recipe

This chai tea latte has been my morning savior for the past three years. After spending way too much money at coffee shops and getting tired of overly sweet versions, I figured out how to make one at home that's actually better than what you get at most cafes. Emma even drinks it sometimes when I make it with extra milk and less spice - which honestly surprised me since he usually sticks to chocolate milk.

A clear glass mug of homemade chai tea latte on a wooden board, filled with creamy light-brown spiced tea and topped with a thick layer of white foam dusted with ground cinnamon. A single star anise floats at the center of the foam. Beside the mug lie two cinnamon sticks, a few loose green cardamom pods, and an extra star anise, all resting on the warm-toned wood surface.

Why You'll Love This Chai Tea Latte

This chai tea latte works for so many reasons, and I'm not just saying that because I make it every morning. If you're tired of spending five bucks on a drink that's half sugar and tastes the same every time, you'll love being able to control exactly what goes in your cup.Emma has learned to make his own version too, which means I don't have to stop what I'm doing every time he wants a warm drink.

The best part? You probably already have most of the spices sitting in your cabinet right now. No special trips to fancy stores or hunting down weird ingredients. I've made this recipe work with whatever I had on hand, from fancy whole spices to the basic stuff from the grocery store. It tastes great either way, and your house smells incredible while you're making it.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Chai Tea Latte
Ingredients for Chai Tea Latte
How To Make Chai Tea Latte Step By Step
Smart Swaps for Chai Tea Latte
Storing Your Chai Tea Latte
Equipment For Tea Latte Recipe
Tea Latte Recipe Variations
The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By
Top Tip
Why This Chai Tea Latte Recipe Works
FAQ
Time for Your Perfect Cup!
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Pairing
Chai Tea Latte

Ingredients for Chai Tea Latte

The Spice Blend:

Ground cinnamon
Ground cardamom
Ground ginger
Ground cloves
Black peppercorns
Whole nutmeg

The Tea Base:

Black tea bags
Water
Whole milk
Heavy cream

“A rustic wooden countertop holds five small ceramic bowls in a loose semicircle: one with warm-brown ground cinnamon, one with sandy-yellow ground ginger, one with pale-green ground cardamom powder, one with dark-brown ground cloves, and one with shiny black peppercorns. In front lie a handful of green cardamom pods and two cinnamon sticks. Behind them, a stainless-steel grater and a whole nutmeg rest next to two neatly folded black tea bags leaning against a glass carafe half-filled with water. To the right, a clear measuring cup of whole milk and a small pitcher of heavy cream catch soft, natural daylight.”

The Sweet Stuff:

Brown sugar
Honey
Vanilla extract

Optional Add-Ins:

Maple syrup
Star anise
Fennel seeds
Allspice berries

See recipe card for quantities.

“A weathered wooden board displays a small white bowl piled high with dark brown sugar, a glass jar of golden honey with a wooden dipper resting across its rim, and a tiny amber bottle of vanilla extract with its cork beside it. In front, on the wood, sit a shallow white dish of maple syrup, a pale-green bowl of fennel seeds, a dark bowl of allspice berries, and three star anise pods fanned out. A few stray sugar crystals and spice pods are scattered casually around for an authentic, homemade look.”

How To Make Chai Tea Latte Step By Step

Spice Prep:

Toast whole spices in dry pan for 2 minutes
Let them cool down
Grind or crush them up
Mix with ground spices

“Overhead view of the same white enamel saucepan on marble, now filled with creamy milk foam sprinkled with ground cinnamon. The foam forms a mottled pattern of white and warm brown, with the wooden handle pointing toward the bottom edge.

Tea Base:

Bring water to a boil in saucepan
Add your spice mix
Let it simmer for 5 minutes
Add tea bags and steep for 3-4 minutes
Remove tea bags

“Top-down shot of a white enamel saucepan with a wooden handle on a white marble countertop, containing smooth whole milk warming to a gentle simmer. Tiny bubbles cluster at the edge, and natural light softly illuminates the creamy surface.”

The Milk Magic:

Pour in milk and cream
Add your sweetener
Bring to a gentle simmer
Don't let it boil over
Whisk until frothy

“A three-quarter view of two clear glass tumblers on a rustic wooden board: the taller right glass is being filled with thick, ivory-white milk foam streamed from a frothing jug, while the shorter left glass already holds a layer of foamy milk. Warm indoor light highlights the glossy texture of the foam and the wood grain beneath.”

Final Touch:

Sprinkle cinnamon on top
Strain out the spices
Pour into your mug
Add vanilla extract

“A clear glass mug sits on a square white marble tile, filled with light-brown chai latte and topped by a thin layer of ivory-white milk foam evenly dusted with fine cinnamon specks. A soft shadow of the handle falls across the marble under diffused daylight.”

Smart Swaps for Chai Tea Latte

Milk Options:

Whole milk → Oat milk
Heavy cream → Half and half
Regular → Almond milk
Dairy → Coconut milk

Sweetener Swaps:

Brown sugar → White sugar
Honey → Maple syrup
Regular → Stevia
Sugar → Dates (blend them in)

Tea Changes:

Black tea → Green tea
Tea bags → Loose leaf
Regular → Decaf
Standard → Rooibos tea

Spice Switches:

Full spice → Just cinnamon and cardamom
Whole spices → All ground spices
Fresh ginger → Dried ginger
Regular → Pre-made chai spice blend

Storing Your Chai Tea Latte

Spice Mix Storage:

Keep in airtight jar
Lasts about 6 months
Label with the date
Store in cool, dark place

Made Tea Base (2-3 days):

Cool completely first
Store in fridge
Reheat gently on stove
Don't microwave - it gets weird

Quick Reheat Tips:

Use low heat only
Stir constantly
Add fresh milk if needed
Taste and adjust sweetness

Make-Ahead Trick:

Saves time on busy mornings
Prepare spice mix in bulk
Make concentrate without milk
Add milk when ready to drink

Equipment For Tea Latte Recipe

Medium saucepan
Fine mesh strainer
Whisk or milk frother
Measuring spoons
Large mug

Tea Latte Recipe Variations

Iced Chai Latte:

Make the tea base extra strong
Let it cool completely
Pour over ice with cold milk
Add whipped cream on top

Dirty Chai:

Add a shot of espresso
Or use strong coffee instead
Great for extra caffeine kick
Emma calls this "grown-up chai"

Vanilla Chai:

Double the vanilla extract
Add vanilla bean paste
Use vanilla almond milk
Top with vanilla whipped cream

Pumpkin Spice Chai:

Add pumpkin pie spice
Mix in pumpkin puree
Use brown butter
Perfect for fall mornings

The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By

My Aunt has been making chai tea lattes since way before they were trendy at coffee shops. She lived in India for two years in the 1980s and came back with this recipe that blew everyone's mind. For years, people kept asking what made her chai taste so different from everyone else's, and she'd just smile and change the subject.

Finally, last Christmas, she pulled me aside in the kitchen and showed me her secret. She adds a tiny pinch of white pepper to her spice mix - not black pepper, white pepper. "It gives it that little bite without the obvious pepper taste," she explained while measuring out what looked like practically nothing. The white pepper adds this subtle heat that you can't quite identify, but it makes the whole drink more complex.

Top Tip

The secret to Aunt Is chai tea latte is all about when you add that white pepper - mix it in with your other ground spices before you start cooking, not after. If you add it at the end, it stays too sharp and obvious. Emma learned this when he got excited and dumped it in right before we strained the tea. The whole batch tasted like we'd accidentally added regular pepper, and we had to start over.

Now he knows to measure it out first with all the other spices, and it blends in perfectly during the simmering process. That's when the white pepper mellows out and creates that mysterious warmth that everyone notices but can't figure out. Aunt always says the best spice blends need time to get to know each other, and she's absolutely right about that.

Why This Chai Tea Latte Recipe Works

I’ve perfected this chai tea latte through countless trials, tailoring it to Emma’s taste and real-world flavor—and here’s why it outshines any coffee-shop version: you must toast your whole spices first. That quick toast unlocks their essential oils and amps up their aroma, far beyond what you get by simply stirring in pre-ground spices. Skipping this extra step is common, but it’s exactly what turns good chai into the kind people beg you for the recipe.

The other thing that matters is the milk-to-tea ratio and not letting anything boil too hard. When you rush the process or let the milk boil, you end up with either weak tea flavor or curdled milk, and nobody wants that. This chai tea latte recipe gives you enough time for all the flavors to really develop without overcooking anything. Plus, you can adjust the sweetness and spice level as you go, which means it always turns out exactly how you want it.

FAQ

What is in a chai tea latte?

A chai tea latte has black tea, warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom, steamed milk, and sweetener. The spices can include ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. This chai tea latte recipe uses real spices instead of syrup, which gives it much better flavor than most coffee shops.

Are chai tea lattes healthy?

Chai tea lattes can be healthier than other coffee drinks since they have good stuff from the tea and spices. But they still contain caffeine and sugar, so drink them in moderation. You can make them healthier by using less sweetener and non-dairy milk if you want.

Is a chai latte a lot of caffeine?

A chai latte has less caffeine than coffee but more than regular tea. One cup has about 50-70mg of caffeine, compared to 95mg in coffee. If you're sensitive to caffeine, try using decaf tea or drinking smaller portions.

What is the difference between a chai tea latte and a regular latte?

A regular latte uses espresso and steamed milk, while a chai tea latte uses spiced tea instead of coffee. The chai version has warming spices and a completely different flavor - more sweet and spicy rather than bitter and coffee-like.

Time for Your Perfect Cup!

Now you have all the secrets to making perfect chai tea latte - from toasting the spices to Aunt Is white pepper trick. This warm, cozy drink proves that the best things come from your own kitchen, not expensive coffee shops.

Want more drink recipes that actually taste good? Try our Best Carrot Juice Recipe that's surprisingly refreshing and way better than store-bought. Need something for summer? Our Healthy Strawberry Mojito Recipe is perfect for hot days when you want something fruity. Or shake up our Best Lemon Drop Martini Recipe for those nights when you need something a little stronger!

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Why You'll Love This Chai Tea Latte