Description
A homemade version of the popular Starbucks drink featuring a rich black tea and spice concentrate topped with airy vanilla sweet cream cold foam. This recipe allows for full customization of sweetness and dairy options while costing significantly less than cafe versions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4–6 black tea bags (Assam or Ceylon)
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 cup milk (whole or oat)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup or honey
- Ice
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan, then remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes, then remove and discard tea bags.
- While the tea is hot, stir in cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper. Add honey or maple syrup and stir until dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, stir in 1 cup of milk to create the chai concentrate. Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- In a bowl or blender, combine heavy cream, half-and-half, vanilla extract, and simple syrup. Pulse or whisk until thickened but pourable (soft peaks).
- Fill a large glass with ice. Pour in 1/2 cup of chai concentrate and top with 1/2 cup of cold milk.
- Slowly spoon or pour the vanilla sweet cream foam on top of the chai to create a layered effect.
Notes
The chai concentrate can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. For a dairy-free version, use oat milk or coconut cream. Ensure the cream is cold before whipping to achieve the correct foam texture. Do not over-whisk the foam or it will turn into butter.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large latte (16oz)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 30
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Protein: 4
Keywords: chai latte, iced chai, vanilla sweet cream, copycat starbucks, homemade coffee, cold foam, tea recipe, dairy-free options