Ingredients
Chai latte
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick lightly crushed
- 5 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 inch fresh ginger thinly sliced
- 2 black tea bags or 2 teaspoons loose black tea
- 1 1/2 cups milk dairy or unsweetened oat milk
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 fine-mesh strainer
- 1 small whisk optional, for foam
Instructions
Method
- Add the water, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the black tea and steep for 3 minutes. For a stronger cup, steep 1 minute longer, but avoid a long steep that can make the tea bitter.
- Return the pan to medium-low heat. Stir in the milk and brown sugar. Heat until steaming and tiny bubbles gather at the edge, 2 to 3 minutes; do not let it boil over.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, if using. Strain into two warm mugs. Whisk a small portion until foamy and spoon it on top if you want a café-style finish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 mug (1/2 batch)Calories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 260mgSugar: 20g
Video
Notes
Crushing the cardamom exposes the fragrant seeds without turning the drink gritty. Assam or another robust black tea stands up well to milk. For an iced chai latte, cool the strained tea completely, refrigerate promptly, and pour over ice. Keep milk and leftovers refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. Nutrition is estimated with 2% milk and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
