One sip of this homemade Vanilla Chai Latte recipe made in the comfort of your own home will have you skipping your next visit to the local coffeehouse.
Growing up, I actually didn’t like many of the spices that are included in Chai. My dad despised nutmeg, and was disappointed if my sisters and I put it in a dessert. I grew to cringe at the taste of it, as well as cloves, allspice, and whatever else was included in spice blends. Then I married my husband and found that he adored all of those spices in his desserts. I timidly gave them a second go, only to discover that I actually loved them as well! Now I get excited if I see anything Chai-spiced like this homemade Vanilla Chai Latte recipe.
One beautiful way to enjoy all of these lovely spices is in a Chai latte. The creamy, rich milk mixed with the kick from the spices is simply dreamy. It makes you close your eyes and sigh with delight.
I’m going to be honest: finding a good Chai latte recipe isn’t easy. I had to test this recipe five separate times using different methods until I hit on one that was phenomenal.
Most Chai latte recipes have you brew a concentrated tea in water, then add frothed milk. I could NOT make this method work. The result was always a very weak latte with only a hint of chai flavors. That was no good: I wanted to share a recipe with you that would be a replacement for the chemical-laden coffee shop drinks!
Homemade Vanilla Chai Latte Recipe
Then it hit me: why not just steep all of the spices and the tea directly in the milk? I gave it a go, and BAM! This homemade Vanilla Chai Latte recipe is perfect. I tried it side-by-side with the tea concentrate version, and there was simply no comparison. I’d say the steep-in-the-milk version was five times as flavorful.
Trust me: don’t waste your time on weak, insipid Chai. I already wasted mine figuring this out so you wouldn’t have to!
Brew up a big batch and enjoy it throughout the week. If you really want to treat yourself, make a pan of my Chai Gingerbread Bars to go along with it. You’ll be in Chai heaven.
By the way, you can also use this as a sort of coffee creamer to make a dirty chai latte. Simply leave out the tea when you brew, and pour the frothed milk mixture over espresso shots. You may need to add more sweetener to counteract the bitter taste of the espresso.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp black tea
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat milk and remaining ingredients (except for the vanilla extract) in a medium saucepan to 175°F. Remove from heat. Cover and steep for 15 minutes.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Either use immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- When ready to drink, warm the milk to 155°F and froth.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: You don't need a special machine to froth your milk. You can shake it in a jar, whisk it, or pump it in a French press, etc.
We hope you love this homemade Vanilla Chai Latte recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Erica from Buttered Side Up, as much as we do. If you love this delightful recipe, stop by our drinks section to find more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram. Enjoy!
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