Apr 01, 2024
Why You’ll Love This Iced Chai Latte Recipe
Here’s why you need to make your iced chai lattes at home from now on:
Customizable spice blend: Whether you prefer a stronger ginger flavor or a touch of cardamom, you can adjust the spices. Refreshing and cooling: Perfect for warm weather or whenever you’re craving a refreshing drink. The combination of chilled tea, milk, and ice cubes makes it perfect in the summer. I drink these all year long, though. Adaptable: You can quickly adapt this recipe to suit various dietary preferences and restrictions. Whether you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, or prefer a dairy-free option, you can choose milk alternatives like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Balanced sweetness: With the option to adjust the amount of sugar or sweetener used, you can tailor this drink to your preferred sweetness – something you can’t do with a premix. Also, not all coffee shops will let you direct the sweetness level. Energizing: The caffeine from the black tea gives me a gentle pick-me-up!
Here’s What You Need
Here is what you’ll need to gather up to make your very own homemade iced chai latte recipe!
Ingredients
If you’re into Indian-style food, you’re likely already to have some of these pantry staples at home:
Black tea bags: Choose a strong black tea variety like Assam, Darjeeling, or any similar bold black tea. Ground cinnamon or cinnamon stick: Note a cinnamon stick can be used for infusing a stronger cinnamon flavor than the ground version. Ground ginger or fresh ginger: Ground ginger is convenient (especially if you have it already) but I just LOVE grated fresh ginger for a fresher taste. Ground cloves or whole cloves: I recommend the aromatic and intense flavor of whole cloves for steeping. Cardamom pods or ground cardamom: This earthy yet dessert flavor is just everything – don’t skip it! Sugar: You can use granulated sugar, honey, maple syrup, or any sweetener. Milk: Use your favorite type of milk—dairy or non-dairy options like almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk can be used to suit dietary preferences. For a creamier latte,use whole milk. You can use any non-dairy alternative you like. I recommend Barista Oat Milk. Ice cubes: Ice cubes help chill the drink and make it more refreshing.
Substitutions and Variations
Here’s how to play around with the flavors a bit:
Tea base: Instead of black tea bags, use chai tea bags or loose-leaf chai tea for a more intense chai flavor. Rooibos tea can be used as a caffeine-free alternative. You can also make this with green tea bags! Spices: Play around with spices that you love. Nutmeg or allspice can be added for additional warmth and depth of flavor. Replace ground spices with whole spices for a fresher taste. Try a few black peppercorns. Sweeteners: For a sugar-free option, try using a sugar substitute like erythritol or monk fruit sweetener Dirty chai latte: Add a shot of espresso to create a dirty chai latte for an extra caffeine kick. Frothy top: Use a milk frother to froth some of the milk to top the glass off. Vanilla: Add in some vanilla extract or syrup. Turn it into a dessert drink by topping it off with whipping cream!
Tools to Grab
Gather these tools to make your iced chai latte recipe:
Medium pot: To make the tea in. Sieve: To strain out the spices. You could also use a cheesecloth. Glasses to serve: I love enjoying homemade drinks in a nice glass – this gives it that coffee shop experience. I love sipping mine in a pretty glass or a chunky mason jar.
How to Make Iced Chai Latte Recipe : An Easy Guide
Here is my step-by-step guide to your DIY iced chai tea latte:
Infuse spices
Pour the water into a medium pot. Add in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. Heat the pot until the water starts to boil.
Steep tea
Once boiling, remove from heat and add tea bags. Let them steep for 5 minutes. Don’t let them steep for too long.
Sweeten
After steeping, squeeze the tea bags to get out all the flavor. Filter out the spices and dissolve the sugar into the warm mixture.
Cool the tea
Let the tea cool down to room temperature. Placing the tea in the fridge will speed up the process.
Prepare the glass
Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
Add milk
Pour the cooled, spiced tea over the ice. Then, add the milk.
Stir and Serve
Stir the mixture well to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.
Make Ahead and Storage
Want to be prepared and make this ahead of time?
Make Ahead
For make-ahead convenience, you can just prepare a batch of homemade chai concentrate without ice cubes and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When ready to serve, simply pour the chilled chai latte mixture over ice cubes in glasses. If you’re using milk alternatives like almond or oat milk, give the mixture a good stir.
Storage
For longer storage, store the chai latte mixture without milk and ice cubes in the freezer in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the chai latte ice cubes to a freezer bag or container, and when needed, blend them with milk in a blender for an instant slushy chai latte.
Final Notes, Pro Tips + Science-Based Secrets
Check out my pro tips to get you the ultimate homemade iced chai latte:
Fresh spices: The fresher the spices, the better the outcome. Balanced brew: Steep the black tea bags just until the desired strength is reached. Over brewing can lead to bitterness, while under brewing may result in a weak flavor. Chill quickly: To chill your chai latte quickly without diluting it, try using chai ice cubes made from brewed chai tea. Experiment with milk: Different types of milk can significantly alter the flavor and texture of your chai latte. Experiment with various non-dairy milk options like almond milk, coconut milk, etc.
Just skimming through? Here are some highlights from this article:
How can I make a dairy-free or vegan iced chai latte?
You can use dairy-free milk alternatives such as almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, or oat milk to make a dairy-free or vegan iced chai latte.
Can I make a large batch of iced chai latte for a crowd?
Yes, you can scale up the recipe to make a large batch of iced chai latte for a crowd. Prepare the chai tea mixture in a large pitcher or container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add ice cubes to individual glasses and pour the chilled chai mixture over the ice when serving.
How can I adjust the sweetness of the iced chai latte to my taste?
You can adjust the sweetness of the iced chai latte by adding more or less sugar, honey, maple syrup, or your preferred sweetener. Start with a small amount and taste the chai latte before adding more sweetener.
Can I make an iced chai latte without using tea bags?
Yes, you can make an iced chai latte without using tea bags by brewing loose-leaf black tea or chai tea blend. Steep the loose tea in hot water, strain, and chill the brewed tea before adding spices, milk, and sweetener.
How long can I store leftover iced chai latte in the refrigerator?
Leftover iced chai latte can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. However, it’s best to consume it within the first day or two for optimal freshness and flavor. Stir well before serving if any separation occurs.
Other Chai Recipes You’ll Love
Karak Chai (the recipe Adarsh brought back from the Middle East) Chai Coffee Recipe Authentic Homemade Indian Chai Chai Concentrate Recipe
Other Indian Recipes You’ll Love
Here are some of my Indian husband’s favorite recipes:
Madras Lentils Butter Chicken Butter Naan Chicken Korma Aloo Gobi Potato Curry
