As you are reading this post today, I am happy to be snuggled up with a warm blanket at a blogging retreat in Park City, Utah. There is snow falling outside our door, good blogging friends are near, and I am happy to be nestling in for some much needed R&R.
I don’t know about you, but it seems like fall has gotten off to a busy start. Busy, busy, busy. Always a little more busy than I’d like. Always trying to work on that. I embarrassingly didn’t even realize that the leaves were changing in Kansas City until I saw it on Instagram!!
Still, the transition into fall is one of my absolute favorite times of the year, and I have been trying to take small moments during the day to pause and soak it up. I’ve learned that one of the small habits that seems to always help with this is to cozy up with a warm drink first thing in the morning or at the end of the day. There’s something about holding a steaming hot mug and then taking slow, thoughtful sips that is the essence of comfort and calm.
So today, I thought I would share with you a recipe for one of my favorite comfort drinks — homemade chai tea.
I first learned to love chai back in the day at — you guessed it — Starbucks. I instantly got hooked on the drink and all of those delicious spices, and began stopping by to order an iced chai almost every day for work. Then the $4 daily expense got a little ridiculous. So I learned to buy Tazo chai concentrate at the grocery store. Then (bonus!) I learned that it was sold even cheaper at Costco!
But after years of buying those mega 3-packs of concentrate, I began to get tired of the uber-sweetness of that brand of chai. I loved the spices, but the sugar was too much. So I finally learned how to make homemade chai.
And friends — it is so easy!!!
My version is all based around making a chai concentrate so that you can refrigerate it and keep it around for multiple batches. All you need are a handful of spices and seasonings and about 20 minutes, and then you’ll have plenty of concentrate ready to make as much hot chai or iced chai as you’d like.
But the best part is that you can totally tweak the recipe according to your taste. If you really love the sweetness of the chai you get at Starbucks, by all means, add in more sugar and/or honey. If you like yours really peppery, add in more peppercorns. If you like yours really strong or really weak, that’s the joy of concentrate — you can control exactly how much flavor you get. Bottom line, everyone has their own preferences with chai, so with a homemade recipe you can make it your own!
With the holidays coming up, I’ll also add in that this is a perfect comfort food gift to jar up and give to your chai-loving friends.
Hope you enjoy!
Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate
Ingredients
- 12 cardamom pods, gently crushed
- 8 whole black peppercorns
- 8 whole cloves
- 4- inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
- 4 cups water
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 3 whole allspice (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar (more or less to taste)
- 2 star anise
- 1 vanilla bean, sliced down the middle
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 4 black tea bags
Instructions
- Bring all ingredients except tea bags together to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Pour mixture through a strainer and reserve the liquid for concentrate, and let cool to room temperature.
- Mix equal parts concentrate with water or milk to make chai tea. Or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
To Make Hot Chai Tea:
Combine 1 part chai tea concentrate with 1 part water or milk (cow’s milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc.), and stir to combine. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Or heat in the microwave until simmering.
To Make Iced Chai Tea:
1 part water or milk (cow’s milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc.), and stir to combine. Serve over ice.
Soooo good with oat milk! I leave out the anise & vanilla, add a dash of cayenne (we like it spicy), and use monkfruit to sweeten. Perfection! And healthy too!
AMAZING! Better than Starbucks. Better than boxed Tazo concentrate. Please make this, you will not regret it.
I have been on a search for the best chai tea with no avail! Came across this concentrate and bingo! Taste exactly like Starbucks! I change a few things! I used decaf black tea, almond milk instead of whole milk, coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and I added agave (1 tbs) when I mixed milk with chai concentrate!
I’ve made this recipe several times now. I like the spice taste and not too sweet. When I buy store bought like Tazo or Oregon it does not satisfy anymore. I make 3 batches at a time and boils for 20 minutes. I do agree leaving it overnight after it is done makes it stronger tea. Highly recommend.
Thank you for this I love it.
So easy and SO good! Thanks for the recipe!
It is the best I tried it and it is amazing. It is like I am in love with the chai tea. I love it so much.
Finally a real recipe with real ingredients! If I was going to read one more ad-based “recipe” that had “Brand Whatever Chai concentrate” in the ingredients list, I may literally have busted.
Thanks for doing it from scratch and keeping it real.
I would like to make this recipe but the 5 star anise is not readily available. How important is it to make it?
I have made it with and without star anise because my sister simply hates anything with any kind of anise flavor and both came out fantastic. It’s a loose recipe I think, like everything with spices, you can omit one, double another, to your taste.
i personally have forgotten the star anise and didn’t notice much difference. however you should be able to find it at your local asian market.
Check the ethnic aisles-not the main spice aisle. Even in small town WY I found it with the Mexican packet spices. A $0.99 packet made 3 or 4 batches.
Thanks for the great recipe! Such lovely flavors and the spiciness from the ginger is great. I personally love a really spicy Chai so I may up the ginger and cinnamon in the feature, but it’s already quite good as is.