Homemade chai concentrate is quick and easy to make with just a handful of spices and black tea. Add your favorite milk to make a hot or iced chai latte that’s perfectly spiced and not too sweet. Making your own chai concentrate allows you to adjust all of the flavors exactly to your liking!
You should know something about me: I don’t like coffee.
To be fair, I have enough digestive issues that coffee doesn’t like me much, either. So the feeling is mutual, I suppose you could say.
Either way, I am a tea girl all the way. Just like many people struggle to get their day started without a cup of coffee, I struggle to get going without my tea.
Most mornings, I’m just making myself a pot of green tea. Sometimes I’ll have iced tea – bonus points if it’s flavored, like blueberry iced tea.
But if I’m swinging by the local coffee shop, I’m nearly always in it for the chai.
I just love the mix of spices (so much so that I put the flavors into my favorite chai sugar cookies). My ideal chai is nice and strong with plenty of zip from the ginger. I’m forever trying the chai at every coffee shop I go to.
But as much as I love supporting my local coffee shop, I also realized at some point that stopping by multiple times a week for my iced chai fix was putting a significant dent into my bank account.
It was at that moment that I determined that I could make a homemade chai concentrate that was as good, if not better, than what I could buy at the grocery store and for a fraction of the price.
The best chai concentrate
I have tried so many store-bought chai concentrates over the years. Seriously. TAZO, Trader Joe’s, Oregon Chai…the list goes on.
But they were all missing something for me. Some were way too sweet, some didn’t have enough flavor, some had way too much star anise for my liking.
It’s enough to make a girl feel like the Goldilocks of chai.
So years ago I took a recipe from The Prairie Homestead and fiddled with it. And fiddled and fiddled and fiddled some more.
I can’t tell you how many times I made and tweaked this recipe until I managed to get exactly what I was looking for: a chai concentrate that is not too sweet and allows the flavors of the spices to come through.
I have made this recipe countless times since I first posted about it years ago and let me tell you: it holds up. It is still my go-to when I want to make chai at home and save myself a few bucks at the coffee shop.
It’s pure heaven alongside a banana oat muffin or baked apple cider donut or even a slice of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.
Stephie’s testing notes
- Whole spices are the key to this recipe. The flavor is better than using ground spices, and you don’t end up with a bunch of gritty nonsense at the bottom of your latte. Check your local international grocery store (especially Asian or Middle Eastern stores) or spice shop for the best prices on buying whole spices in bulk. When in doubt, you can always order your spices online. They last for ages, so you’ll be able to use them for cooking and baking projects for a long time.
- Crack open the spices if you can. I use my mortar and pestle to gently crack open the spices before simmering them to help release more of their flavor. It’s not required, but it does make a difference!
- Don’t skip the vanilla. I love adding a split vanilla bean with the other spices or finishing this chai concentrate recipe with vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste. I tried it several times without the vanilla, and every time it was a little bit “blah”. Vanilla adds depth and enhances the flavors of the other spices.
Chai spices
After lots of testing, I found the following to be the perfect blend of spices for this chai concentrate. This is a mix that works well together—some spices, such as the cardamom and ginger, will stand out a bit more, but none of them overpower the others.
- Dried ginger pieces: If you have fresh ginger on hand, you can add a big piece of that instead.
- Cinnamon sticks
- Star anise pods: If you love that licorice flavor, you can add more star anise.
- Whole cloves
- Allspice berries
- Green cardamom pods: If you’re a big fan of cardamom, you can feel free to add some extra.
- Black peppercorns: These are optional, but a lovely addition if you like a little extra spiciness to your chai.
- Vanilla: You can add a split vanilla bean with the other whole spices or add vanilla extract or paste at the end.
How to make chai concentrate
If you can boil water, you can make your own chai concentrate. I promise!
Start by combining water, honey, and the whole spices in a medium pot. If you’re using a vanilla bean, add it now. Bring this to a boil.
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer; on my stove, this is medium-low to low heat. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the tea bags or loose tea leaves and let those steep for 5 minutes.
Pour the concentrate through a fine mesh strainer. If you’re using vanilla extract or paste, stir it in now.
If you want to make a hot chai, you can use the concentrate now, or let it cool and refrigerate it before making an iced chai!
How to use this concentrate
Most recipes – and even store-bought concentrates – suggest mixing 1 part concentrate with 1 part milk.
I happen to like my chai, like all tea, pretty strong, so I like to use a higher ratio of concentrate-to-milk. Play around with it and see what you like – because that’s the beauty of making it at home!
The other nice thing about making chai at home is you can use whatever milk you like. Dairy milk (I personally prefer whole milk), soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk…it’s all up to you!
Don’t forget that you can always add a shot of espresso to make a dirty chai latte for an extra kick of caffeine.
To make a hot chai latte
Heat your desired amount of chai concentrate in the mug of your choice. Gently heat your desired milk, then use a milk frother to froth the hot milk before pouring it over the concentrate.
I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on top for some extra flavor and to make it look pretty. And voila! A homemade chai latte!
To make iced chai
Fill up a glass with ice cubes, then add your desired amount of chai concentrate to the glass. Pour in the milk of your choice, mix, and enjoy alongside a slice of sourdough banana bread or applesauce bread for the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack.
Chai Concentrate
Equipment
- Mortar and pestle optional
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 4 to 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons dried ginger pieces
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 2 to 3 star anise pods
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice berries
- 1 heaping tablespoon green cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns optional
- 4 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea OR 5 black tea bags
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste OR 1 whole vanilla bean, split (see notes)
- Milk of your choice for serving
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, honey, and whole spices to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.6 cups water, 4 to 6 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons dried ginger pieces, 5 cinnamon sticks, 2 to 3 star anise pods, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, ½ teaspoon allspice berries, 1 heaping tablespoon green cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- Remove from heat and add the tea leaves or tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the spices and tea leaves or bags. Stir in the vanilla extract or paste.4 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea , 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Pour into an airtight container and allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
- To serve, mix anywhere from 1 to 2 parts concentrate with 1 part milk of your choice (whole, soy, almond, oat, etc). For a hot chai, warm the concentrate and milk separately. Use a milk frother to froth the hot milk before pouring it over the concentrate. For an iced chai, pour the concentrate and milk over ice.Milk of your choice
Notes
- Makes 4-5 cups of concentrate.
- I like to gently crack open or lightly crush my whole spices in a mortar and pestle before adding them to the boiling water; it seems to help release some of the flavor. This is totally optional, so go where your heart leads you.
- This recipe was originally written using ¼ cup coconut sugar + 2 tablespoons honey. I have updated it to use only honey to make it easier for those who do not keep coconut sugar in their pantry. Feel free to use the coconut sugar + honey combination if you prefer.
- Replace the honey with the sweetener of your choice (agave, maple syrup, etc) if a vegan concentrate is desired. Brown sugar is also a lovely option.
Nutrition
Storage tips
One of the nice things about making your own concentrate at home is that it lasts a long time in the refrigerator.
Store the chai concentrate in the bottle or jar of your choice and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
It will honestly stay good for up to a month, but I like to use it within 1-2 weeks because I think that is when the flavor is the best.
About Stephie
Stephie is the creator of Stephie Cooks, a food blog that focuses on creating memories around the food we share, with family recipes at the site’s heart. Stephie lives in Central Illinois with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of cats and dogs. When she’s not in the kitchen or at her computer writing, you can usually find her curled up with a book or working on one of her many grandma-esque hobbies. Learn more >
4 years…phew! What a whirlwind! I guess that means we’ve known each other for just about 3 years now, yes? And we’re lifers!
I seriously can’t wait to make this chai concentrate…I have some of the whole spices already and I know exactly where I can get them for mere pennies. LOVE that this is refined sugar-free – I’m totes going to make and drink it in bulk! 😀
xoxoxoxoxo
We are SO lifers. xoxoxo
Happy blog bday, babes! This chai concentrate is the real deal and I want to guzzle down a gallon of it.
If you do, I hope you get much accomplished on your caffeine high. 😉 (PS – Timehop reminded me this morning that we met up with Stef two years ago today. WHAAAT?!)
Congrats on 4 years! We go through so much chai around here, especially in the colder months! Can’t wait to try your version!
I hope you enjoy it!
Congrats! These photos are stunning!
Thank you so much, sweet Medha!
Happy 4 years! Chai tea is the perfect way to celebrate. I love this homemade version, and those whole spices are just gorgeous.
Thanks, Jennie! Would it be weird to just put out a bowl of whole spices to pretty up my house and make it smell nice? Because I’m thisclose to doing it.
Yummy!! Homemade chai is SO great for the chilly days of fall. Also happy belated blog-iversary!
Thank you so much, Phoebe! I think we should make chai EVERYTHING this fall. Let’s do it!
So happy to have a chai tea recipe at last! I drink tons of it, especially in the winter, and it is so expensive to buy!! Thank you so much—can’t wait to try it, but I’ll have to search out the spices first.
This is THE BEST chai concentrate. I have been looking forever for the perfect one and you nailed it. Thank you so much!!!
I am SO glad you love it!
I’m about to make this recipe for the third time as I am writing this review. SOOOOOO good! I find that I like to add the upper end of honey, and I use ground cardamom instead of whole because I couldn’t find that around me. I just strain through a cheesecloth and it doesn’t turn out gritty. But seriously, a great recipe
Thank you so much for sharing! I love hearing this.