Description
A rich, customizable vanilla chai concentrate made with simple pantry ingredients. This recipe allows you to control the spice level and sweetness, saving money and time compared to store-bought options.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea (Assam or Ceylon)
- 2 cups milk (whole, oat, almond, or coconut)
- 1/2 cup white sugar or cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2–3 whole black peppercorns (optional)
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Whisk until sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse spices.
- Stir in the loose-leaf black tea and simmer for another 3 minutes until the liquid is a deep amber color.
- Pour in the milk and whisk constantly. Bring back to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously) and cook for about 5 minutes until hot and slightly reduced.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or jar, pressing gently on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids.
- Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight glass jar and refrigerate.
Notes
Do not boil the milk vigorously to prevent curdling or scorching. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Can be frozen in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. Adjust sweetness after straining if needed. Use fresh spices for best flavor.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup concentrate
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 16
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Protein: 3
Keywords: chai concentrate, vanilla chai, homemade chai, chai latte recipe, dairy-free chai, easy chai recipe, tea concentrate