Chai Tea Latte Starbucks Recipe
I love a good chai tea latte recipe, Starbucks style. We’re going to learn what’s in a Starbucks Chai Tea Latte and how to craft one using Tazo chai tea bags, oat milk and maple syrup or honey!
You can use any chai tea, but the Tazo contains the same spices as the Starbucks concentrate. Making it the closest tasting substitute I could find with still being fast and easy to prepare.
The only thing I dislike about most Starbucks chai tea latte is their sweetness level. Ergo why I like making them at home, more to my taste. It’s also more affordable than going to a coffee shop.
What is in a Chai Tea Latte?
Did you know that in India, the word “chai” just means tea? It’s also a similar word in Mandarin for tea. And here, if you translate chai, in America we say tea tea. But hey, we’re not really into saying everything correct anyways so I’m going to keep calling it chai tea and be on my way.
A traditional chai tea latte is made with a black tea bag, chai spices (generally cardamom, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves & star anise) and frothed milk to form a latte.
What is in the Chai Tea Latte Starbucks Recipe?
In a grande chai tea latte from Starbucks which is 16oz, there are 4 pumps of chai tea concentrate and 2% milk. 1 pump of concentrate is about ½ a TBSP or .5 oz.
A tall (12 oz, about 1.5 cups) is made with 3 pumps of chai concentrate and 2% milk.
What is in Starbucks Chai Tea Concentrate?
The chai tea concentrate from Starbucks contains: “An Infusion Of(Water, Black Tea, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Natural Flavors, Star Anise), Sugar, Honey, Ginger Juice, Natural Flavors, Vanilla, Citric Acid.”
Can I make my own Chai Tea Concentrate?
Yes you can make your own chai concentrate or purchase a premade one. I like making concentrated tea by using Tazo Chai Tea bags. They contain the same ingredients as the Starbucks chai concentrate. Tazo Chai Tea contains: Black Teas, Ginger, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Cardamon, Cloves and Star Anise.
Some of you may prefer making your own spice mix. If so, check out this recipe that uses the same spices as the Starbucks chai concentrate. My method for creating a concentrated chai is simple. You just need Tazo chai tea bags, honey/maple syrup and hot water.
How To Make a Chai Tea Latte
Step 1: Steep the Tea
Boil water and pour 1/3 a cup over the chai tea bag and let it steep for 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: Heat the Milk
Microwave: Add 1 cup of oat milk (or any kind) and 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to a mason jar. Then microwave for 1.5 minutes until it starts to steam.
Stovetop: You can also heat the milk by putting it in a small saucepan on medium heat until the milk starts to steam. Then pour it into a mason jar.
Step 3: Froth the Milk
Add a lid to the jar. Then while using a tea towel to hold the jar, shake it vigorously for about 15-20 seconds. Remove the lid slowly as some pressure may have built up. Or use a handheld milk frother.
Step 4: Combine Milk & Tea
Pour your steeped chai tea into your mug, then add your frothed milk and give it a light stir. Then sprinkle some cinnamon on top for garnish. And enjoy!
What milk do I use to make it Dairy free?
Choose your favorite unsweetened plant based milk for this chai tea latte recipe from Starbucks. My favorites are unsweetened oat or coconut milk. They both have a creamy flavour. Almond and soy milk are good options too. However, they don’t contain much fat and lack the rich creamy taste my tastebuds expect when it comes to lattes. If you want to have a lot of milk foam, I recommend using an oat milk or any barista blend.
Dairy Free Chai Latte, Starbucks
Ingredients
Steep:
- 1 chai tea bag I use Tazo*
- 1/3 cup of boiling water
Add to mason jar:
- 1 cup unsweetened oat or coconut milk
- 1-2 TBSP maple syrup or honey**
- Cinnamon to garnish
Instructions
- Pour 1/3 cup hot water into a glass cup, steep the tea bag for 5-7 minutes.
- While the tea is steeping, add the milk, maple syrup or honey into a mason jar. Microwave the milk for about 1.5 minutes. It should be steaming (without the lid). Remove from the microwave and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until frothy.
Video
Notes
**I use 1 TBSP of maple syrup or honey because I like to use natural sweetener in my drinks. If you prefer some sugar it is a great choice as well because it has a light flavour. 1 TbSP is quite sweet so youcan always start with half a TBSP and add more if you need it.
**Also I find 1 TBSP of maple syrup makes this drink sweet enough for my taste. It is great without any sweetener at all and often I have without the added sugar. For a more authentic Starbucks taste use 2 TBSP of maple syrup.
Homemade Lattes
If you liked this than try some of my other dairy free homemade drinks! I love making them at home because it’s so expensive to go to a coffee shop all the time. Currently I do not have an espresso machine or a milk frother. So I make everything with the basic things I’m sure you already have in your kitchen. If you like an Iced London Fog than you will also love my recipe for a hot London Fog Tea Latte that also tastes like it come from Starbucks. Or my Dairy Free Maple Latte made using strongly brewed coffee.
So this is the secret of Starbucks! 🙂 Now let me see if I can find some Tazo chai tea here in my town so I can try your way of making the latte.
One of there many secrets :). It’s my favourite brand to use for most homemade latte’s!
It tasted exactly like the Starbucks chai tea latte, I’m so impressed! My favourite homemade hot drink so far!
Thank-you. It’s definitely one of my favourite homemade hot drinks.
love that this is dairy free! so good!
Thank-you!
love a good chai tea, perfect to make at home
I love chai and this looks delicious.
Thank-you!
This sounds delicious. I will definitely give this a try.
Thank-you!
Great suggestion to use oat milk rather than almond for the creaminess! I’ve noticed that myself. I can usually only ever find almond milk at the store, but oat milk is definitely my preference. And good point that making this at home allows for adjustment of the sweetness!
Thank-you and yes I love the taste oat milk brings. That’s too bad you have a hard time finding it in stores. I know Amazon does sell it if you ever wanted to purchase it there!
Oh this is so needed right now! I forgot how much I loved these!!
Thank-you!