If you follow me on Twitter, you know that ever since our vacation, I’ve been trying to figure out how to make Chai at home. I’m still busy experimenting, but the following recipe is what I’ve been using for the moment. I found it on All Recipes, but it’s also on RecipeZaar, and in some other places on the web, so I’m not entirely sure where to give credit!
This recipe makes tea that is pretty tasty, but it’s still not quite as good as those Oregon Chai mix packets that I had on vacation. I’m hoping to try some non-mix Chai recipes (where you heat milk, tea, spices, and sugar on a stovetop or in the crock pot) next. I think that sort of Chai would be a bit healthier, as a mix requires things that aren’t particularly natural, like coffee creamer. I’ll keep you posted if I happen upon a really good recipe of that sort.
For now, though, here’s how to make a Chai tea mix (ingredients are at the bottom of the post.) It’s really easy to do.
Dump all the ingredients into a large bowl.
Mix them together. You could use the tea mix this way, but it won’t dissolve all that well, and it does look kind of funky.
So, in two batches, process the mixture in your food processor until it’s smooth and fine. Much better.
Chai tea mix makes a good homemade Christmas gift if you package it appropriately. It looks lovely in a glass jar (this one is from Goodwill).
And of course, a canning jar is always a good packaging idea too (especially if you procure lids that are not all bent and rusted like mine are!).
Chai Latte Mix
Ingredients
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Working with about half the mixture at a time, process in a food processor until fine and smooth. Store in a cool, dry place, in an airtight container.
To use, stir two heaping tablespoons into 6-8 ounces of hot water.
Kimberly
Wednesday 18th of October 2017
This is a very good recipe. I appreciate that it calls for dried spices I already had on hand. Also, I was looking for something I could bring to work using hot water from the coffee machine. I have tried the Trader Joe's mix and that is good too, but of course costs more. It has dried honey in it, so I might try to find that to include in the homemade version.
MizuSempai
Sunday 29th of November 2015
I have made this mix for the past few cold seasons now, and I absolutely love it. I don't drink coffee, so this is what warms and wakes me up. I even made up a batch of this (and a cocoa mix) in canning jars to give away as prizes for games at my sister-in-law's December baby shower. I also had it out to serve for the party and it was a big hit! Young and elder alike enjoyed it! Only change I made was decreasing the amount of sugar slightly to taste. To give away in canning jars, I stuck food grade cinnamon sticks (one for each serving in the jar) into the mix itself inside the jar so the drinker could stir and add extra flavor.
Tracy
Wednesday 16th of July 2014
I love Chai tea! I buy mine from Big Train. I made this mix today. Mine came out a little bitter. I was wondering which spice may make it bitter? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Tracy
Trish Sweeney
Thursday 18th of September 2014
Big Train is great but requires alot of product to make each cup, especially if iced. It is also loaded with sugar (even the "no sugar added" has a disclaimer that it is not a low calorie product) but the good news is they removed the partially hydrogenated oil that used to be in it. Coconut oil seems to thicken the texture which I like. Will try your recipe and sub Truvia or Stevia to lessen the sugar content.
Patryce
Monday 21st of April 2014
I make a liquid concentrate that is my favorite chai so far, and I've adjusted the sweetener and spices to suit me.
10 plain tea bags 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 t vanilla extract at the end) 1 stick cinnamon 2T grated fresh ginger(I store it in the freezer and grate it frozen, no need to peel) 7 cardamom pods 2 whole stars of star anise 5 whole cloves (I grind the cardamom, star anise and cloves in a spice grinder) 1/4 t fresh ground black pepper 1/2 t fresh grated nutmeg 1 t orange zest, or a drop of orange oil (optional) about 5 cups boiling water, steep for about 20 minutes, then strain into a 1 qt jar or bottle and add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 T honey. Store in the fridge.
This concentrate can be mixed to taste with milk and heated, most sites say 1:1, I usually use less milk, more concentrate. The recipes I based this on called for double the number of cloves, which I found too clovey, and twice the sugar, which I found too sweet. I think for those who prefer/need a calorie-free sweetener it should work just fine to substitute, and then the concentrate would be nearly calorie-free. I love that this one is all-natural, and can be made with whatever milk or milk substitute you like. My cousin who is not fond of dairy likes it without any milk at all!
bulk spices are cheapest and quite fresh from Indian or Asian grocery stores. I do use the cinnamon stick repeatedly, and stuff the vanilla bean(after it dries) in some sugar to make vanilla sugar. Extract works fine too though. Vanilla beans and nutmegs I order online, they can be pretty pricey out in the world.
I just looked at the Pioneer Woman version referenced in someone else's post and this one is very similar, but hers will be much clovey-er and a bit sweeter. I do advise busting up the hard spices to get more flavor from them.
unknown name
Monday 14th of April 2014
Hi The chai tea tastes so much better than the store bought. :-)