Homemade Chai Concentrate Recipe

Introduction

Homemade chai concentrate is a fragrant and flavorful base for chai lattes, combining warm spices and robust black tea. Making your own allows you to customize sweetness and strength, perfect for cozy mornings or refreshing iced drinks.

Ingredients

• 5 cups filtered water
• 3-4 tablespoons Assam black tea
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 2-3 star anise
• 12 whole cloves
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup chopped ginger root
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Crush the whole spices (cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, and peppercorns) using a mortar and pestle to a coarse grind.
2. Step 2: Dry toast the crushed spices in a saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
3. Step 3: Add the filtered water, chopped ginger, and ground nutmeg to the toasted spices in the saucepan.
4. Step 4: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes to develop the flavors.
5. Step 5: Return the mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the Assam black tea leaves.
6. Step 6: Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes; avoid steeping longer to prevent bitterness.
7. Step 7: Immediately strain the chai through a fine mesh strainer into a large glass bowl or pitcher to remove the tea leaves and spices.
8. Step 8: While warm, stir in the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup as desired for sweetness.
9. Step 9: Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
10. Step 10: Allow the concentrate to cool to room temperature. You may refrigerate it to cool faster, though this could cause slight cloudiness.
11. Step 11: Once cooled, pour the chai concentrate into a glass bottle and store it in the refrigerator.
12. Step 12: To serve, mix equal parts chai concentrate and milk. For an iced chai latte, pour the concentrate over ice and add milk. For a hot latte, warm the concentrate before combining with steamed milk and optionally top with milk foam.

Tips & Variations

• Adjust the sweetness and spices to your taste; for a stronger spice flavor, increase the amount of crushed spices slightly.
• Try using different types of milk such as almond, oat, or half-and-half to vary creaminess and flavor.
• If you prefer a less sweet chai, reduce or omit the honey and maple syrup.
• Make sure to strain the concentrate promptly after steeping the tea to avoid bitterness.

Storage

Store the chai concentrate in a sealed glass bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave before making a hot latte. For iced drinks, use straight from the fridge.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use tea bags instead of loose leaf tea?

Loose leaf Assam tea is preferred for a richer flavor, but you can substitute with 3-4 strong black tea bags. Remove the bags after the recommended steeping time to avoid bitterness.

How long does the chai concentrate last in the fridge?

Stored properly in a sealed container, chai concentrate stays fresh for up to one week. Always smell and taste before using if stored longer.

Homemade Chai Concentrate Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 116 reviews

• Author: Elara
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: About 6 cups of chai concentrate 1x

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Description

This Homemade Chai Concentrate recipe delivers a rich and aromatic blend of traditional Indian spices and Assam black tea. Perfect for making flavorful chai lattes at home, this concentrate can be enjoyed hot or iced, with your choice of milk, and sweetened to taste. The recipe involves dry toasting whole spices, simmering them with ginger and tea, then sweetening and straining to create a versatile base for chai beverages.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Spices

• 3–4 tablespoons Assam black tea
• 2–3 cinnamon sticks
• 2–3 star anise
• 12 whole cloves
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup chopped ginger root

Liquids and Sweeteners

• 5 cups filtered water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

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Instructions

1. Crush and Toast Spices: Crush whole spices using a mortar and pestle to a coarse grind. Dry toast them in a saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Add Water, Ginger, and Nutmeg: Pour in all the filtered water, add chopped ginger and ground nutmeg to the toasted spices in the saucepan.
3. Simmer Spices: Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes to extract flavors.
4. Boil and Remove from Heat: Return the mixture to a boil after simmering, then remove the saucepan from heat.
5. Steep Tea: Stir in Assam loose tea leaves and let steep for 3-5 minutes, taking care not to oversteep to avoid bitterness.
6. Strain the Mixture: Immediately pour the tea through a strainer into a large bowl or pitcher to separate the solids from the liquid.
7. Add Sweeteners and Vanilla: While warm, stir in granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, honey, maple syrup (if using), and vanilla extract until fully dissolved.
8. Cool Concentrate: Allow the chai concentrate to cool at room temperature. Refrigeration is possible but may cause slight cloudiness.
9. Store Concentrate: Once cooled, transfer the chai concentrate into a glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.
10. Prepare Chai Latte: To serve, combine equal parts chai concentrate and your choice of milk. For iced lattes, pour concentrate over ice and add milk. For hot lattes, warm the concentrate and add steamed milk with optional milk foam on top.

Notes

• Do not oversteep the tea to prevent bitterness.
• Adjust sweetness by adding honey or maple syrup as preferred.
• Use any type of milk including dairy, almond, oat, or sweetened condensed milk based on dietary preference.
• Keep spices crushed to a coarse grind for best flavor extraction.
• Store chai concentrate refrigerated and use within 1-2 weeks.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Beverage
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Indian

Keywords: chai concentrate, homemade chai, chai latte, Indian tea, spiced tea, Assam tea, chai recipe