Chai Latte: Aromatic Indian Spiced Milk Tea, Frothy & Warming (63) 2026

This chai latte is a warming tea drink made with milk and spices, originally from India. It is aromatic and gently spicy, and it has become a favorite coffee alternative in cafés around the world.

To make it, black tea is simmered with cardamom, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper, plus fresh ginger. Hot frothed milk is stirred into the strained infusion, creating a comforting and slightly addictive cup.

You can adjust the spice blend to your taste and swap the black tea for green or red tea, or the milk for a plant-based drink. Honey can be replaced with sugar or syrup, or left out entirely if you prefer it less sweet.

Ingredients for Chai Latte

For 4 servings

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise pods
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cardamom pods
• 10 g fresh ginger
• 1 liter water
• 10 g black tea
• 20 g honey
• 100 ml milk
• A little ground cinnamon, for serving
• Whipped cream (optional, for the cold version)

How to Make Chai Latte Step by Step

1. Toast the spices

To boost the flavor of the spices, toast 1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise pods, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns and 1 teaspoon cardamom pods that you have opened beforehand in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add the ginger

Add 10 g of peeled ginger to the saucepan before adding the water, and toast it lightly with the rest of the spices for 1 minute.

3. Add the water and boil

Pour in 1 liter of water and stir the whole mixture so the flavor of the spices and ginger blends well. Raise the heat and boil the mixture for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the black tea

Take the saucepan off the heat and add 10 g of black tea, letting it steep in the hot spiced water.

5. Sweeten with honey and steep

Also add 20 g of honey; if you like it sweeter you can add a little more. Now cover the saucepan and let the tea infuse with the spices and ginger for 7 or 8 minutes.

6. Strain the tea

After this time, strain the tea and pour it into the jug in which you will serve the chai latte.

7. Froth the milk and combine

Heat 100 ml of milk. Once hot, the ideal is to froth it: use a milk frother designed for this purpose, or if you don't have one, shake it in a closed jar or whisk it with a balloon whisk. Once frothed, mix the milk with the tea and divide the mixture among glasses.

8. Serve the chai latte

Dust each glass of freshly made chai latte with a little ground cinnamon and serve immediately. You can also serve it cold after chilling it in the fridge for a couple of hours, topped with whipped cream.

Tips for the Best Chai Latte

Adjust the spice blend

The spice mix used here is the most common one, but you can adapt it to your taste. Other versions include nutmeg or licorice, so feel free to experiment with what you have on hand.

Swap the tea, milk or sweetener

Black tea can be replaced with green or red tea, and the milk with a plant-based drink. Honey can be changed for sugar or syrup, or omitted if you don't love sweet drinks.

Try it cold

Although it is usually drunk very hot, it is also delicious cold with ice on warm days, served with whipped cream.

30 Home Recipes I Keep Coming Back To

Maybe you're the same way — you like having a reliable lineup of cozy comfort dishes, well-known global favorites, and desserts that make everyone happy.

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Additional Tasty Recipes to Cook for the Family

After years of trying and tweaking dishes in my own kitchen, I've found that the ones that stick around are simple, built on dependable methods, and full of flavor.

The picks below are the ones I keep circling back to — whether it's a fast solo meal or a spread for friends and family.

On the sweet side, the rich, smooth Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a go-to when I want something impressive yet effortless. Another favorite is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture helps, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

When light and easy is what I'm after, I lean on the familiar Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a spot-on Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For fuller comfort fare, I'm quick to suggest the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the velvety Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight winner One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm also big on sharing dishes from across the globe, like the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, golden Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another staple in my rotation since it saves time without sacrificing texture. My regular picks include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

For those steering clear of wheat, my crowd-pleasing Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without gluten.

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