Would you like a cup of tea? - Chai Tea, that is

February 15, 2011
It's so easy to make your own flavorfully delicious Chai Tea Latte mix at home.  All it takes is a few simple ingredients & a whirl in a food processor!

Homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix image


My love of Chai Tea began back in my Corporate America days.  Before becoming a 1st grade teacher and then a food blogger, I spent 13 years working in the corporate grind.  Especially as I progressed in my career, I always seemed to be having morning "coffee meetings."  At least once a week, someone would say, "Let's meet for coffee to discuss that."

The problem - I don't drink coffee.  Never have, doubt I ever will.

I've tried to acquire a taste for coffee, but to no avail.  I just don't like it.  What was I to do?  I couldn't very well sit for hours-on-end at Starbuck's or Caribou and drink water, could I?  That seemed silly.

It's so easy to make your own flavorfully delicious Chai Tea Latte mix at home.  All it takes is a few simple ingredients & a whirl in a food processor!

And that's how I discovered Chai Tea Lattes, with their wonderful mix of ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and other spicy yumminess.

I absolutely love chai tea lattes!  So, of course, I eventually had to figure out how to make my own at home.  You can buy chai tea latte mix at the grocery store, and I've tried them all.  They're actually pretty good.

Homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix photo

But this past summer I put all the grocery store mixes to the test against a chai tea latte mix recipe I made myself.

I went to the grocery store and bought every chai tea latte mix they had, both powder and liquid ... $40 later, I had a testing line-up set up on my kitchen counter.

This past summer I put all the grocery store mixes to the test against a chai tea latte mix recipe I made myself.

Guess what won, at least in my mind?

Yes ... my own powder chai tea latte mix.  And I'm going to share that recipe I use with you.  If you like chai, I think you'll love this easy mix.

The base of this homemade chai tea latte mix is a blend of powdered coffee creamer, dry milk powder, and unsweetened instant tea.

Ingredients to make Homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix image

As you can see in the photo above, instant tea comes in a jar.  It's usually found right alongside the boxed tea bags in the grocery store.  {Note: While Nestea brand is in my photo, I actually prefer the flavor of Lipton brand.}

Toss the powdered coffee creamer, dry milk powder, and unsweetened instant tea powder in a food processor with a hearty dose of traditional chai spices ...

How to Make Homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix image

... and give everything a quick whirl in a food processor to mix them up and grind it all into a fine powder.

Homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix picture

Now, the "secret" ingredient that give this mix it's distinct chai-spice flavor is cardamom.

I adore cardamom - click here to read more about that.  Cardamom is pricey for a spice - I actually read somewhere that it is the most expensive spice by weight.  A bottle will run you about $10 at the grocery store.

The "secret" ingredient that give this mix it's distinct chai-spice flavor is cardamom. 

But believe me, it's worth it.  It makes all the difference in this chai tea latte mix, and is the ingredient that puts it over the top from a taste perspective.  So I encourage you to splurge!!

But once you've splurged and whipped up a batch of this easy Chai Tea Latte Mix?

Then I encourage you to kick back, grab a mug, and enjoy a delicious cup of chai tea.

Check out these other favorite family-friendly drinks:
Cup of Chai Tea image
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chai mix, homemade chai latte mix, powdered chai tea latte mix
Beverages
American
Yield: 6 cups dry mix
How to Make Chai Tea Latte Mixhttps://youtu.be/sVpaBMfuCyIDemonstration of how to make homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix.
Chai Tea Latte Mix

Chai Tea Latte Mix

It's so easy to make your own flavorfully delicious Chai Tea Latte mix at home. All it takes is a few simple ingredients & a whirl in a food processor!
Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients; cover and process until powdery.
  2. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
  3. To prepare 1 serving: Dissolve 3 T. of mix in 1 c. boiling water; stir well.
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Homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix ~ Make your own homemade chai latte mix with just a few simple ingredients & a whirl in a food processor! Great for any day sipping, or Christmas gift-giving. #chailatte #chailattemix #chaispice #giftsfromthekitchen www.thekitchenismyplayground.com
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74 comments

  1. Think I will go make me a cup from the mix you gave me at Xmas--trust me fellow blog readers--she has a winner here!!!

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  2. Ahhh, thanks Mom! I'm about out ... need to make more.

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  3. I want a cup RIGHT now!!!!!!! I am definitely going to try this one Tracey because I know how great it is! I think I will head to the store to purchase all the ingredients, including the Cardamom... after payday that is!
    Thanks!!

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  4. I'll try to walk through the steps to post a comment

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  5. Here goes how to post a comment: step 1--click on the comments (in red) at the end of the recipe,etc. Step 2--write your comment in the comment box that comes up. Step 3--select a profile clicking on the drop down..I used Name/URL but only put my name in,click continue Step 4--click on preview. Step--5 copy the word verification in the little box below it.

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  6. Last step to posting a comment is to click on the little post comment box--Good luck everyone!

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  7. :) We JUST had our favorite chai mix today. We don't use cardamom, but I may have to try it. The rest looks really similar to yours.:)

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  8. I love your pictures and recipes, they are mouth watering. Would love for you to share them with us at foodieportal.com. We are new but at foodieportal.com we are not photography snobs, we are just foodies.

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  9. Do I really need to wait up to 6 months? I mean this just sounds delicious and i cant wait that much

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    1. You can use the mix immediately ... 6 months is it's shelf-life (how long you can store it and it still be good). Enjoy!

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  10. Your food photos are amazing. You can share your mouth watering photos with us at foodienewz.com. foodienewz.com is a new food sharing site and we actually try our best to promote your food photos. At foodienewz.com all your food photos will be published without any editorial review so I really hope you come and join us.

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  11. Finally! A chai mix I can use in my dorm! Woohoo!

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    1. So glad I could help, Erinn! You can certainly whip up a big batch, and then easily mix up a cup with hot water in the dorm. Sending you good wished for a great year at school!

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  12. I adore chai! Do you mind if I ask what kind of instant tea to get??? I'll always end up buying everything in the store until I get to the one that's worth swallowing..lol. Thank you!

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    1. I adore it, too. I use Lipton brand unsweetened instant tea ... and I actually get decaffeinated {I try really hard not to drink caffeine ... which is why I LOVE making my own chai mix}. Enjoy, Lynda!

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  13. Is instant tea different than tea in a tea bag/loose leaf? Am I missing some tea product that everyone else knows about? xD

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    1. Yes, instant tea is different than loose leaf/tea bags. It's a powder that doesn't require any brewing, and is sold in jars/canisters (kind of like the canisters of powdered coffee creamer ... but tea).

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  14. Hello! I absolutely love Chai and want to try out this recipe! About how many servings is this recipe? I was thinking it would be a great christmas stocking stuffer or gift :) Thanks!


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  15. For the first nondairy creamer do you just use original flavor?

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    1. Yes, the first one listed is just regular ol' original flavor. Enjoy!

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  16. yay! thank you for this recipe! Now i can have a chai tea latte at home whenever I want! Super excited! hah!

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  17. Could this be used as a cold drink? I have a close friend that would love it as a Christmas gift

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  18. I made this and it curled. What did I do wrong?

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    Replies
    1. Did you use powdered tea with lemon in it?

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  19. I love this mix. Thank you for sharing it. I haven't even bothered using the food processor step, because I'm lazy ;) I just mix it really well in large bowl. I even whipped up a few as gifts around the holidays. FYI there is aproximately 78 calories in a quarter cup of mix, according to the MyFItnessPal calorie tracker. Has anyone tried a truvia version yet? I'm wondering if there would be an aftertaste. I would like to make a diabetic version for my Mom.

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    1. I am from India and learned this recipe from my grandmother. While everyone has a different recipe for the Chai mix, my grandmother made this just with the spices listed here along with some nutmeg and black peppercorns. By not adding powdered milk of any kind and sugar, you can cut down on a lot of carbs and sugar from your mix. The mix with only spices does have a mild woody aftertaste but, when mixed with a right proportion of water, milk, and tea, the Chai tastes amazing. Hope you give this a try and like it.

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  20. I just made this and love it - I did not add 1.5 cups sugar though, I only added 1/2 cup to the entire batch and it tastes awesome!

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  21. I love the taste but have a gritty residue in the bottom of my cup. I tried putting it back in the food processor in smaller batches and it still happens. Any ideas? Thanks! Susie

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    1. I put all of the spices together in a spice grinder, also known as a small electric coffee grinder and ground it to a powder then put everything in the food processor.

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  22. wow! there are so many ingredients and it looks quite good at the outside. I just want to taste immediately

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  23. Can it be used for iced tea?

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  24. Is it 3 tablespoons or 3 teaspoons per cup?cu

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  25. I've always wondered what is in Chai Tea! Spices are full of antioxidants so this is quite a healthy choice! xx Maria

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  26. Sounds delicious! Pinned and saved. Thanks for sharing at SYS!

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  27. I wonder if this taste like Big Train Vanilla Chai. I love that stuff, but it can be expensive.

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  28. I just made this chai tea latte recipe and it is fabulous. I couldn’t find the unsweetened tea w/o the lemon. I finally found Country Time Sweetened Tea. I omitted the sugar and just added the sweet tea. It is absolutely delish. Also want to mention, that I found the Cardamon @ World Market for $3.99 for a 1.8 oz bottle. Great price considering it was $10 in grocery store. Thank you so much for this recipe Tracey. The hubby and I will be enjoying this recipe for yesrs to come. I’m also making jars of this chai tea for Christmas gifts this year. ❤️

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  29. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I made your Chai latte recipe and was thrilled. For years I've been purchasing a national brand of Chai concentrate liquid. Your recipe is so much better. I shared this with my 14yo grandson; he gave it two thumbs up.

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  30. Do you know calorie content for your recipe?

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  31. I made this as written, but "ketofied" for my Keto diet. Sugar free French vanilla creamer, coconut milk powder, stevia, (the super concentrated type, only need 3 tsp for a double batch) and all the spices at 1.5x listed strength. It is awesome!!! I have made a recipe like this beforr keto, and it had white pepper, this recipe is so much better!!! Thank you so much! I use 2 tsp of my mix to 7 oz water, and am enjoying it right now!

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  32. Love love loooooooooove, this Chai mix. Didn't have vanilla creamer so doubled non dairy creamer. Used coconut sugar and also added extra ¼ cup tea because I found it too milky. Lol,yes I know it's a latte...��.
    Thank you so much for sharing. Definitely, now a staple in the home.

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  33. I enjoyed this recipe and have been making a similar one for a few years. I too use decaf instant tea. Then you can drink it before bed! I think I’m going to use less cardamom in my next batch. It makes it a little too “peppery” tasting for me, but that’s just personal preference. I might try blending in my Vitamix next time instead of the food processor. I think I’d get a more fine grind and less grittiness next time.

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  34. Could you please list the nutritional information? Thank you.

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  35. I love that it can be made decaf. I cannot have caffeine due to a nerve condition, and there are not as many options with the regular tea but non-herbal flavor.

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  36. Just made a batch, it's very good!

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  37. I can’t wait to make this! So many wonderful suggestions too! Thanks!

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  38. I just made a batch and it turned out a lot darker in colour and 3 tbsp was way too much for one cup of water. Did I do something wrong? Is there different instant teas that are stronger then others? I used instant, unsweetened black tea powder from the bulk barn.

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    1. I do not think you did anything wrong. There are many different instant teas and just as with brewed teas they each have some variability. We use Nestea.

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  39. Super easy mix. I used my Ninja blender to mix because I don't have a food processor. For my taste, next time will only add 1 teaspoon cardamom. Thank you for the recipe!

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  40. I made this exactly as you suggested and it was AMAZING!! I have a friend that loves Pumpkin Spice Chai, do you have any suggestions on modifying the spices? I have absolutely no clue. :) Thanks in advance.

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    1. I suggest making the tea as published and then adding pumpkin puree before serving. If you find a combination of spices that provide the pumpkin flavor let us know. Enjoy your tea.

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  41. Just made up a batch yesterday. Absolutely the very best Chai tea mix I have tasted. Thank you for sharing

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  42. This is DELICIOUS! Everyone I've served it to loves it and wants the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing with us!

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    1. Thank you for the note and please do share the recipe with your friends.

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  43. Wonderful as is- thank you! I didn’t food process just whisked. Yum!

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  44. Looking forward to making this! Would whole milk powder be okay?

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  45. We are dairy free, so I excluded the milk powder and use the mix in soy milk instead of water. Love this chai mix! Also makes a great frappe in the blender (soy milk, chai mix, and a little vanilla flavored syrup w/ice)!

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    1. Thank you for sharing! This is great for readers that are lactose intolerant.

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  46. Just mixed a fresh batch…it is wonderful!

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    1. We are glad you enjoyed. Let your friends know where you found the recipe.

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  47. I’m just enjoying my first cup of chai. It is delicious! I only added half of the sugar.

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  48. I changed this recipe as my mom who is lactose intolerant and has pre-diabetes needed a chai mix that would work with her dietary restrictions. She absolutely loves chai, but doesn’t like the boxed liquid concentrate and nothing in the grocery store was low sugar. Here is the recipe.

    Sugar Free Chai Latte Mix

    Ingredients :

    1 C. Coconut milk powder
    1 C. powdered nondairy creamer
    1 C. French vanilla powdered nondairy creamer
    3/4 C. Truvia sweetener
    1 1/2 C. unsweetened instant tea
    2 tsp. ground ginger
    2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
    1 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
    1 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

    Directions :

    Put all spices in a coffee or spice grinder to grind to a fine powder. In a food processor, combine all ingredients; cover and process until powdery.
    Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
    To prepare 1 serving: Dissolve 4 Tbsp. of mix in 1 C. boiling water; stir well.
    Enjoy!

    I used 4 Tbsps as it didn’t seem strong enough for my taste. I will definitely try adjusting the spices in the future

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  49. Thank you so much for sharing! I am sure some readers are lactose intolerant.

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  50. Coffee has been bothering me lately, so I went looking for an alternative hot morning drink. I found your recipe and I’m drinking my 1st cup now. It is delicious. I added Monk fruit rather than sugar, but made no other changes. Thank you so much!

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    1. You are welcome. We are glad to hear you are enjoying the recipe.

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  51. I have never really cared for Chai tea. I came across this recipe and decided to try it. I am now a daily Chai tea drinker - love this mix! In fact, I made 18 batches and put them in beautiful Ball jars for Christmas gifts for extended family this year. They were a big hit! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

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  52. This is the BEST chai latte mix!! The cardamom is absolutely essential. I love that all I need to add is hot water. The second time I made the recipe, I used Truvia in place of the sugar (to reduce calories) and I honestly couldn’t tell the difference. This has become my afternoon treat. Thank you so much for this absolutely delicious recipe!!

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  53. Debbie RichardsonMay 5, 2024 at 8:49 AM

    I really LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it several times and start every day with a cup. My only negative is how much I dislike the residue at the bottom of my cup at the end. But the love definitely outweighs the dislike. I just try not to drink to the very end. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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    1. Which tea are you using? I have found the available options quite concentrated, so the recipe is not quite right. Any tips?

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  54. We use Lipton. Please let us know if you like the recipe using Lipton.

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