Citric Acid Free Chai Spice Iced Tea
Warm chai spices meet a cool, refreshing glass in this beautifully aromatic iced tea that feels like a treat without any of the usual ingredient worries. Cinnamon, fresh ginger, cardamom, cloves, and black peppercorns are simmered together until the liquid turns fragrant and lightly amber — no packaged spice blends, no mystery additives, just whole spices you can see and trust. Black tea bags steep right into that spiced base, layering in depth and a gentle earthiness that makes every sip feel intentional. Maple syrup brings the sweetness naturally, rounding out the bold spice notes without leaning on anything derived from citrus or acidic preservatives. The whole thing gets strained, chilled, and poured over ice for a drink that looks stunning and tastes even better. It's the kind of recipe that proves you don't need a long ingredient list or a specialty store run to make something genuinely impressive.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 cups water
- 3 black tea bags
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
For serving
- 1 cup ice cubes, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water, cinnamon stick, sliced ginger, crushed cardamom pods, whole cloves, and black peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the liquid is fragrant and lightly amber.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 4 minutes, then remove and discard the tea bags.
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