Honey Free Chai Spice Iced Tea
Warm chai spices meet a cool, refreshing glass in this iced tea that feels like a treat without any compromise. Cinnamon, fresh ginger, cardamom, cloves, and black peppercorns are simmered together before the black tea bags are added, building a deeply aromatic base that's bold and beautifully layered. Maple syrup steps in as the sweetener here, giving the drink a subtle, earthy sweetness that blends seamlessly with the spice blend — no bee-derived ingredients anywhere in the recipe. The whole thing gets strained smooth, chilled, and poured over ice for a drink that looks and tastes like something you'd pay way too much for at a café. It's a genuinely satisfying alternative to store-bought chai concentrates, which often sneak in honey or ambiguous "natural sweeteners" that can be hard to verify. Make a pitcher ahead of time and keep it in the fridge — it's the kind of drink that disappears fast on a warm afternoon.
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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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