MSG Free Chai Spice Iced Tea
Warm spices meet a cool, refreshing glass in this homemade chai iced tea that feels like a café treat without any of the mystery ingredients. Cinnamon, fresh ginger, cardamom, cloves, and black peppercorns are simmered together until the water turns fragrant and deeply aromatic — no flavor packets or powdered shortcuts involved. Maple syrup brings a gentle, natural sweetness that ties everything together beautifully. For anyone navigating hidden additives in bottled teas and flavored drinks, making this from scratch means you know exactly what's in every sip. The whole process is surprisingly simple: simmer, steep, strain, and chill. Poured over a tall glass of ice, it's layered, lightly spiced, and just sweet enough to be completely addictive 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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