Nitrate & Nitrite Free Chai Spice Iced Tea
Warm spices meet a cool glass in this aromatic iced tea that feels like a treat without any of the processed additives hiding in store-bought chai concentrates or flavored drink mixes. Whole cinnamon, fresh ginger, crushed cardamom pods, cloves, and black peppercorns are simmered together until the liquid turns fragrant and lightly amber — no shortcuts, no mystery ingredients. Black tea bags steep right into that spiced base, soaking up every layer of flavor before the whole thing gets strained clean and sweetened with maple syrup. That natural sweetener is a smart swap here, keeping things simple and free from the preservatives that often sneak into commercial syrups and bottled teas. The result is a deeply spiced, slightly sweet iced tea that's refreshing in a way that feels genuinely homemade. Pour it over a tall glass of ice and it's the kind of drink that makes you wonder why you ever reached for a bottle in the first place.
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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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