Rice Free Chai Spice Iced Tea
Warm chai spices meet a cool, refreshing glass in this iced tea that tastes like a coffeehouse treat made entirely at home. Whole cinnamon, fresh ginger, crushed cardamom, cloves, and black peppercorns simmer together until the water turns fragrant and lightly amber — that's where all the depth comes from. Black tea bags steep right into the spiced liquid, layering in that classic bold backbone before everything gets sweetened with maple syrup for a naturally rich finish. The whole thing gets strained clean and poured over ice, so every sip is smooth, aromatic, and beautifully spiced without any grit. Rice and grain-based ingredients have no place here anyway — this drink is built entirely on whole spices, tea, and a touch of maple, making it a completely worry-free choice. It's the kind of drink that feels fancy enough for guests but easy enough to make on a weeknight when you just want something a little more interesting than plain iced tea.
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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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