Soy Free Chai Spice Iced Tea
Warm chai spices meet a cool, refreshing glass in this iced tea that feels like a treat without any of the fuss. Whole cinnamon, fresh ginger, crushed cardamom pods, cloves, and black peppercorns are simmered together until the water turns fragrant and lightly amber — building a deeply aromatic base that store-bought concentrates just can't match. Black tea bags steep right into that spiced liquid, layering in a bold, slightly tannic depth before maple syrup rounds everything out with gentle sweetness. The whole thing gets strained clean and chilled, so what hits the glass is perfectly smooth and beautifully spiced. Soy hides in a surprising number of bottled teas, flavored syrups, and ready-made chai blends, but every single ingredient here is naturally free of it — no label-reading required. Poured over a tall glass of ice, it's the kind of drink that looks impressive enough for guests but is genuinely simple to pull off at home.
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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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