Beef Free Classic Chai Latte
Warm, aromatic, and deeply comforting, this spiced milk tea is the kind of drink that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and slow down for a few minutes. Fresh ginger, crushed cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black peppercorns simmer together until the kitchen smells absolutely incredible — and that's before the tea and milk even hit the pot. The whole process is straightforward and completely plant and dairy based, with zero meat-derived ingredients to think twice about. Honey sweetens everything naturally, and you can dial it up or down depending on how sweet you like your cup. Straining the finished chai through a fine-mesh sieve gives you a silky, clean pour with all the bold spice flavor and none of the gritty bits. It's the kind of recipe that feels far more special than the effort it actually takes, and once you've made it from scratch, the café version will never quite measure up.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 black tea bags (or 2 tsp loose-leaf black tea)
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 whole black peppercorns
- 1 star anise (optional)
- 2 tbsp honey, or to taste
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, and star anise (if using) in a small 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
Add the tea bags and milk to the saucepan. Raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture just to a gentle simmer — small bubbles at the edges, not a rolling boil — then reduce the heat to low and steep for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chai is deep brown and richly spiced.
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