Wheat Free Classic Chai Latte

Total time20 min

Prep time5 min

Cook time15 min

4.8

(8)

Warm, deeply spiced, and endlessly comforting, this homemade chai latte is the kind of drink that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and forget the outside world exists. Whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper are simmered low and slow to coax out every bit of their fragrance before the tea and milk ever hit the pot — and the difference compared to a powder or syrup is remarkable. Fresh ginger adds a gentle heat that builds beautifully, while a drizzle of honey rounds everything out without overpowering the spice blend. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of wheat, so there's no label-reading anxiety or ingredient swaps required — just real, whole pantry staples doing exactly what they're supposed to do. The straining step at the end gives you a silky-smooth cup that feels genuinely café-quality. Make it once and you'll wonder why you ever paid five dollars for the coffee shop version.

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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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