Artificial Food Coloring Free Spiced Chai Latte
Warm, fragrant, and deeply spiced, this homemade chai latte is the kind of drink that makes you want to curl up and stay there. Whole cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and fresh ginger simmer together until the kitchen smells absolutely incredible ā no powder packets or syrups required. That matters more than you might think, because many store-bought chai concentrates and flavored latte mixes sneak in artificial dyes to achieve that rich, caramel-toned color. Here, the gorgeous amber hue comes entirely from real spices and steeped black tea doing exactly what they're supposed to do. Whole milk rounds everything out into something silky and satisfying, and a drizzle of honey lets you dial the sweetness to your exact preference. A quick strain through a fine-mesh sieve gives you a perfectly smooth, clean cup with none of the grit. It's a genuinely simple recipe that delivers coffeehouse-level results with total ingredient transparency.
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Learn more āIngredients
2 servings
- 1 cup water
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 whole black peppercorns
- 1 star anise
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp loose-leaf black tea or 2 black tea bags
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1ā2 tbsp honey, to taste
For serving
- ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns, star anise, and ginger 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 black tea (loose-leaf or bags) to the saucepan and steep for 3 minutes, until the brew is deep brown and strongly aromatic.
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