Skip the coffee shop line because making a creamy, frothy chai latte at home is easier than you think! This homemade chai latte recipe is made with warm, aromatic spices, bold black tea, and creamy milk for a delicious café-style drink you can enjoy hot or iced.
The secret is my homemade chai concentrate, which you can prepare ahead of time and keep in the fridge for whenever a chai craving strikes. Just combine it with your favorite milk, froth it up, and you’ve got a delicious chai latte in minutes. No fancy espresso machine required!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Better Than the Coffee Shop: Skip the expensive coffee shop chai lattes! This homemade version is rich, creamy, perfectly spiced, and easy to customize to your taste.
Hot or Iced: Enjoy a cozy, frothy hot chai latte or a refreshing iced chai latte using the same simple ingredients.
Quick and Easy: With a batch of homemade chai concentrate ready in the fridge, you can whip up a delicious chai latte in just a few minutes.
Completely Customizable: Adjust the sweetness, chai-to-milk ratio, and type of milk to make your perfect latte. Whole milk, oat milk, and almond milk all work!
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Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Chai Latte vs. Masala Chai: What’s the Difference?
- Key Ingredients For a Chai Latte
- How to Make a Chai Latte (Iced or Hot)
- How to Froth Milk for a Latte Without an Espresso Machine
- What Is a Dirty Chai Latte?
- Chai Latte FAQ
- More Drink Recipes You’ll Love
- Chai Latte Recipe (Hot or Iced)
Chai Latte vs. Masala Chai: What’s the Difference?
Although chai lattes and masala chai share many of the same warming spices, the biggest difference is how they’re prepared.
Masala chai is a traditional Indian drink made by simmering black tea, aromatic spices, milk, and water together on the stovetop. Growing up in India, this was the chai I knew and loved! My homemade masala chai recipe follows this traditional method, creating a rich, fragrant cup of tea.
A chai latte recipe, on the other hand, is a café-style version typically made by combining a spiced black tea concentrate with steamed or frothed milk. It’s creamier, often sweeter, and easy to prepare hot or iced.
Both are delicious, but if you’re looking for a convenient, coffee shop-style drink you can make in minutes, this homemade chai latte is perfect!
Key Ingredients For a Chai Latte
- Chai Concentrate: The base of this recipe! I use my homemade chai concentrate, made with black tea and warming spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. You can prepare a batch ahead of time and store it in the fridge for quick and easy chai lattes throughout the week. Or, for a store-bought brand, I recommend using the Tazo Chai concentrate; this is what many coffee shops use (I used to be barista so I can confirm this!).
- Milk: I prefer whole milk for its rich, creamy texture and ability to create a beautiful foam. For a dairy-free chai latte, barista-style oat milk is a great alternative. I love the Califia Farms barista blend oat milk!
- Sweetener: Add sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste, depending on how sweet you like your chai latte. My homemade chai concentrate is already pretty sweet so you shouldn’t need additional sweetener .
- Ice: If making an iced chai latte, serve your chilled chai concentrate and milk over plenty of ice for a refreshing, café-style drink.
The full written chai latte recipe with measurements is below on the recipe card.
How to Make a Chai Latte (Iced or Hot)
Hot Chai Latte:
- Prepare the Chai: Pour your prepared chai concentrate into a mug.
- Add the Frothed Milk: Pour warm, frothed milk over the chai concentrate. Spoon any remaining foam on top and enjoy!
Note: You can also heat the chai concentrate and milk together in the same saucepan, then use a handheld milk frother to froth everything together. This is my favorite shortcut for making a hot chai latte with fewer dishes!
Iced Chai Latte:
- Prepare the Iced Chai: Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in chilled chai concentrate. Top with cold milk.
- Stir and Serve: Stir the chai concentrate and milk together until fully combined, and enjoy!
How to Froth Milk for a Latte Without an Espresso Machine
You don’t need an expensive espresso machine to make a delicious, frothy chai latte at home! While I personally use my Breville Barista Express to steam and froth my milk, a simple handheld milk frother is an inexpensive alternative that works beautifully.
Here’s how to make frothy milk for your homemade chai latte using just a saucepan and a milk frother:
- Heat and froth the milk: Heat the milk in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat and carefully tilt the pan so the milk pools along one side. Use a handheld milk frother to froth for 15–30 seconds until light and foamy.
- Assemble your latte: Pour the warm, frothy milk into your prepared chai concentrate, spoon any remaining foam on top, and enjoy!
Expert Tip: Whole milk creates a rich, creamy foam, but barista-style oat milk is a great dairy-free alternative. For the best results, heat your milk gently without boiling it.
What Is a Dirty Chai Latte?
Love coffee AND chai? A dirty chai latte combines the warm, aromatic spices of a traditional chai latte with a shot of espresso for an extra caffeine boost and a bold coffee flavor. It’s one of the easiest ways to switch up your homemade chai latte!
To make a hot or iced dirty chai latte recipe, just add 1–2 shots of freshly brewed espresso to your chai concentrate before adding your milk! One shot gives you a subtle coffee flavor, while two shots create a stronger, more coffee-forward drink.
Chai Latte FAQ
Whole milk is my favorite because it creates a rich, creamy texture and froths beautifully. For a dairy-free chai latte, I recommend barista-style oat milk, although almond and soy milk also work.
Yes! Chai lattes typically contain caffeine because they’re made with black tea. The exact amount depends on the type of tea, brewing strength, and how much chai concentrate you use.
More Drink Recipes You’ll Love
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Chai Latte Recipe (Hot or Iced)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup homemade chai concentrate
- 1 cup whole milk, or milk of choice
- Sweetener of choice, to taste (optional)
- Ice, for iced chai latte (optional)
Instructions
Hot Chai Latte
- Heat the Milk: Pour the milk into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until steaming, but not boiling.
- Froth the Milk: Remove from heat and carefully tilt the saucepan so the milk pools along one side. Froth with a handheld milk frother for 15–30 seconds until light and foamy.
- Assemble the Latte: Warm the chai concentrate separately, then pour it into a mug. Add the frothed milk, spoon any remaining foam on top, and sweeten to taste.
Iced Chai Latte
- Prepare the Iced Chai: Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in the chilled chai concentrate. Top with cold milk.
- Stir and Serve: Stir the chai concentrate and milk together until fully combined, sweeten to taste, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
