Homemade Chai – Barefoot in the kitchen

There’s nothing — and I mean nothing — that compares to steeping whole spices and tea leaves to create an authentic pot of fragrant, spicy, and sweet homemade chai.

I’ve enjoyed plenty of chai powder at coffee shops and have made my own a few times using tea bags and chai flavored blends. I’m warning you now: once you’ve made real chai, you’ll never be quite as satisfied with the other versions.

Plain chai

I heard about my brother-in-law’s homemade chai for a few years before I finally managed to try it at their house.

If you remember, this is the same sister and her husband who introduced me to Spanish café con leche after visiting Spain almost 15 years ago. When they tell me something is delicious, I tend to believe them.

Now that I’ve had the chance to make Jason’s recipe myself, I’m sure it won’t disappoint. I’ve been making this easy chai in double and triple batches for years and love to keep a jar or two in the fridge.

Served with a plate of almond bars, a steaming cup of chai (or an iced chai latte) becomes an afternoon treat no one refuses.

Chai ingredients

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• cardamom pods
• whole cloves
• cinnamon stick
• fresh ginger
• black peppercorns
• Bay leaf
• loose black tea leaves
• Water
• half and half
• light brown sugar or honey

Chai recipe

In a medium saucepan, combine cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger, peppercorns, and a bay leaf.

Add the water and bring to a boil. Let this cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and let steep for 10 minutes.

Add the tea leaves and bring to the boil again. (I like to use English breakfast tea to make chai.) Reduce the heat and simmer on medium for 5 minutes.

Add half and half and the sugar. Stir over low heat until steaming, about a minute.

Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a teapot, cups or glasses. Chai can be served warm or cold. It’s a refreshing treat when served ice cold and poured over ice.

Pour the remaining chai mixture into small jars to store in the fridge. Warm it up or enjoy it cold, as you wish.

The recipe fits perfectly and is a great way to prepare and keep morning chai for several days, just reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave for a few minutes.

This results in a great dirty chai in the morning with a shot of espresso. If you prefer coffee, add a generous squirt of the chai blend to your next cup.

Homemade Chai Latte

Wondering how to turn this chai recipe into a perfectly frothed, warm or chilled latte? It’s easy as pie. (Actually, it’s a lot easier since there’s no cake base to make here!)

Simply froth the milk in half before pouring it into the soaked chai concentrate. I’ve been using this frother daily for almost ten years to make my morning coffee and it’s also great for chai lattes.

For more homemade drinks that are better than the cafe, try the ever-popular London Fog or an Iced Brown Sugar Espresso.

Italian Cream Liqueur is my favorite around the holidays and I make it a lot and give it to friends as gifts. Peppermint hot chocolate goes great with a dash of cream liqueur.

You can make vanilla coffee syrup at home with just a few common ingredients and no preservatives or artificial flavors. The syrup takes less than 5 minutes to stir and tastes better than any store-bought options.

{originally posted 1/20/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/22/23}