How to Make a Chai Latte with Loose Leaf Chai

There's a world of difference between a chai latte made from syrup or powder and one brewed properly from loose leaf chai. The café versions are often little more than spiced sugar — but when you simmer real spices and black tea, you get something rich, warming and genuinely aromatic. Here are three ways to make it at home, from a five-minute latte to the traditional stovetop brew.

What you'll need

• Loose leaf chai — we use our Organic Spiced Chai, a blend of organic black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves, ginger root and black peppercorns
• Milk of your choice — dairy or plant-based both work beautifully
• Honey or sugar, to taste
• A small saucepan and a fine strainer (a milk frother helps for Method 1)

Method 1: The quick chai latte (5–10 minutes)

The easiest way to a café-style chai latte at home:

1. Steep 1–2 teaspoons of loose leaf chai in 100ml of boiling water for 5–7 minutes. Make it strong — this is your chai concentrate.
2. Strain into your mug.
3. Top with steamed or frothed milk — dairy or plant-based, whichever you love.
4. Sweeten with honey or sugar to taste.

Method 2: Traditional simmered chai (the full experience)

This is closer to how chai is made across India — the spices are simmered, not just steeped, which draws out far more flavour:

1. Boil 200ml of water in a small saucepan.
2. Stir in 1 tablespoon of spiced chai mix.
3. Simmer for 5–7 minutes — you'll smell the cinnamon and cardamom open up.
4. Add 50–60ml of milk and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
5. Strain into your cup.
6. Add honey for sweetness, and enjoy.

Method 3: All-milk stovetop chai (the indulgent one)

For the richest, creamiest cup, skip the water entirely:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of chai to 1 cup of milk in a saucepan.
2. Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes without boiling — keep it gentle; boiling milk scorches and dulls the spices.
3. Strain, then sweeten with honey or sugar to taste.

Tips for a better chai

• Don't skimp on the tea. A weak chai latte is a sad thing. If your first cup is too mild, add more chai rather than steeping longer.
• Sweeten while hot. Traditional chai is served sweet — the sweetness balances the pepper and ginger — and honey or sugar dissolves properly only in a hot cup.
• Fresh spices matter. Chai relies on the essential oils in cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. 
• Try it iced. Let the strained concentrate from Method 1 or 2 cool, then pour over ice with cold milk.

Our Organic Spiced Chai is made entirely from certified organic ingredients — real black tea and whole spices, hand-blended in Melbourne, with no flavourings or syrups. It comes in a 100g pouch, a 250g pouch for the devoted, and a 160g gift bottle for the chai lover in your life.

Shop our Organic Spiced Chai here — free shipping on orders over $75, Australia-wide.