How to Make a Chai Latte with Loose Leaf Chai
Brew Guide
How to Make a Chai Latte with Loose Leaf Chai
Real spices and black tea, simmered slowly, make a richer and more aromatic chai than spiced sugar ever could.
Café chai is often mostly spiced sugar, while simmering real spices and black tea gives you a richer, more aromatic drink. Here are three ways to make a chai latte at home with loose leaf chai, from a five-minute frothed-milk latte to a traditional stovetop brew, using dairy or plant-based milk.
What you'll need
| Item | What to use | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Loose leaf chai | Organic Spiced Chai | Black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves, ginger root and black peppercorns |
| Milk | Dairy or plant-based | Steamed, frothed or simmered |
| Sweetener | Honey or sugar | To taste |
| Equipment | Small saucepan and fine strainer | A milk frother helps for Method 1 |
The three methods at a glance
| Method | Chai | Liquid | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Quick chai latte | 1-2 tsp | 100 ml boiling water, topped with milk | 5-7 min steep |
| 2. Traditional simmered | 1 tbsp | 200 ml water, then 50-60 ml milk | 5-7 min + 2 min |
| 3. All-milk stovetop | 1 tbsp | 1 cup milk | 5 min |
Three ways to brew it
The quick chai latte 5-10 minutes
Ready in 5 to 10 minutes:
- Steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of loose leaf chai in 100 ml of boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Strain into your mug.
- Top with steamed or frothed milk, dairy or plant-based.
- Add honey or sugar to taste.
This is your chai concentrate, so let the leaves do the work before the milk goes in.
Traditional simmered chai 5-7 min + 2 min
The full experience:
- Bring 200 ml of water to the boil in a small saucepan.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of spiced chai mix.
- Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cinnamon and cardamom aromas open up.
- Add 50 to 60 ml of milk and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
- Strain into your cup.
- Add honey for sweetness.
All-milk stovetop chai 5 minutes
The indulgent one:
- Add 1 tablespoon of chai to 1 cup of milk in a saucepan.
- Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes without boiling. Boiling milk scorches and dulls the spices.
- Strain, then sweeten with honey or sugar to taste.
Tips for a better chai
Don't skimp on the tea.
If the first cup is too mild, add more chai rather than steeping longer.
Sweeten while hot.
Sweetness balances the pepper and ginger, and honey or sugar dissolves properly in a hot cup.
Use fresh spices.
Chai relies on the essential oils in cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
Try it iced.
Cool the strained concentrate from Method 1 or 2, then pour it over ice with cold milk.
Brew it with Organic Spiced Chai
Made from certified organic ingredients, hand-blended in Melbourne, with no flavourings or syrups.
Organic Spiced Chai
A warming black tea chai with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. Brew it on the stove or as a chai latte.
Gift Bottle: Organic Spiced Chai
The same bold, aromatic blend, with star anise and black peppercorns, in a cork-lidded bottle made for giving.
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