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Indian

Chai Latte

Black tea simmers with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, then milk and sugar turn it into a warm latte. Each cup is strained so the spices stay in the pot and not in the mug.

Prep
5 min
Cook
12 min
Total
17 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Mug of milky chai latte with a dusting of ground cinnamon on the foam

Why you’ll love it

  • Crushing the cardamom pods lets the seeds flavor the water faster than whole pods alone.
  • Milk goes in after the tea has steeped so the dairy is less likely to scorch on the bottom.
  • A short simmer, not a rolling boil, keeps the milk from boiling over.
  • Straining catches cloves and pod skins before you pour.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Add the water, crushed cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, and ground ginger to a small saucepan.

  2. 2

    Bring the spice water to a simmer over medium heat, about 3 minutes, then lower the heat so it stays at a gentle simmer.

  3. 3

    Add the black tea bags and steep 4 minutes. Do not let the pot boil hard or the tea turns bitter.

  4. 4

    Pour in the whole milk and sugar. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring, until the latte is steaming and the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Do not boil.

  5. 5

    Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.

  6. 6

    Strain into four mugs. Discard the tea bags, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods.

  7. 7

    Serve hot.

Pro tips

  • If the milk starts to climb the side of the pan, pull it off the heat and stir.
  • Taste before you pour. Add another teaspoon of sugar only if you want it sweeter.
  • Crush the cardamom with the side of a knife so the pods split but the seeds stay in the pot.

Easy substitutions

Whole milk
Oat milk or 2 percent milk
Black tea bags
1 tbsp loose black tea, strained
Sugar
Honey, stirred in off the heat

Storage and reheating

Storage

Cool and refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 2 days. The spices will taste stronger the next day.

Reheating

Warm gently on the stove over low heat until steaming. Do not boil. Stir before pouring.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
132
Protein
4 g
Carbs
20 g
Fat
4 g
Fiber
0 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop

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  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

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  • An air fryer with a real basket

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  • A half-sheet pan

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  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients