This Masala Chai Tea Recipe is a warm, spicy, and aromatic take on the traditional drink. It differs from typical coffee shop versions by using significantly less sugar and highlighting a bold, authentic spice profile! If you are looking for a "hug in a mug" that you can prep ahead of time as a concentrate, this is the one for you!
This recipe was inspired by my love for cozy, comforting drinks during the cooler months. As the spices steep, an aroma reminiscent of Christmas morning fills your home. It pairs perfectly with my Raspberry Lemon Scones, or my Chocolate Marble Biscotti for breakfast or an afternoon treat.
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My daughter was raving about the chai tea that the chef at the seniors home where she works made for her. She said it was the authentic Indian chai recipe that he grew up with. So, when she brought the recipe home, naturally, I was excited to try it! I had authentic masala chai at a friend's house and loved it!
Unfortunately, it was just a list of ingredients, without any quantities, so I had to get to work testing out various permutations and combinations. I probably tried making this recipe at least 5x until I got the PERFECT combination of spices and liquid, and that's what I'm sharing here, with you!
🥘Ingredient Notes
I found most of the ingredients at the grocery store, and whatever I couldn't find there, I was able to order from Amazon (I will add the links in the recipe card). You'll need the following ingredients for this recipe:
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- Fresh Ginger: Essential for that spicy kick. Using fresh root is much better than ground powder here.
- Green Cardamom: You will want to split the pods slightly to release the seeds and oils inside.
- Whole Spices: This recipe relies on Fennel Seeds, Cinnamon Sticks, Whole Cloves, and Black Peppercorns. Using whole spices provides a depth of flavor that ground spices just can't match.
- Black Tea: Use standard black tea bags such as Tetley (or decaffeinated if you prefer). You can also use loose-leaf Darjeeling or Assam.
- Milk: You will use a 1:1 ratio of tea concentrate to milk. I use 1% milk.
- Agave: A liquid sweetener works best. You can adjust this to your desired sweetness level. I prefer agave to honey because it is vegan, I can use less, and the flavor melds better with the tea. Honey has a stronger, more distinct flavor.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Vegan/Dairy-Free: You can easily make this vegan by using oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk instead of dairy milk. Oat milk provides a creamy texture that mimics whole milk very well.
- Extra Spice: You can add a pinch of nutmeg or a star anise pod during the simmering stage for an even more "Christmas" flavor profile.
- Sweetener: While I use agave, you can substitute it with honey, maple syrup, or a sugar-free alternative such as Monk fruit to keep the WW points low. If you use monk fruit, you'll only need to use ½ the amount.
- Dirty Chai: Want a caffeine kick? Add a shot of espresso to your finished mug to turn this into a Dirty Chai Latte.
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Masala Chai Tea
- Step 1: Break open cardamom seeds: Gently smash the pods on a cutting board with the flat side of a chef's knife or a rolling pin. *You only need to split the seeds slightly to release the oils inside.
- Step 2: Combine Spices & Simmer: Add the water, fresh ginger, split cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and peppercorns to a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for at least 15 minutes to extract all those beautiful flavors.
- Step 3: Steep Tea: Remove the pot from the heat (or keep it on very low). Add the tea bags and let them steep for 5 minutes. Tip: Don't over-steep the tea bags, or the tea can become bitter.
- Step 4: Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or pitcher to remove the spices and tea bags. This liquid is your Chai Concentrate. You can store this now or add the 1:1 milk.
- Step 5: Assemble and Serve: To serve immediately, mix equal parts concentrate and milk (e.g., ½ cup concentrate + ½ cup milk) and heat. Stir in about 2 teaspoons of agave per cup (or to taste). Garnish with a little ground cinnamon, if desired.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Toast the Spices: If you have an extra minute, lightly toast the dry spices in the saucepan before adding the water. This releases their essential oils and makes the flavor even more potent.
- Smash or Grate the Ginger: Don't just slice the ginger; give it a good smash with the broad side of your knife to release the juices, or use a zester to grate it (that's what I do). You can store it in the freezer so it lasts longer, and it's easier to grate. Just peel the section of skin off with a vegetable peeler and grate it frozen.
- Don't Boil the Milk: If mixing the concentrate and milk together in a pot to heat, try not to let the milk come to a rolling boil, as it can scald and change the flavor profile.
🥗 What to serve with Masala Chai Tea
My favorite dishes to serve with Homemade Chai Tea are Pumpkin Pie Sheet Pan Pancakes (shown), Healthy Eggs Benedict, and Healthy Morning Glory Muffins.
As an afternoon snack, it pairs well with my Apricot Sunflower Rice Krispie Treats or these Healthy Zucchini Bars!
🌡️Storage
This recipe is designed to be a make-ahead concentrate! But it can be stored with the milk added in.
- Fridge: Store the strained tea concentrate (without milk or sweetener added yet) in an airtight container (like a Mason jar) in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- If you store it WITH the milk, generally, once milk is added, the shelf life reduces to 3 to 4 days (or the expiration date of the milk used), whereas the concentrate alone lasts for one week.
- Freezer: You can freeze the chai concentrate (without milk) for up to 3 months. Freezing it in ice cube trays is a great way to have single servings ready to go! Thaw in the fridge overnight before mixing with fresh milk.
- Reheating: When ready to drink, simply pour out the amount of concentrate you want, add your equal amount of milk and sweetener, and heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of concentrate. Since you mix it 1:1 with milk, this will yield roughly 8 servings (depending on mug size). However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number in the recipe card.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly!
- 1 WW Point (This calculation assumes using a sugar-free sweetener (such as monk fruit - you only need ½ the amount) or limited agave and skim/non-fat milk. Points will vary if using whole milk or large amounts of sugar.
❔Recipe FAQs
Technically, "Chai" just means "Tea" in Hindi. So saying "Chai Tea" is actually saying "Tea Tea"! Masala Chai specifically refers to tea mixed with spices (Masala). However, in North America, we generally use the terms interchangeably to describe spiced milky tea.
Bitter chai usually happens if the black tea bags were left to steep for too long or if the water was boiling too vigorously while the tea bags were in. Make sure to steep the tea for only 5 minutes after the spices have finished simmering.
Absolutely! This makes a delicious Iced Chai Latte. Fill a glass with ice, pour in your cold concentrate and cold milk, stir in your sweetener, and enjoy!
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Skip the coffee shop lineups and make this authentic Masala Chai Tea at home using fresh ginger and aromatic whole spices. It offers a deeper flavor profile with less sugar than standard lattes and works perfectly as a make-ahead concentrate.
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📋Homemade Masala Chai Tea Recipe
Equipment
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 3 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoon green cardamom- split
- ¼ cup fennel seeds
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 18 whole cloves
- 3 teaspoon black peppercorn
- 4 tea bags of black tea (or decaffeinated
- ⅓ cup agave
- 4 cups milk (approximately) Milk is 1:1 with chai tea concentrate
Instructions
- Bring all ingredients except tea bags, and agave together to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes.
- Pour mixture through a strainer and reserve the liquid for concentrate. If refrigerating right away, let it cool to room temperature.
- Add equal parts milk to make chai tea. And 2 teaspoon agave per cup (sweeten to your desired amount)
- Or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week. *Concentrate can be refrigerated longer than if you add the mik to it.
- Garnish with a little ground cinnamon, if desired.
Notes
- Toast the Spices: If you have an extra minute, lightly toast the dry spices in the saucepan before adding the water. This releases their essential oils and makes the flavor even more potent.
- Smash or Grate the Ginger: Don't just slice the ginger; give it a good smash with the broad side of your knife to release the juices, or use a zester to grate it (that's what I do). You can store it in the freezer so it lasts longer, and it's easier to grate. Just peel the section of skin off with a vegetable peeler and grate it frozen.
- Don't Boil the Milk: If mixing the concentrate and milk together in a pot to heat, try not to let the milk come to a rolling boil, as it can scald and change the flavor profile.
- Fridge: Store the strained tea concentrate (without milk or sweetener added yet) in an airtight container (like a Mason jar) in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- If you store it WITH the milk, generally, once milk is added, the shelf life reduces to 3 to 4 days (or the expiration date of the milk used), whereas the concentrate alone lasts for one week.
- Freezer: You can freeze the chai concentrate (without milk) for up to 3 months. Freezing it in ice cube trays is a great way to have single servings ready to go! Thaw in the fridge overnight before mixing with fresh milk.
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