Chai Tea Latte

A stovetop chai latte built by simmering whole spices with water, then steeping black tea and finishing with milk for a smooth, café-style drink. The recipe is scaled so four 300 ml mugs can be filled without overflow, and the spice profile stays balanced rather than heavy or overly sweet.

By Julienne

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 450 ml Water divided
• 15 g Fresh ginger thinly sliced
• 2 count Cinnamon stick lightly crushed
• 6 count Green cardamom pods lightly crushed
• 4 count Whole cloves none
• 4 count Black peppercorns lightly crushed
• 150 ml Water divided
• 4 count Black tea bags none
• 600 ml Whole milk none
• 20 g Granulated sugar optional

Instructions

1. Add 450 ml of the water to a medium saucepan with the ginger, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, and black peppercorns. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer gently for 8 minutes. The liquid is fragrant and lightly amber, and the kitchen smells strongly of chai spice.
2. Add the remaining 150 ml water and the tea bags. Keep at a bare simmer for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to submerge the tea bags. The tea is dark and aromatic, but not harsh or bitter.
3. Pour in the milk and the optional sugar. Heat just until steaming and lightly foamy, about 3 to 4 minutes, without letting the mixture boil. The latte is hot and steaming, with small bubbles around the edge and no boiling over.
4. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into 4 mugs, dividing evenly so each mug gets about 300 ml. Serve immediately. Each mug is filled with a smooth, spiced chai latte and no whole spices remain in the cup.